Ukranian opposition pledges to cancel amnesty law at next parliamentary session
2 February 2014, 20:20
The parliamentary opposition plans to ensure the cancellation next week of the law on amnesty of the participants of the mass rallies, adopted by the Ukrainian MPs on January 29th.
"We'll do our utmost in Parliament to achieve the reconsideration of the so-called amnesty law. It must be cancelled, and another one providing for the unconditional release of hostages should be adopted to replace the above-mentioned law," the leader of the "Udar" Party Vitaly Klitschko said during an information meeting on the Independence Square in Kiev Sunday. The politician stressed the following: " Had Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych not arrived in the Verkhovnaya Rada ( Ukrainian Parliament), we would have been able to adopt a new law and also a constitutional act on the return of the 2004 Constitution'.
For his part, the leader of the "Batkivshchina" faction Arseniy Yatsenyuk came out in favour of the establishment of an international commission to conduct an investigation into the "crimes of the anti- people power". The leader of the public movement, the Third Ukrainian Republic, Yuri Lutsenko said that what Ukraine needed is a complete power reset.
There must be representatives of all opposition movements in the government, he said.
In his turn, MP Vitaly Grushevsky said that as of today, his main task is to do his utmost to "help Ukraine to remain a sovereign and independent state".
He confirmed that he had left the Party of Regions, saying that if the party considered him to be a traitor, it could expel him from its ranks".
Tens of thousands of people took part in the information meeting on the Independence Square in Kiev on Sunday this week, a correspondent of the Interfax- Ukraine agency reported Sunday.
Ukraine opposition protesters to be freed starting today
Ukraine's amnesty law has come into force on Sunday. If the opposition follows the obligations under its terms within 15 days, the authorities will release all detained protesters.
The law, designed in particular to 'prevent prosecution and punishment of people in connection with events that took place during peaceful rallies,' envisions a pardon for all people who took part in riots during mass anti-government demonstrations in Ukraine except for those who committed grave crimes.
It introduces a mechanism to release participants of riots from criminal prosecution and ensure unhindered operation of state and local power bodies.
The document says protesters should vacate state and local power institutions they seized in Kiev and other regions of the country within 15 days, unblock Grushevskogo Street in downtown Kiev and other streets and squares across the country except those where peaceful protest rallies are being held.
Ukraine: Protester amnesty Law published
The amnesty law on for participants in Ukraine's ongoing mass protests, adopted by the Ukrainian parliament late Wednesday and signed by President Viktor Yanukovych on Friday, was published on Saturday in the Ukrainian parliament's daily newspaper Golos Ukrainy (Voice of Ukraine).
The law, designed in particular to 'prevent prosecution and punishment of people in connection with events that took place during peaceful rallies,' envisions a pardon for all people who took part in riots during mass anti-government demonstrations in Ukraine except for those who committed serious crimes.
It introduces a mechanism to release riot participants from criminal prosecution and ensure the unhindered operation of state and local power bodies.
The document says protesters should vacate the state and local institutions that they seized in Kiev and other regions of the country within 15 days, unblock Grushevskogo Street in downtown Kiev and other streets and squares across the country except those where peaceful protest rallies are being held.
The bill enters into force on Sunday, the day after it was published.
The adoption of the amnesty law was preceded by lengthy and heated debates in parliament. Despite a pledge by its author, Yury Miroshnichenko, President Yanukovych's envoy to the Ukrainian parliament, that the law did not ban peaceful protests, opposition leaders reacted defiantly and with skepticism to the new legislation.
Anti-government protests hit Ukraine after Kiev refused to sign an association agreement with the European Union at a summit in Vilnius in late November, choosing the path of closer integration with Russia instead.
A second wave of demonstrations occurred in Ukraine after parliament passed a set of laws toughening punishment for public order violations on January 16. Protesters stormed and seized several government buildings. At least three protesters are believed to have been killed in clashes with police. The Interior Ministry claims up to 200 policemen have been injured.
Ukrainian Prime Minister, Nikolai Azarov, tendered his resignation Tuesday, which Yanukovych accepted. Parliament on Tuesday voted to repeal some of the laws that sparked the second wave of protests. Yanukovych approved the repeal on Friday.
Ukrainian president Yanukovych signs bill granting amnesty to protesters
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed into law a bill headlined 'On eliminating negative consequences and preventing prosecution and punishment of individuals in connection with the events that have taken place during the mass protest actions', the Ukrainian presidential website reports.
The bill was proposed by Party of Regions parliamentary faction member Yury Miroshnychenko. The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada passed the bill on January 29.
It exempts the participants in protest actions who have not committed grave crimes from criminal liability on the condition that they vacate the administrative buildings they have seized.
Voice of Russia, Interfax, RIA, TASS
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