You're reading: Crimean parliament: Kyiv’s claims to suspend Crimean referendum have no legal implications

The legal department of the secretariat of the Supreme Council of Crimea has said that the statement by Ukrainian Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov to suspend the Crimean Parliament's decision to hold a referendum will have no legal implications, a spokesperson for the autonomous republic's parliament said on Friday.

On March 6 media outlets and the online-based representation of the
Ukrainian acting president published Turchynov’s address to the nation
over the situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (ARC), which
said that the Supreme Council of Crimea made an illegal decision to hold
a Crimean referendum on the question: “Are you in favor of Crimea
becoming part of the Russian Federation?” According to the Ukrainian
acting president, this decision is illegitimate and void. Due to this
Turchynov stated that he suspended the Crimean Supreme Council’s
decision in accordance with the powers vested in him.

“We explain that under part two of Article 137 of the Ukrainian
Constitution, the Ukrainian president may suspend the legal acts passed
by the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea on the basis
of their inconsistency with the Ukrainian laws by asking the Ukrainian
Constitutional Court to rule on their constitutionality,” the legal
department said.

“Since no such decree by the Ukrainian acting president has until now
been duly issued and unveiled, and no constitutional filing regarding
the constitutionality of the ARC Supreme Council’s resolution of March
6, 2014, “On holding the Crimean referendum” has been submitted to the
Constitutional Court, the statements by Ukrainian Acting President
Oleksandr Turchynov are worthless and have no legal implications,” the
legal department of the Crimean parliament secretariat said in its
explanations.