Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko proposed to the National Security and Defense Council and the Verkhovna Rada to abolish the law on specifics of local government in individual districts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. According to Poroshenko, the key element of this law was holding local elections and giving some of the government power to the local bodies. Instead, the head of state emphasized, the consequences of the pseudo-elections organized by the mercenaries on November 2 on the territories under their control include dramatic risk increase for normal living in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, robbery, looting, chaos and criminal activity.
At the same time the President noted that the norms described in the law on local government in individual districts of Donbas, in particular those that regard the elections, may be restored under certain conditions.
“We will be ready to pass a new law under the conditions wherein we see, first, a stable ceasefire, second, that the troops retreat from the conflict line, third, a clear demarkation line which was documented on September 5, 2014, in the Minsk protocol, where the Ukrainian servicemen are able to occupy the line along the river of Kalmius from Olenivka to Starobesheve, move it several kilometers away from Mariupol,” said Poroshenko.
Paliy: the separatists received too generous of an offer from the Ukrainian government
Besides, according to Poroshenko, the NSDC assembly may end with reinforcing roadblocks and a harsher economic regime in Donbas. The President also reminded that Ukraine continues to supply terrorist-controlled territories with electricity and gas.
As the Donbas separatists have clearly shown they do not indent to act in the legal field, the law on the specifics of local government in individual districts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts was too generous of an offer from the Ukrainian government, notes political expert Oleksandr Paliy to Radio Liberty.
“It is senseless to give the terrorists broad rights to self-government which are written in this law. So, naturally, ton continue dialogue, to have some sort of position, this law should be abolished and a new one should be prepared in the talks process, with the Russian side, which would be effective. Ukraine’s key task now is to conserve, isolate this region, which is controlled by the terrorists. Help all those conscious people who cannot live with the terrorists get out of there, and maximally block this region so that the infection does not spread,” Paliy thinks.
As such, Ukraine needs to preserve the ceasefire, Paliy says.
Arestovych: ‘DNR’ and ‘LNR’ may ask to join Russia
Military expert Olexiy Arsetovych does not agree with Oleksandr Paliy. He thinks that the ceasefire only exists on paper, which is evidenced by constant attacks at Ukrainian objects and the deaths of about 150 people after the so-called ceasefire was declared in the combat zone in Donbas. As such, the Ukrainian government should show through its decisions that it understands and acknowledges the real state of things and is ready to counter the pro-Russian mercenaries, says Arestovych.
“They have a clear plan, according to which they are carrying out the procedure that has been executed numerous times: in Transnistria, in Abkhazia, in South Ossetia, and now here. There are a number of stages, the first of which is elections, on November 9, according to some sources, a referendum regarding cessation from Ukraine is to take place. Then we can expect that they will either formally remain an ‘independent state’ or make the decision to join Russia at the referendum,” noted Arestovych.
Meanwhile head of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov already proposed a bill that abolishes the special local government law.
