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| Wednesday's Parliament's session (Image: TSN) |
Massive anti-government protests continue in Ukraine nationwide, as the
talks between the oppositional leaders and Yanukovich are ongoing, and
Ukrainian Parliament gathers for the second day for the extraordinary sessions
on order to resolve political crisis in the country.
During the decisive Tuesday’s session on 28 January Ukrainian Parliament
has voted in favor of cancelling of almost all the dictatorial 16 January laws
restricting personal and civil rights and freedoms of Ukrainians. Cabinet of
Ministers of Mykola Azarov has resigned temporally government was formed and
will be headed by Vice-Prime Minister Sergiy Arbuzov, until the new government
will be formed and appointed.
Though parliamentarians couldn’t reach agreement regarding the issue of
political prisoners and detained activists, so the voting for the project of
amnesty law was postponed for the Wednesday’s session.
Wednesday’s 29 January session appeared to be long and complicated, as
there was no unity over the amnesty law project. Oppositional parliamentarians have
registered their amnesty law draft, which declared unconditional release of all
the detained activists and political prisoners since the beginning of the
protests on 21 November 2013. There were also two other amnesty law drafts
submitted by the independent parliamentarians, and these drafts were actually
similar or very close to the one offered by opposition. But later it became
known that there is another draft, which was registered by the Party of Regions
(pro-Yanukovich) parliamentarian Yuriy Miroshnichenko.
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| Protesters in Grushevsky Street in Kyiv (Image: Radio Svoboda) |
This amnesty law stated that all the detained activists could be
released only after all the administrative buildings will be left by the
protesters, and the roads and streets unblocked. This law gives the protesters
15 days to free these buildings and objects since the day when the law will be
put in effect.
Oppositional parliamentarians claimed they didn’t know about this law as
it wasn’t registered on the website of the Parliament in advance. There were
also no consultations and discussions regarding this law.
The majority of the Parliament’s members were ready to vote for the law
proposed by opposition, when Victor Yanukovich personally arrived in the Parliament
in order to hold an emergency meeting with the members of his Party of Regions.
Parliament’s session was stopped, as Yanukovich and his parliamentary group
have left the session hall and gathered in another room. Their consultations
lasted during several hours, as Yanukovich reportedly pressed them to vote for
the draft of Miroshnichenko. In other case, if this law wouldn’t be voted,
Yanukovich was ready to dissolve the Parliament, according to the sources in
Rada (Ukrainian Parliament). In other words, Yanukovich personally arrived to
press his parliamentarians to vote for the needed law draft.
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| Burning tires on Grushevsky Street in Kyiv (Image: Radio Svoboda) |
Thus, the majority of Party of Regions members and also Communists have
voted in favor of this draft law. The voting has been held with the serious
violations and sparked criticism and harsh discussions among many politicians
and experts. Oppositional leader Oleg Tyagnybok stated that this law could be
named “Law about hostages”, as the Yanukovich’s regime actually declared that
it takes hostages and named the prize for their release, such as withdrawal of
protesters form the streets and leaving the administrative buildings. Of
course, Maidan will not go and will continue its fight, added Mr. Tyagnybok.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s Parliamentary session was attended by many
Western politicians and diplomats following closely the situation in Ukraine.
EU delegation, including Elmar Brok, was also presented. Mr. Brock stated later
that EU will impose personal sanctions against several Ukrainian high officials
responsible for human rights violations and violence in Ukraine.
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