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Ukraine's Parliament, President Agree To Opposition Demands

February 21, 2014
by RFE/RL

Ukraine's president and parliament have agreed to implement a series of opposition demands in a bid to end the country's deadly political crisis.

Parliament voted on February 21 to clear the way for the release of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko; to restore Ukraine's 2004 constitution; to implement an amnesty for opposition protesters facing possible prosecution; and to dismiss the interior minister.

Separately, President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders have signed an agreement that is expected to lead to an early presidential election and talks on the formation of a unity government.

The European Union and the United States, which have backed the opposition throughout the crisis, have welcomed the moves and called for their swift implementation.

There has been no official comment yet from Russia, which has backed the Ukrainian government.

Reverting to the 2004 constitution had been a key demand of the antigovernment movement. It was overturned by the Constitutional Court in 2010, after Yanukovych had taken office.

The 2004 constitution removes some powers from the presidential office, and enhances the powers of parliament.

The deal was signed by Yanukovych and opposition leaders Oleh Tyahnybok, Vitali Klitschko, and Arseniy Yatsenyuk at the presidential headquarters in Kyiv, with envoys from Germany, France, and Poland alsoin attendance.

A Russian presidential envoy who had flown to Kyiv to help mediation efforts was not present for the signing. The reason for Vladimir Lukin's absence was not immediately clear.

Clashes this week between security forces and government opponents turned parts of Kyiv into a virtual war zone, leaving around 80 people dead and hundreds injured.

The signing came hours after Yanukovych stepped forward with an initiative to end the crisis.

His plan, described in a statement on the presidential website, includes an early presidential election, the formation of a unity government, and a return to the 2004 constitution, under which the president had reduced powers.

In his statement, Yanukovych gave no date for any new elections. The president was elected to a five-year term in 2010, and the next election was due in March 2015.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said an early presidential vote would be held this year, but no date has yet been set.

Opposition leader Tyahnybok said the opposition's conditions included the exclusion of Ukraine's current interior minister and prosecutor-general from a new government.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who participated in negotiations, said in a Twitter statement that the agreement was a 'good compromise' that 'gives peace a chance' and opens the way for reforms and for Ukraine to expand ties to Western Europe.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Poland praised the Ukrainian parties for their 'courage and commitment.' The statement also called for 'an immediate end to all violence and confrontation in Ukraine.'

The reaction of opposition supporters to the deal wasn't immediately clear. These latest developments come after several days of deadly street violence in Kyiv, which included gunbattles between security forces and opponents of the government.

On February 21, Ukraine's Health Ministry gave a death toll of 77 from the violence, mostly demonstrators but also security forces, with some 370 people requiring hospitalization for injuries.

Thousands of opposition supporters remain in central Kyiv's Independence Square, having withstood strong pressure from security forces this week to vacate the main base of their movement.

In recent days, the EU and the United States both unveiled sanctions targeting Ukrainian officials deemed responsible for the violence.

The crisis erupted in November after Yanukovych, under pressure from Russia, declined to sign political and trade accords with the EU that had been under negotiation for years.

After spurning the EU, Yanukovych accepted a $15 billion economic bailout from Russia to help ease Ukraine's crippling debt crisis.

In a development on February 21, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was quoted as telling Bloomberg News that Moscow has decided to suspend a $2 billion tranche of that aid because of the latest instability in Ukraine.

In his statement, Yanukovych did not accede to the opposition's demand that he resign. However, he described this week's bloodshed as 'tragic days,' when 'people died on both sides of the fence.'

He said he was offering concessions because 'there is nothing more important than a human life' and that everything must be done to restore peace among Ukrainians.

Under the 2004 constitution referred to by Yanukovych, the powers of the Ukrainian president were rolled back, while the powers of parliament were enhanced. The nomination of a prime minister, for example, was left in the hands of parliament.

Those principles were overturned by the Constitutional Court in 2010, after Yanukovych had taken office.

Crimea Debate Not Held

Elsewhere, Crimea's parliament did not hold an extraordinary session on February 21 to discuss the peninsula's possible separation from Ukraine, as expected.

Media reports on February 20 quoted Crimean parliament speaker Volodymyr Konstantynov as saying Crimea might split from the country if the ongoing antigovernment protests, in which scores have been killed, 'ruin Ukraine.'

Crimean lawmaker Refat Chubarov had said earlier that parliament would hold a session at midday on February 21 to discuss the issue.

Meanwhile, Crimean Prime Minister Anatolyy Mohylyov said on February 21 that several Crimean supporters of President Viktor Yanukovych were injured by unknown attackers on their way back from Kyiv late on February 20.

Earlier reports said several pro-Yanukovych activists had been killed.

With reporting from Reuters, RT, AFP, AP, UNIAN, and 15minut.org

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-presidency -agreement-eu-cautious/25272042.html

Copyright (c) 2014. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.