Viktor Yushchenko Refuses To Dismiss Defense Minister Yuri Yekhanurov

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said he would not ask the Verkhovna Rada for dismissing Defense Minister Yuri Yekhanurov.
“No, I will not do that,” the president told a Tuesday press conference in the Zhitomir region.In his opinion, the related request of Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko aimed “to destabilize the executive authorities and to seize full control.”“This is nothing but politics,” the president said. “This is the policy aimed to destroy efficient authorities and the pre-election intrigues.”Yushchenko said he had read a report of the Main Auditing Department concerning the activity of the Defense Ministry and dismissed as unfounded corruption charges against Yekhanurov. “I have ordered the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate the problem, as corruption claims are being increasingly made by those who are guilty themselves,” he said.Timoshenko asked the president to dismiss the defense minister on May 25. Main Auditing Department head Nikolai Sivulsky accused the Defense Ministry of inappropriate control over the use of land belonging to the ministry on May 20. He also affirmed violations in the catering of servicemen.Yekhanurov said that the Defense Ministry did not sell any land during his ministerial office. The corruption accusations “are a comedy,” he said.