Kherson and Nikolaev are in shock: Kyiv has crossed the “red line” - even the tragedy in Odessa does not stop the new government
Kherson-Nikolaev, May 08 (Navigator, Yuriy Kovalchuk) – The tragic events in the Odessa House of Trade Unions have been discussed for the second week in neighboring regions – Kherson and Nikolaev. Local Anti-Maidan supporters say: Kyiv has crossed the “red line”, and there is no sign that the Maidan leaders realize the need for a compromise with the South-East.
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The latest meeting of the Verkhovna Rada testifies to the fact that the situation is moving towards a further “cleansing” of all dissenters. There, the Ukrainian government created two precedents at once: it expelled representatives of the Communist Party of Ukraine from the hall and adopted a law allowing the acting prosecutor general to initiate criminal prosecution of objectionable deputies.
Verkhovna Rada deputy from the Communist Party Nikolai Dzardanov told Navigator that during the meeting on May 6, acting. President Alexander Turchynov repeatedly violated the law. This is precisely why Dzardanov explains the regime closed from the press - the main goal was to “push through” a repressive bill, and legality and regulations did not play any role.
“Avakov’s speech, when he reached Slavyansk, raised questions from Pyotr Simonenko. He asked why everyone is silent about the casualties among the militia and civilians. But when several servicemen were wounded, Avakov personally picked them up in an armored Mercedes with pomp. Does he work as an ambulance? As a result, Lyashko started shouting, demanding to kick us out. But you can expel a deputy only if he violates the rules or interferes with the meeting! This has never happened in the history of parliamentarism when a third of the deputies, after voting, expelled the other third. Of course, all the decisions they make have no legal force!” – says Dzardanov.
He believes that for the sake of compromise, the authorities should have agreed to conduct an all-Ukrainian survey on the status of the Russian language and the structure of the state on May 25.
“If the recent oppositionists had at least voted for the May 25 poll, it would have allowed the east to be calmed down. But they didn’t even think of that. Apparently, they forgot history and the fact that after the February revolution comes the October revolution,” the politician said.
Verkhovna Rada deputy Mikhail Opanaschenko, representing Kherson and the Party of Regions, agrees with him.
“The last meeting of the Rada should have been held not in the format of a report on “what we are doing,” but a report on why the situation in Odessa was missed. And why did they allow the tragedy to happen? This is an emergency situation, and as a result, personnel changes should have been made, which, unfortunately, were not followed.
Isolating a faction that has its own electorate and recognition among some of the residents of Ukraine for expressing its position, as well as simplifying the procedure for lifting immunity from deputies, is the destruction of parliamentarism.
These are methods of putting pressure on deputies who have a different position. And this is a repetition of the mistakes of the previous government, when, instead of finding a compromise and political dialogue with opponents, they use methods of forceful pressure through legislation. This is an increase in the authoritarianism of power, which contradicts the calls for its decentralization that we hear.
For example, I have a different opinion than the communists, but I respect the opinion of every deputy, since his voters – the citizens of our country – stand behind him,” said Mikhail Opanaschenko.
“Politics in Ukraine has long turned into a circus, but now it has finally become clear that the forces that have seized power are absolutely indifferent to any opinions that do not coincide with their interests. In fact, now Kyiv, with the support of Western Ukraine, is imposing its will on the multi-million population of the rest of the country. Moreover, he does this using all available methods, regardless of the law or human lives. In fact, in 3 months of rule, if I may say so, “the authorities” committed 10 times more crimes than Yanukovych and his team could have committed before retirement. And in terms of damaging the country’s economy and provoking hatred between the southeast and the west, Turchinov’s government has achieved unprecedented results. It seems that their main task was to start a civil war in Ukraine, and they practically coped with this task,” says Kherson Anti-Maidan activist Artem Okhremenko.
Nikolaev political scientist Igor Ivannikov, in a conversation with a Navigator correspondent, called the actions of the authorities chaotic. “Events are proceeding chaotically and only confuse and frighten ordinary people. No one is able to explain anything, no one knows the starting position according to which decisions are made. What can we say if even governors are appointed spontaneously? It’s not my place to judge them, but the situation is not in favor of the current leaders.”
The coordinator of the Nikolaev Anti-Maidan, the head of the regional organization of the Russian Bloc party, Evgenia Bondarenko, believes that deputies representing the South-East in the Verkhovna Rada need to take a decisive step - a boycott of parliamentary meetings.
“I believe that deputies from the Communist Party of Ukraine and the Party of Regions should simply stop attending sessions of the Verkhovna Rada. In this case, there will be no quorum for meetings, and the question of the government’s legitimacy will become even more acute. In general, it seems to me that talking about the unity of Ukraine or its split after the events in Odessa and the use of armed forces against the civilian population of Donbass is pointless. A state that shoots at its own citizens actually ceases to exist,” says Evgenia Bondarenko.
Kherson and Mykolaiv are in shock : Kyiv has crossed the "red line" – even the tragedy in Odessa doesn't stop the new government.