Court dismisses opposition's claim on illegality of jailed leaders exclusion from voting lists

The Kyiv Administrative Court of Appeals has declared the exclusion of ex-prime minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko and former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko from the voting list of the Batkivschyna united opposition legal.

The court made the ruling at a meeting on Saturday, having considered the opposition's claim against the Central Election Commission.

The Batkivschyna united opposition at the Kyiv Administrative Court of Appeals on August 9 appealed against the refusal of the Central Election Commission to register Tymoshenko and Lutsenko as candidates for MPs.

The lawsuit states that "pursuant to the provisions of Part 3 of Article 76 of the Constitution of Ukraine, criminal record can be the basis for refusal to be elected as MPs but cannot be the basis for refusal to register candidates."

"After all, criminal record could be withdrawn or canceled before the election process ends," reads the document.