Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stated that local authorities are in horror of both land referendum and its initiators.
Mykola Tomenko reminded that initiative groups on the referendum concerning extension of the moratorium on the sale of agricultural lands are working in several regions. He also stated that the opposition in the whole and Batkivshchyna party in particular had repeatedly declared their negative attitude towards the land sale, and had initiated holding of the respective referendum.
Mykola Tomenko informed that according to figures from a recent opinion poll held by the Ukrainian Democratic Circle agency on order of the Institute of Politics, most citizens (69,8%) support holding of the all-Ukrainian referendum on extension of the moratorium on the sale of agricultural lands. The Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed that all regions of Ukraine are united in their disapproval of the land sale.
However, according to the Deputy Chairman, the authorities act like the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs and the Committee for State Security in due time, understanding that absolute majority of the citizens oppose land sale. Thus, local officials manipulate every participant of the initiative groups, presenting ‘convincing´ arguments to take back their signatures for the referendum. The Deputy Chairman stated that officials of Cherkasy region are the most active in this respect, manipulating every participant daily.
"On the one hand, it is positive, because it proves that results of the referendum are obvious, so the authorities want to prevent it. On the other hand, the methods of moral and organizational pressure go over the line," M.Tomenko stressed. He called on the officials to fulfill their direct obligations and protect the citizens´ interests, instead of acting as ‘police officers of the authorities.´