Kiev (Ukraine): Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has abolished a Kiev court that had earlier suspended his decree dissolving parliament and calling early parliamentary elections, his press service said Tuesday.

Yushchenko signed a decree late Monday abolishing the Kiev District Court, replacing it with two administrative courts, after the court ruled in favour of a lawsuit filed by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's bloc Saturday against the president and the Central Election Commission (CEC) and overturned the presidential decree to dissolve parliament.

The secretariat of the president filed an appeal later Saturday against the ruling.

The Kiev prosecutor's office has launched a criminal case against the Kiev court judge who ruled to suspend the decree on allegations of knowingly giving an unlawful ruling.

The country's pro-Western ruling coalition collapsed Sep 3 when the pro-Yushchenko party Our Ukraine withdrew from the alliance after Tymoshenko's bloc joined with the opposition Party of Regions to approve legislation that sought to cut presidential powers.

Yushchenko called the move a "constitutional coup."

Under the Ukrainian constitution, the president can dissolve parliament and call early elections if no majority coalition is formed within 30 days. The coalition was officially dissolved on Sep 16 and, according to the Ukrainian law, elections must take place within 60 days after parliament is dissolved.

Source : IANS