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| Kyiv Maidan after violent clashes (Image: Den') |
Ukrainians have experienced really black days in the entire history of
the independent state since the beginning of the horrible and brutal assault of
security forces against Euromaidan protesters, leaving more than 100 people
killed and thousands badly injured. After the previous days of terrible fights,
when Kyiv turned into Syria-like battlefield, and extremely hard night, when several
living districts have been attacked by the so called “titushki” and thugs, and
Ukrainians united in the self-organized units of self-defense and patrolled the
streets of the city all night long, Friday was relatively calm for the
protesters despite the worries about the possibility of the new assault.
Ukrainian Parliamentary session ended on Thursday with the voting for
immediate withdrawal of “Berkut” and all the troops of riot police and security
forces from the streets of Kyiv and stop of using force, condemnation of the
recent deeds of the current Yanukovich government and necessity of the criminal
accountability for all those responsible for the crimes committed against
Ukrainian people. In addition to that Parliament voted for release of all the
detained activists and protesters.
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| Riot police and security forces druing the battles in Kyiv (Image: The Guardian) |
Later in the night the talks between Yanukovich and opposition attended
and mediated by EU ministers have resumed and lasted more than 6 hours, though
the results weren’t positive, according to the statements of EU officials.
Yanukovich seems to be unwilling to do some compromises and is confident in his
power, despite the fact that even the members of his ruling Party of Regions
withdraw their mandates from the ranks of the party in masses.
Talks between Yanukovich and his government and opposition resumed on
Friday and were attended by EU ministers Laurent Fabius (France), Frank-Walter
Steinmeier (Germany) and Radoslaw Sikorski (Poland) and Russian Ambassador for
Human Rights and Special Envoy Vladimir Lukin. Talks resulted in signing the
Resolution aimed to resolve the deepening crisis in Ukraine and to work for
finding the peaceful and legitimate solution.
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| Protesters in Kyiv streets after clashes (Image: Reuters) |
Among the agreements in the Resolution are the following:
- Within 48 hours
since publishing of this document special law should be issued to return
2004 Constitution with several amendments. Within 10 days after that the
new coalition and interim government should be formed.
- Constitutional
reform aimed to limit presidential powers and to balance legislative,
executive, judicial and presidential powers should be implemented not
later than in September 2014.
- Early presidential
elections should be held after approving of the amended Constitution and
not later than in December 2014. In addition to that these elections must
be monitored and observed by Venice Commission, OSCE and other
international observers.
- Investigations of
all the crimes committed recently against Ukrainian citizens during the
ongoing protests must be held by the special commission formed from the representatives
of the authorities, opposition and EU.
- There should be no
state of emergency imposed, while authorities and opposition should
restrain from using force.
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| Kyiv burnt House of Trade Unions on Maidan (Image: Den') |
This document was signed by all the participants
of the meeting excluding Russian Vladimir Lukin, who stated that talks and
consultations with Victor Yanukovich will continue.
Friday’s Parliamentary session opened by
the Parliament’s speaker Volodymyr Rybak, who was absent yesterday, was
attended by an unprecedented number of MPs including representatives of the
pro-Yanukovich Party of Regions. It’s worth mentioning also, that several
members of the ruling party have withdrawn their mandates during Friday’s
session as well.
During the Friday’s session the majority of
MPs supported Constitutional reform and return to the 2004 edition of the
national Charter. President is officially limited in his powers as the law
approved by the Parliament on Friday, should come in effect after it will be
signed by the Parliament’s speaker.
Ukrainian imprisoned ex-Prime Minister
Yulia Tymoshenko should be released, as Parliament has also voted for the
decriminalization of the clause with which she was charged. Mrs. Tymoshenko’s lawyer
Sergiy Vlasenko has stated that she should be released in the nearest future.
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| Streets of Kyiv after clashes (Image: Den') |
Prosecutor General Pshonka and Minister of
Interior Zakharchenko have been dispissed.
There were though no statements regarding
responsibility for the crimes and killing of protesters either in the
Resolution or in the drafts supported in Parliament.
In addition to that the draft law about
impeachment of President Yanukovich issued by the former member of Party of
Regions Mykola Rudkovsky was registered on Friday evening in Parliament and is
expected to be discussed soon.
Friday’s developments during the talks and
Parliamentary session are really decisive and important for Ukrainian current
situation as they could stop violence and help to regulate the situation coming
back into the legislative field of resolving the crisis. But people on Maidan
were disappointed with these developments as immediate resignation of
Yanukovich is the key demand of the protesters. Yanukovich must step down and
be held accountable for the crimes against Ukrainians.
Oppositional leaders received a bad welcome
on Maidan as they announced the results of the talks from the stage. Many
protesters have labeled them as traitors who left Ukrainian to live other 10
month with the president who has not only lost his legitimacy, but who is
considered being killer of Ukrainian people.
Leader of Ukrainian radical group Right
Sector has made a statement from the stage of Euromaidan declaring that people
will not leave until Yanukovich will resign. People give Yanukovich 24 hours to
step down or there will be a massive resistance and attack, declared Mr. Yarosh
from the stage. Maidan has supported this statement, though there are a lot of
protesters who disagree with such a radical attitude and call for restraint in
order to prevent further violence and victims.
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| Maidan after clashes (Image: Den') |
Meanwhile riot police and “Berkut” have
really disappeared from the streets of Kyiv, and members of Maidan self-defense
units are patrolling the streets in Kyiv downtown including the buildings of
Parliament, Cabinet of Ministers and Presidential Administration and the
neighboring territories in order to prevent possible aggression or
provocations.
Meanwhile nearly 50 thousand people have
gathered on Friday in Kyiv Independence Square in the evening to commemorate
the slain protesters and to participate in the prayer for them. Impressive
ceremony has been held right on Maidan, with the prayer and remembering all of
the Heroes of Ukraine who gave their lives during the clashes.
There are though serious threats of
federalization scenario, as Victor Yanukovich has left Kyiv for Kharkiv late in
the night on Friday. Kyiv airport has confirmed that private jet with Victor
Yanukovich, speaker Rybak, ex-head of National Defense and Security Council and
current head of the presidential Administration Andriy Klyuev and Party of
Regions MP Vadim Koshulinsky has left Kyiv, as Kharkiv airport source confirmed
that the plane is expected in Kharkiv.
Kharkiv officials and supporters of
Yanukovich Mr. Dobkin and Mr. Kernes are gathering special session of the MPs
of Southern and Eastern governorates of Ukraine and Crimea to be held in
Kharkiv. Kernes and Dobkin are famous for their recent separatist statements
calling for diving Ukraine. It’s worth mentioning that SBU has opened cases
against them on the charges of separatist and extremist statements.
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| Maidan is commemorating slain protesters (Image: Screen shot from Hromadske TV live coverage) |
There are reports that “Berkut” and
security forces withdrawn from Kyiv are being deployed in Kharkiv, and several
buses supposedly with “titushki” and provocateurs are heading to Kharkiv as
well. Experts claim that there could be an attempt of federalization of Ukraine
during this session in Kharkiv, as massive provocations are being planned in
order to spark chaos and justify Yanukovich and his supporters to declare
statement about dividing of the country and its federalization and to ask for
Russian support and help. However, Kharkiv activists have already gathered in
the city to prevent the provocations and to protest against these plans.
Donetsk, which was always Yanukovich’s stronghold, is also forming units of
self-defense and witnessing anti-Yanukovich protests.
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