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| Ukrainian anti-government and pro-European protests (Image: AFP) |
Ukrainian opposition and public activists and representatives of the
protesters of Maidan have met on Friday, 6 December, on the press-conference
and discussed their roadmap and the further steps.
Ukrainian activists, artists, journalists, intellectuals and prominent
persons have signed a joint petition to Ukrainian opposition voicing the
demands of the people protesting on Independence Square and all over Ukraine
and containing propositions to the opposition regarding the next steps.
Ukrainian activists representing protesters call for Ukrainian
opposition to immediately take all possible measures in order to free and
release all detained activists being currently held in custody and facing
trials, demand the withdrawal of all the Special Forces and riot police from
the streets of Kyiv and other cities and to eliminate violence against the
people protesting. Acticists also demand that all those responsible for the
violent dispersal of the protesters and beatings would be arrested and
punished.
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| Euromaidan protests in Lviv (Image: Vidomosti UA) |
This petition was signed by more than 1500 prominent persons and
activists and it summarizes the demands of the members of Euromaidan.
One of the creators of the petition Yury Andrulhovych, prominent
Ukrainian writer, stressed that they have been also criticized a little bit,
because there is no demand of impeachment in this petition, but it is logical
at the current moment, said the writer, as the promises and demands as well
should be realistic. As the issue of President’s impeachment is an extremely
hard task and practically impossible on the current stage, opposition and
protesters should concentrate on the more realistic and more important issues
mentioned in the collective petition.
Representatives of Maidan also wait that opposition will achieve, that
President of Ukraine will lose his “dictatorial powers” given to him with the
amended 2010 Constitution. Limiting of the presidential powers would be
possible with the return to 2004 Constitutional reforms. Activists also waits
that opposition will achieve signing of the Association Agreement with EU,
implementing of the new electoral law and the law about lustration, first of
all in judicial system, prosecution, Ministry of Interior and force structures.
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| Anti-government and pro-European protests in Kyiv (Image: News Radio) |
Ukrainian oppositional leaders Arseny Yatsenyuk, Vitaly Klichko and Oleg
Tyagnybok stated the opposition totally supports the demands mentioned in the
petition and that they will make everything possible in order to meet these
demands, but oppositions doesn’t reject its goals and demands too. The main
plan of the opposition for Euromaidan contains the following demands: release
of all political prisoners, criminal accountability of Minister of Interior
Vitaly Zakharchenko and his resignation, responsibility and punishment of the
soldiers of special forces (“Berkut”) participated in the violent dispersal of
Maidan and in beating of the peaceful protesters during the clashes near
President’s office and resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his
government.
But the opposition’s plan isn’t limited with these demands only,
according to the statement of its leaders. Opposition will fight for the total
reloading of the political system and will demand early parliamentary and
presidential elections.
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| Oleg Tyagnybok, Arseny Yatsenyuk and Vitaly Klichko, oppositional leaders (Image: Vinnytsya OK) |
Opposition and activists of Maidan took a decision to create
Transitional government tasked with the preparation to the early parliamentary
and presidential elections in Ukraine.
The document proposed by the activists should become the basis for the
nationwide “People Council” to be held all over Ukraine on Sunday, 8 December.
Activists and also internationals observers and international
politicians call for the national dialogue between opposition, protesters and
government in order to find the solution to the current crisis and to avoid
violence and use of the force. Ukrainian government claimed that it is ready
for the talks and even ready to discuss the issue of the early elections, but
opposition claims that till now Ukrainian authorities didn’t make any step in attempt
to start the negotiations.
On the contrary, arrests and detentions of the activists continue in the
country, the trials are being held in the nights and behind the closed doors,
with no defendants allowed inside, detainees, who are currently in hard
conditions after receiving serious injuries during the violent clashes on
Bankova Street, are being held in custody with neither their relatives, nor
MPs, nor their defendants allowed to see them.
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| Protesters near City Council, Kyiv (Image: Radio Svoboda) |
All of the detained were peaceful protesters or journalists covering the
events, and all of them are being held in custody for two months and could
receive from three to seven years in prison for inciting violence and provoking
the slashes.
Presence of security and special forces in the capital of Ukraine is
unprecedented, thus the situation remains tense. Several hundreds of activists in
the city of Vasilkiv near Kyiv, where one of the military bases is located, are
being blocking the buses with security and military personnel intended to be
sent to Kyiv. Activists are blocking the buses to prevent them from moving.
Massive protests are also ongoing in Kyiv and other cities as well.
Independence Square in Kyiv remains heart of the protests, with the tent city
and the real infrastructure developed already there. Tens of thousands
demonstrate there with several thousand people spending there the nights.
Protesters continue to block Administration of President, Parliament,
Cabinet of Minister, General Prosecution, buildings of the courts where the
activists are being tried, and the prisons where they are being held.
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| OSCE meeting in Kyiv (Image: UN website) |
Massive column of cars with protesters led by prominent Ukrainian
journalist and public activist Tatyana Chornovil moved on Friday to the
residence of Victory Yanukovich, located in the historic Mezhygirya near Kyiv. Though
they weren’t allowed to continue their march as the police posts are on each
100 meters on the way to the President’s residence. Thus the activists decided
to change their plans and moved to the airports of Kyiv “to meet President” who
is expected to arrive in Kyiv today after his visits to China and Russia.
International politicians and diplomats have strongly condemned the
actions of Ukrainian government and use of excessive force dispersing peaceful
protesters. Citizens of a democratic country have the right to gather and
express their views and demands and they shouldn’t be denied this right and
suffer violent dispersal, according to the statements of the foreign
politicians and diplomats. USA, Canada, European countries have expressed their
support of the peaceful protests in Ukraine and of the aspirations of Ukrainian
claiming the doors of Europe are open for Ukraine and Ukrainian society
demonstrates that European values apply to it already.
Annual meeting of OSCE was held on Thursday in Ukraine and was attended
by the ministers and representatives of 57 countries, and the meeting mostly
turned to the arena of condemnation of the current government of Ukraine
oppressing the peaceful protests of its citizens and justifying use of
violence. Ministers and members of the OSCE meeting have called for the
national dialogue in order to find the common solution and not to allow
violence. They even offered their mediation in these negotiation through the
specially formed commission.
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| Massive anti-government rallies in Kyiv (Image: Radio Svoboda) |
Meanwhile Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his government continue their
fierce critique of the protests and blockings of the administrative buildings
accusing demonstrators of disrupting the order and preventing the organizations
and government from work. Prime Minister reminded about hard economic situation
in the country and warned that the protests could cause stopping of social
payments in some regions. In addition to that he stated that there will be some
changes in government during the next weeks, with some ministers being
replaced. Though these changes are possible only after deep and serious
analysis of the current economic and social situation in the country, stressed
Prime Minister.
As for the President he remains silent regarding the events in the
country and continues his official visits acting as nothing is happening. After
the planned visit to China, where Victor Yanukovich has signed several documents
and memorandum about the further cooperation with China, but didn’t receive the
expected credits, he arrived in Sochi, Russia, to meet Russian President
Vladimir Putin. There are no details of Russian visit of Victor Yanukovich, but
it was reported by the press services of Ukrainian and Russian presidents that
Mr. Yanukovich and Mr. Putin have discussed further economic and trade
cooperation, gas deals and financial aid of Russia and the future signing of
the Agreement about strategic partnership. Mr. Yanukovich didn’t get any credit
from Russia too, according to the official reports. But the credit and serious
financial aid from Russian could be possible after Ukraine will sign the
documents granting its joining to the Custom Union, report some media sources.
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| Meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Ukrainian Victor Yanukovich (Image: Reuters) |
Thus the situation in the country remains tense and unstable, with
strange actions of government and refusal to take responsibility for the
current events and with the call for the massive rallies all over Ukraine on
Sunday. Opposition and activists call for a million-man march and expect bigger
numbers of protesters then it was this Sunday. Though massive protests could
possible start even on Saturday, as more and more people arrive in the capital
from other cities.
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