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| Euromaidan anti-government protests in Kyiv (Image: Kyiv Post) |
Ukrainian activists and protesters are preparing for the Tuesday’s
massive march to the building of Parliament, where the decisive session is
expected to be held. Oppositional MPs demand voting for the Constitutional
reform in order to amend the current national Charter and to return to the 2004
Constitution, limiting powers of President and establishing
parliamentary-presidential form of governance instead of the presidential one,
what allowed Yanukovich to build a strong vertical of power working for his
interests and oppressing freedoms and rights of Ukrainians.
Another issue expected to be discussed and voted during the Tuesday’s
Parliamentary session is the candidacy of the new Prime Minister and forming of
the interim government. Opposition claims EU and Western countries support
forming of transitional technical government in Ukraine which will include
figures representing various political powers and factions of Ukrainian
society, and this government could receive financial aid form EU. Though
Yanukovich’s regime prepares its own candidate, who is expected to be
pro-Russian, as Yanukovich and his government don’t lose hopes for the next
tranches of Russian credits. Appointment of such a candidate could have a terrible
impact on the development of the situation and deepen the current crisis, as
the atmosphere is extremely tense.
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| Barricades in Euromaidan (Image: Kyiv Post) |
The amnesty law, which implementation should ensure the release of all
the detained activists after the administrative building have been freed by the
protesters on Sunday, 16 February, came into effect on Monday, 17 February, but
the procedures could take some time, and closure of the cases of activists and
their release could occur within one month, according to the press service of
Ukrainian General Prosecution. Though the oppositional leaders and activists of
Euromaidan demand not the amnesty, but the total rehabilitation of the
activists, so the situation is still tense, as people don’t believe the
authorities and are disappointed with the latest steps of the oppositional
figures claiming the role of Maidan leaders.
Meanwhile massive rally is planned to be held on Tuesday in order to strengthen
the pressure on the Parliament during the decisive session. Oppositional
leaders and organizers of Maidan claim the presence of the big numbers of
protesters and their pressure and peaceful protest would play a big role and
push the MPs including representatives of the ruling pro-Yanukovich Party of
Regions to vote for the changes to Constitution.
There are though a lot of worries of the oppositional and some independent
MPs regarding Tuesday’s session, as there are several possible scenarios could
be implemented by regime in order to restrict the possible achievements of the
draft laws to be voted on Tuesday. Among these scenarios is voting for the changes
of Constitution and for the new Prime Minister in the package, what could be
really dangerous for the opposition. Andriy Parubiy, member of the oppositional
Batkivshchyna (Homeland) Party and prominent leader of Maidan, declared that
opposition should do everything possible on Tuesday to prevent the voting for
the pro-Yanukovich and pro-Russian candidate for the position of Prime
Minister. Parliament should be even blocked, if it will be needed, claimed Mr.
Parubiy. That is why presence of big numbers of protesters is very important for
Tuesday’s session.
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| Units of radical Right Sector during the protests (Image: Kyiv Post) |
Maidan activists, self-defense units and units of radical “Right Sector”
prepare for the massive rally on Tuesday and are totally ready for the peaceful
protests and for resistance, if there will be some provocations or violence,
stated the leaders of the groups. The march is expected to start at the
morning, with the forming of the columns at 8 a.m. and starting the march at 8:30
a.m. Dozens of thousands of protesters are expected to gather for the march.
Prominent oppositional figures Vitaly Klichko and Arseny Yatsenyuk have
visited Germany and met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and several high
officials of Germany on Monday, 17 February, just one day ahead of the Tuesday’s
Parliamentary session in Ukraine. Angela Merkel has invited Ukrainian
oppositional leaders in order to discuss political situation and crisis in
Ukraine, the possible ways to resolve it and to see the program and roadmap of
opposition.
The meeting has brought good results, declared Mr. Yatsenyuk and Mr.
Klichko during the official press conference in Berlin, held after the meeting
with Mrs. Merkel.
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| Euromaidan activists on Grushevsky Street (Image: Global Voices Online) |
Oppositional leaders announced that Angela Merkel is good informed about
the situation in Ukraine and claimed that Germany and EU are willing to support
Ukraine and to help to resolve the crisis in a peaceful way. The key demand and
condition is avoiding of the further violence and using force, release of the
detained activists and accountability of all those responsible for the violence
against the peaceful protesters. German government and EU also welcome the
talks and compromises between the opposition, Maidan and authorities in order
to resolve the crisis without violence.
Oppositional leaders have declared also there have been talks regarding
the ways of resolving the crisis, and Mrs. Merkel has supported the roadmap
presented by the opposition. There have been also talks about different options
of pressure of EU and international community on Ukrainian government, and the
issue of sanctions still remains on the agenda, though Angela Merkel stated
that she would prefer to postpone the possibility of imposing sanctions as
there are still hopes to resolve crisis through the negotiations.
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| Ukrainian oppositional leaders Vitaly Klichko and Arseny Yatsenyuk and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Image: Reuters) |
EU will also support Ukraine financially and give financial aid to the
new interim government, not the government of Yanukovich. This new transitional
government should be technical and consist of the figures representing
different political powers and factions of society, professionals and it should
also have support and trust of the people of Ukraine, stated Angela Merkel. If
such a government will be formed, EU will support Ukrainian economy with the
help of IMF and other institutions funds, which will be given for the long-term
systematical reforms and projects aimed to develop economical and social
situation in the country and to implement democratic values and freedoms.
Meanwhile, Head of European Parliament Martin Schulz has declared on
Monday, that EU is ready to sign Association Agreement with Ukraine in the
nearest future, right after Ukraine will resolve its political crisis and in
case Ukraine will not express new conditions, as it happened with Yanukovich’s
government. The possible deadline could be at the end of March, as there will
be elections of the European Parliament, and the new members of it would be
probably not interested in Ukrainian issue, as Eastern European Partnership
program isn’t their project.
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