‘Nothing to do with democracy’: New Ukraine regime makes swift and controversial steps
Source: rt.com
Since the takeover in Kiev, Ukraine is currently undergoing a complete government overhaul as the opposition is trying hard to establishing its own order. The swift and sometimes controversial steps raise doubts about how democratic the moves are.
The new Ukrainian authorities that assumed power just a few days ago, have taken the initiative with some decisive steps.On Monday, the new power put missing President Yanukovich on the wanted list on suspicion of involvement in mass killings during the riots in Kiev. On Saturday, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada voted for the resignation of Yanukovich, saying he “isn’t fulfilling his duties as a president.”
The president, however, didn’t confirm his resignation, saying that the country is facing the threat of a return of Nazism, as over 500 regional offices of his Party of Regions have been torched by the radicals.
Meanwhile, scores of members of the now ex-ruling Party of Regions have been fired from their governmental positions in the latest measures against the old administration.
The parliament (Verkhovna Rada) has also voted to oust top figures of the Yanukovich government, including acting Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, acting Education Minister Dmitry Tabachnik and acting health minister Raisa Bogatyryova “due to systematic gross violations of the Constitution of Ukraine.”
Some of the ex-ruling party members were also put on the wanted list. The new order is seeking the arrest of former Incomes Minister Aleksandr Klimenko and former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka, who have been trying to leave Ukraine.
“A new regime is taking shape really quickly and with the use of strong measures,” Evgeny Kopatko, a sociologist, told RT. “It has nothing to do with democracy because those coming to power will go on with pursuing tough policies and they will conduct massive expansion of eastern territories.”
With the latest manhunt, dozens of pro-governmental delegates withdrew from the Ruling party, fearing reprisals as the arrests of the ministers were not over. The names of some members of the ex-ruling parties, wanted for questioning, have reportedly been circulated to airports, while vehicles are also being searched on roads around the capital.
Some of those who signed their resignations did so under duress, said Aleksandr Yefremov, deputy head of the Party of Regions on Monday.
“Those who resigned told me with tears in their eyes that they were forced to do it as huge pressure was put on them and their families,” said Yefremov.
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In addition to all its problems, Ukraine is nearly bankrupt as its state treasury is empty, according to Arseny Yatsenyuk, leader of the Batkivshchina (Fatherland) Party, adding Ukraine is going to seek financial help from the International Monetary Fund.
Read the full article at: rt.com
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Politicians assemble to discuss fate of Ukraine
From: EuroNews
After Ukraine’s citizens rocked the country over the last few weeks, the spotlight is once again on the politicians. US ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt was in town to meet new interim president Oleksander Turchinov. He hopes to form a government by Tuesday and spoke about the country’s new direction: “Our priority is returning to the path of European integration where the fight for Maidan began. We have to return to a family of European countries and to understand the importance of relations with the Russian Federation”.
But already a clearly disgruntled Russia has summoned their ambassador to the Ukraine, Mikhail Zurabov, back to Moscow. The US, meanwhile, remains upbeat about a compromise. Their National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, said in a television interview: “There is not an inherent contradiction between a Ukraine that has long-standing historic and cultural ties to Russia and a modern Ukraine that wants to integrate more closely with Europe”.
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Read the full article at: euronews.com
