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| Massive anti-government rallies in Kyiv (Image: Radio Svoboda) |
Situation in Ukraine remains tense, as political crisis is still not
resolved and there is no consensus between the government and opposition, and
massive protesters continue for more than 70 days despite the frosts and snow.
Sunday, 2 February, has gathered tens of thousands of Ukrainians in Kyiv’s
Independence Square and thousands of people all over Ukraine as well, as
several regions are still under control of People’s Councils with their
regional offices taken by protesters.
Oppositional leaders have delivered their speeches from the stage during
Sunday rally talking about their meetings and talks with Western diplomats and
politicians during recently held Munich Security Conference, where Ukrainian
issue was among the most important ones and sparked many discussions. The
leaders stated that in general the conclusions of the Conference are that
Western countries back and support Ukrainians and their fight for freedom and
democracy and that there will be also financial aid and support for Ukraine
after the needed reforms will be implemented and opposition will be able to
have some control of the situation in the country.
People though continue to voice their clear demands: Yanukovich must
step down and the whole system of power should be changed. They also demands
release of all the detained activists and political prisoners and
accountability of those responsible for human rights’ violations and abuses
committed during the latest days. People’s spirits are high, and people are
ready to stand till the end, as it one of the popular Euromaidan slogans
states: “I will not leave Maidan, until Yanukovich will step down”.
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| Kyiv Independence Square (Image: Wikipedia) |
Talking to the people from the Euromaidan stage, oppositional leaders have
reported about the results of the talks with the Western politicians during the
Munich Conference and revealed the plan of development of Ukraine and resolving
the crisis. Oleg Tyagnybok, leader of nationalistic party, stated that people
will not leave until all the demands of revolution will be fulfilled and
claimed also, that Russia is planning Georgian scenario to be implemented in
Ukraine, as Russian military intervention could be possible after opening of
Sochi-Games. Ukrainians should be ready for this threat and it shouldn’t be
allowed. Mr. Tyagnybok also added that oppositional leaders are gathering
materials about human rights’ abuses and crimes of Ukrainian government and
police against Ukrainian citizens in order to send them to Haag Court.
Arseny Yatsenyuk has revealed that EU and USA are willing to support new
Ukrainian government after Constitutional reform will be implemented. He also
added that special investigative commission will be formed by Ukraine and EU to
investigate the crimes of Ukrainian government against the peaceful protesters.
Petro Poroshenko also declared that Western countries back Ukrainian revolution
and totally support it.
USA President Barak Obama has stated earlier that USA support Ukrainians
and that US Administration holds dialogue with the opposition and the
authorities as well. Mr. Obama has also critiqued the laws restricting people’s
rights for demonstrations. He also stated that new government should also
include oppositional figures and representatives of civic society and Maidan in
order to create legitimate and united government. USA also supports Ukraine on
their path towards European integration and hope that Ukraine will finally sign
Association Agreement with EU in the nearest future.
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| Munich Security Conference (Image: Windsor Star) |
The 50th Munich Security Conference in its turn concentrated
a lot on the Ukrainian issue and deepening political crisis, as Western
countries including USA and EU support Ukrainian protesters and urge to resolve
the crisis peacefully, while Russian side, represented by Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov, criticized West and accused it in double standards and missing
with Ukrainian internal affairs.
It’s worth mentioning though that Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Leonid Kozhara has also made similar statements during the conference, claiming
that Europeans shouldn’t come to Kyiv as they aren’t welcomed here and it’s
really dangerous and accusing them of caring more about their own rating. In
addition to that Mr. Kozhara has stated that Ukraine is on the edge of bankruptcy
and questioned the issue of kidnappings, torturing and killing of protesters.
European and US leaders though have expressed their support of Ukrainian
revolution and Euromaidan. After their negotiations with EU and USA
representatives oppositional leaders have also revealed plan of reviving
Ukraine and resolving political crisis in the country. This plan was revealed
after the meeting of oppositional leaders with US Secretary of State John
Kerry. The plan includes four steps, which are the following: 1) Stopping
violence and confrontation is the first step; 2) release of prisoners (promised
by authorities according to the recently adopted amnesty law); 3) investigation
of tortures, murders, kidnappings and beating of Ukrainian activists and
citizens; 4) Constitutional Reform bringing back the norms of 2004 Constitution
and presidential-parliamentary republic.
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| Ukrainian Parliament (Image: Wikipedia) |
As for the issue of investigation of the crimes of Ukrainian authorities
against Ukrainian citizens and activists of Euromaidan, the decision was taken
to form a joint commission consisted of Ukrainian and international members in
order to investigate the crimes of regime. Additional UN commission will be
also created to observe the investigations’ process.
In addition to that oppositional leaders stated that EU and USA declared
that they will financially support Ukraine. EU and IMF are ready to give
Ukraine financial aid, but to the government of Yanukovich. In case
Constitutional reform will be implemented and opposition and civic society will
have control over the situation, EU will send an aid to support Ukrainian
economy. Another important step is early presidential and parliamentary
elections, which should be free, democratic and transparent. Arseny Yatesnyuk
in his turn has stated the aid should be minimum $ 15 billion.
Many EU politicians and diplomats state now also that EU should give
Ukraine more clear perspectives of future European membership and give
guarantees of it.
At the same time Europe remains firm and harsh in its recent reactions
regarding Ukrainian authorities. EU considers personal sanctions against
several Ukrainian high officials and oligarchs controlling big parliamentary groups,
and there were reports that bank accounts of some persons and their family
members have been already blocked. German Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Frank-Walter Steinmeier in his turn has threaten Ukrainian officials with
imposing personal sanctions against them in the nearest future, if the crisis
will not be resolved in a peaceful way.
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| Kyiv Grushevsky Street, site of recent clashes (Image: News Radio) |
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Afghan War veterans and representatives of radical “Right
Sector” responsible for starting the clashes in Kyiv Grushevsky Street on 19
January led to massive and serious confrontations between protesters and riot
police and left 4 people dead, have started their autonomous talks with the
police and security forces, independent from the opposition. These talks are
being held to release all the detained activists and to agree on the plan of
their release. In addition to that ceasefire agreement was also reached.
Friday, 7 February, is set as a deadline for fulfilling the demands. If it will
not happen, activists claim they will start confrontation again.
As for the Parliament, its planned session was open on Tuesday, 4
February. Among the key issues to be discussed and voted was the issue of
Constitution and Constitutional reform. Oppositional parliamentarians are
calling for amending the current Constitution as it was adopted with violations
and includes very controversial articles, giving President almost unlimited
powers and making Parliament dependent on his political will. Opposition calls
for returning to the 2004 Constitution and issuing Constitutional Decree for
the transitional period, during which special Constitutional Commission tasked
with amendments of the national charter should be formed and the new document
would be prepared.
But despite the high expectations, remarkable divisions within the
ruling pro-Yanukovich Party of Regions and possibility of reorganizing of the
parliamentary majority, the decision was not taken, and there were no agreement
on the issue. Parliament’s Speaker Volodymyr Rybak has opened the session with
the proposal of the free tribune regime, when every parliamentarian was given a
chance to deliver his or her speech during 6 minutes. But after long
discussions and debates no agreement was reached, and session was closed
without results.
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| Protesters on barricades (Image: Unian) |
Meanwhile Victor Yanukovich is ready for possible early parliamentary
elections, according to his official spokesperson Yuriy Miroshnichenko. If
politicians will fail to resolve political crisis in parliament and in legal
ways, Yanukovich will declare his readiness to early elections, but there were
no talks about the possibility of the early parliamentarian elections, claimed
Mr. Miroshnichenko.
Meanwhile Yanukovich is also planning to promote
Andriy Klyuev, current Head of Presidential Administration and former Head of National
Security and Defense Council, to the position of Prime Minister, while Andriy
Portnov, currently occupying the position of Vice-Head of Presidential
Administration, should get the position of its Head, and scandalous Minister of
Interior Vitaly Zakharchenko, allegedly involved in violent dispersal of
peaceful protesters, could get a position of Head of National Security and Defense
Council.
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