Ukraine's acting president says new Crimean PM's appointment illegal
KYIV. March 1 (Interfax) - Ukrainian acting president Oleksander Turchynov has declared Thursday's appointment by Crimea's parliament of pro-Russian politician Sergei Aksyonov as the region's prime minister illegal.
Aksyonov's appointment involved departures from the constitutions of Ukraine and Crimea, Turchynov said in a decree, demanding that the Crimean legislature annul it and ordering Aksyonov to be denied recognition as a legitimate Crimean representative in relations with Ukrainian authorities.
In his role as head of Crimea's government, Aksyonov, who is leader of the Russian Unity party, replaced Anatoly Mogilyov, whom the Crimean parliament dismissed on Thursday.
Crimean parliament spokeswoman Olga Sulnikova said Aksyonov's appointment was approved by 53 votes in the 100-seat legislature.
She claimed that Aksyonov's appointment was legal. She said Aksyonov had been nominated by parliamentary chairman Vladimir Konstantinov under Article 136 of the Ukrainian Constitution.
Under the Ukrainian constitution, the Crimean prime minister is to be appointed by the Crimean parliament with the approval of the Ukrainian president.
Sulnikova said Ukraine's president had approved Aksyonov's nomination.
Aksyonov said on Thursday that Viktor Yanukovych remained the legitimately elected president of Ukraine.
Sulnikova dismissed suspicions that some of the deputies were forced to vote for Aksyonov.
