Daily digest of main Ukrainian news (Euromaidan focus) February 14-17

 Kyiv, 14 - 17 February 2014

14.02 

Tymoshenko: opposition may lead the government under 3 conditions. In her interview to Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, Yulia Tymoshenko named three conditions under which opposition would be ready to lead the new government. According to her, this would be possible after full rehabilitation of the charged EuroMaidan activists, if opposition controls all or most of the ministers and if the new Prime Minister receives mandate to sign the association agreement with the EU. The convicted opposition leader, however, is skeptical on the ability of an opposition Prime Minister to work under President Yanukovych.

 15.02

Yatseniuk accused Yanukovych of committing coup d’état. Speaking at the traditional Sunday’s mass demonstration, Arseniy Yatseniuk, head of Batkivshchyna faction, accused President Yanukovych of committing coup d’état by changing the Constitution via bribed Constitutional Court. The Court’s ruling is an attempt to usurp power committed by the judges under the illegal order of the President, the opposition leader stressed, adding that the case should be criminally persecuted. Yatseniuk also emphasized that the Parliament take vote on restoration of 2004 Constitution on 18 February. Yatseniuk refused to become the head of government. According to Arseniy Yatseniuk, one of opposition leaders, he rejected President Yanukovych’s proposal to head Ukraine’s government. On the contrary, opposition will form its own cabinet, he stressed. “And this is the joint decision of all opposition leaders, including ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko,” Yatseniuk concluded.  Opposition proposed to declare 2004 Constitution as valid. Serhiy Sobolev, an opposition MP representing Batkivshchyna faction, said that opposition refused from the idea of adopting a constitutional act restoring 2004 Constitution. Instead of the act opposition proposed to adopt a resolution declaring that 2004 Constitution was and remains valid in Ukraine. Sobolev also stressed that the Constitutional Court’s ruling from 2010 did not say that Ukraine returned to 1996 Constitution.  Poland provides medical treatment for 10 injured activists. Marcin Wojciechowski, a spokesperson of Polish MFA informed that his country provides medical treatment for 10 EuroMaidan activists. Media also quotes Olha Bohomolets, Ukrainian well-known doctor, saying that only those injured activists receive treatment abroad who cannot properly recover in Ukraine.

 17.02

General Prosecutor: amnesty law entered into force. Viktor Pshonka, Ukraine’s General Prosecutor announced that the amnesty law entered into force after activists had met the respective conditions including evacuation of the seized administrative buildings, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Pshonka also noted that 108 criminal cases would be closed during one month with 268 persons to be discharged from liability. Commenting on the enactment of the amnesty law, Arseniy Yatseniuk, head of Batkivshchyna faction, said that the opposition would set up a group monitoring the implementation of the law. Ashton welcomed evacuation by protestors of Kyiv City administration. Catherine Ashton, EU HV/VP, issued a statement welcoming evacuation by protestors of Kyiv City administration as well as release of all detained EuroMaidan activists. “I welcome that several important steps have been undertaken during the last few days to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine, thus contributing to a Ukrainian way out from the current political crisis,” the statement wrote. The EU’s chief diplomat also called upon the authorities to close all pending court cases against the activists, including all house arrests. “I expect such action to be taken without delay so as to facilitate the political dialogue in Parliament this week,” Ashton added. EP President: EU may sign AA immediately after crisis resolution. In his interview to UNIAN, Martin Schulz, President of European Parliament said that the EU is ready to sign the Association Agreement with Ukraine immediately after the crisis resolution if Kyiv meets necessary conditions agreed before Vilnius summit and does not issue additional conditions from its side.  Head of Maidan Self Defense: Parliament would either pass Maidan requests or it would be blocked. On the eve of new parliamentary week, Andriy Parubiy, head of Maidan Self Deferse stressed that the MPs would either pass Maidan requests or the Parliament would be blocked by the demonstrators. He also noted that the authorities plan to appoint a Prime Minister agreed with Kremlin to receive the rest of Russia’s loan worth USD 15 billion. This would be the price of Ukrainian independence, Parubiy said, adding that Maidan should prevent the implementation of this scenario.  Opposition leaders: West is ready to allocate financial resources to a new democratic government. Following their meeting with Angela Merkel, Vitaliy Klitchko and Arseniy Yatseniuk said that the West is ready to provide financial resources to a new democratic Ukrainian government. This government should not represent the corrupted governance of Yanukovych’s administration, the opposition leaders added.  Rybak: Parliament may consider amendments to Constitution on 20 February. Volodymyr Rybak, Head of Parliament, did not rule out that the lawmakers may consider Constitutional amendments inter alia restoration of 2004 Constitution on 20 February. Rybak also informed that there is no bill on constitutional reform registered in the Parliament at the moment.  Rybak: President may propose PM candidate this week. Ukrinform quotes Volodymyr Rybak, Head of Parliament, assuming that President Victor Yanukovych may propose a PM candidate this week. Yanukovych considers different candidates from the Party of Regions (PoR) and opposition, Rybak added. PoR MP: Constitutional Court’s ruling from 2010 extending presidential power cannot be canceled. Yuriy Miroshnychenko, an MP representing the Party of the Regions (PoR) and presidential envoy to the Parliament, said the ruling of Constitutional Court from 2010 renewing 1996 Constitution cannot be cancelled, Ukrainska Pravda reported. He also called not to breach law while conducting political dialogue between authorities and opposition.  Internews.ua