Ukrainian authorities and opposition should co-exist on civilized terms. Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, made this statement, asked by the attendants of the hearings "Domestic and Foreign Policy of Ukraine after the Change of Authorities."
Mr Lytvyn delivered a speech at the hearings held in the framework of the official visit to Germany.
The Head of the Parliament was asked whether Ukraine faced a threat to democracy. He responded: "Democracy, like an infant, demands constant care, since it is so sensitive that one careless movement can break it."
He stated that "democracy and freedom of speech have always been under threat; however, the Parliament and the powerful opposition resist it." "I believe that opposition should change the way it works", Mr Lytvyn stated. "Total criticism makes up only one part of the opposition´s work, while the other part presupposes suggestion of alternatives to the authority initiatives, support of these alternatives, informing of the general public about the ideas of the opposition that meet the public interests." Mr Lytvyn stated that the opposition had started to work this way, which was confirmed by the scrutiny of the alternative drafts of the Judicial and the Budget Codes, the bill on the judicial system.
"The problem is that we have to work in brief periods of times, so the discussions have to be brief as well", the Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stated. If the parliament fails to adopt the Budget and the Tax Codes by 15 July, the Government will not be able to draft the budget-2011 on the new grounds by 15 September.
"Ukrainian authorities and opposition should co-exist on civilized terms, understanding that life does not finish with the elections. Unfortunately, elections in Ukraine are worth more than life, because elections and struggle for power means not only implementation of one´s policy, but access to the state resources", Mr Lytvyn stated.
To put an end to it, the Head of the Parliament deems necessary to settle the property issues, especially, land ownership matters, as the land is a strategic resource shaping political and economic interests."
On Thursday, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, met Walter Momper, President of the House of Representatives of the Berlin Parliament, and members of the German-Ukrainian Inter-Parliamentary Group of the Bundestag, in the framework of the official visit to Germany.