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Parliament rejects bill relaxing demands to top prosecutor

Yuriy Sevruk continues to be in charge of the Prosecutor-General's Office (PGO).

On 10 May, parliament failed to pass bill No 4669 which would open the way to Yuriy Lutsenko to become prosecutor-general.

It was supported by 224 MPs, just two votes short of the required minimum. Another attempt to put the bill to vote failed to score enough support either.

If passed, the bill would amend Article 40 of the Law "On prosecution" by pressing softer requirements to a candidate for the prosecutor-general's post. It would require the candidate to have a university degree, but not necessarily in law, a five-year record in law or a five-year experience with a legislative or law-enforcement body.

The bill was labelled as urgent by President Petro Poroshenko who is believed to be favouring Yuriy Lutsenko, the leader of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction in parliament, for the post.

Lutsenko has neither experience in prosecution nor a degree in law. However, he has a track record with parliament and the Interior Ministry.

The president dismissed Prosecutor-General Viktor Shokin on 3 April 2016. Yuriy Sevruk has been the acting prosecutor-general since then.

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