Tuesday, April, 1, 2014, 14:28
The Donetsk Oblast Council and its chairman Andriy Shyshatskiy appealed to the Verkhovna Rada (the Parliament) of Ukraine with the demand to take steps and “stabilize the situation in the country”, including the adoption of the bills on referendum and the national status of the Russian language.
The text of the letter is published on the Donetsk Oblast Council’s website.
“Recent developments in Ukraine have led to the aggravation of the political situation and an increase of the crime rate,” the statement said.
“Some populist steps by the new authorities have led directly to a socio-economic crisis and concern among our citizens,” the document stated.
Donetsk Oblast Council states that “the consolidation and joint efforts of the constructive forces in society to achieve political stability, the preservation of civil peace and reconciliation are possible only when the Verkhovna Rada passes a new Constitution and a number of bills of paramount importance.”
Shyshatskyi and his colleagues offer:
- to immediately restore the Constitutional Assembly established by Yanukovych in
- to include in the Assembly representatives of local governments such as oblast councils, in proportion to the number of people of the
- to recognize as the primary objective of the Constitutional Assembly the elaboration of a new version of the Constitution of Ukraine, which would enable:
- decentralization of power by expanding the rights as well as responsibilities of local governments for the situation in the region;
- creation of the executive bodies of oblast and district councils;
- creation (before the parliamentary elections) of bicameralism in which the upper chamber will represent the interests of the regions, and its members shall have the right of legislative initiative.
Among other initiatives, Donetsk Oblast Council requires that Russian be given the status of second national language by making appropriate changes to the Constitution of Ukraine.
The Verkhovna Rada is also offered to urgently consider the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On Local Referendum”, based on the bill (Reg. № 0867 from 12.12.2012 ), after its extensive discussion and revision. The Verkhovna Rada is asked to “support the proposal of the Donetsk Oblast Council and facilitate its consideration in the Parliament as a priority.” As previously reported, Shyshatskiy left the Party of Regions in early March.
Importantly, the stabilization scenario that Russia is trying to impose on Ukraine includes the idea of a new federal constitution and national status for the Russian language.
The original news in Ukrainian is on the Ukrainska Pravda website
