On September 13, in Kyiv District Administrative Court, a preliminary hearing was held on the case of the European Party of Ukraine against the Communist Party of Ukraine and the Central Election Commission.
The hearing was started with an announcement about recusation of Yulia Shamko, the judge presiding over this case.
According to representatives of the CPU, Yevhen Herasymenko, Oleksii Adven, and Heorhii Buiko, Yuliia Shramenko has violated article 39 on peaceful assembly, and 15 on freedom of political activity, of the Constitution of Ukraine. Besides that, Mrs. Shramenko was accused of biased attitude because she was nominated for MP of Ukraine in 2005 and is subjective due to her ideological views.
Representatives of the European Party Roman Kruhliak, Serhii Kharchenko, Tymofii Makarenko and a representative of the CEC were against such statement of the Communists.
After one hour of recess, the judge presiding over the case had rejected an announcement about recusation and emphasized: there is no proof that her public activities may influence the case.
Besides that, after member of the CPU filed a petition for collegial hearing, the judge emphasized that the case will be considered in court by such panel of judges.
During pre-court investigation of the case, the All-Ukrainian NGO Ukrainian movement "Ukrainian choice" and Ukrainian Republican Party were attracted to the case as third persons which do not have independent claims.
After long debates between the plaintiff and defendant, the judge presiding over the case hasn't satisfied CPU's petition to close the case. She hasn't also satisfied the petition of communists to remove restrictions related to members of the CEC attending on assembly on September 8 at the Spartak stadium.
The next hearing on this case will be held on September 30, 2013.
According to representatives of the parties, they will continue filing petitions to the court.
