Members of the Ukranian Parliament have requested that the Ukrainian Constitutional Court rule on the legality of President Viktor Yushchenko's dismissal of three judges from its bench, according to the court's information office Tuesday. The request came after last Friday's dismissal of Volodymyr Ivashchenko, the third Constitutional Court judge removed for alleged oath and ethics violations.

The court is currently considering the constitutionality of Yushchenko's April 2 decree dissolving parliament and calling for new elections. He has since issued a second decree, which is also under review by the court, moving the elections to late June. A majority of legislators objected to the initial decree, filing an appeal with the 18-judge Constitutional Court.

Yushchenko has insisted that his dissolution decree was proper under the Ukrainian constitution and has said that officials who refuse to comply with his decree could face criminal prosecution.