03 December 2013, 16:29
Having opened the session, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak informed that the whole international community today marks the International Day of the Persons with Disabilities.
“The Verkhovna Rada should do its best, so that people with special needs were provided with decent conditions for living a full life and for self-realization. Let us greet these strong people and wish each of them sound health, welfare and true human happiness,” he said, addressing the people’s deputies.
The Chairman announced surnames of the people’s deputies present at the plenary meeting.
Volodymyr Rybak announced that the people’s deputies Davyd Zhvaniia and Inna Bohoslovska have left the Party of Regions.
Further on, the Chairman informed that on November 28, 2013, the Central Election Commission has registered the people’s deputy of Ukraine Demydiuk Vasyl Kharytonovych, elected during the elections of the people’s deputy of Ukraine on October 28, 2012 in the nationwide multi-member constituency who was included into the electoral list of the Communist Party of Ukraine.
Before assuming office, V.Demydiuk took an oath to the Verkhovna Rada.
Authorized representatives of deputy factions took the floor with statements, announcements and proposals. All the speeches pertained to the situation and recent developments in the country.
Party of Regions representative Anatolii Kinakh noted that “systemic socio-economic, public and political problems are deepening in the country. The Verkhovna Rada bears great responsibility for peace and calm in the society, for protection of Ukrainian interests and preservation of territorial integrity and the statehood.”
A.Kinakh claimed that “everyone should realize that only the state that establishes conditions for equal partnership with other states that are based on the balance of national, political and economic interests can win in conditions of global competitiveness.
We stress once again and propose to initiate nationwide round table talks to discuss issues at the bottom of which there are national interests of Ukraine. Talks that would mandatory involve all public and political forces of Ukraine.”
Chairman of the UDAR faction Vitalii Klychko noted that “nothing can be said to comment the current situation in the country. Ukrainians were deprived of hope to live in a modern country. Outraged Ukrainians went out for peaceful demonstrations and the way Berkut treated these young people without any sports slogans and with Ukrainian flags – nothing like that has happened before.”
V.Klychko demanded resignation of the government, as well as suspension and criminal prosecution against the whole leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. He demanded to put an end to political repression in the country.
V.Klychko allocated “the whole responsibility for crimes against the citizens of Ukraine to the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.” “That is why we demand early elections of the President of Ukraine. Today there is every reason and there are all the necessary laws to reload the authority,” he stressed.
At the beginning of his speech, Chairman of the Batkivshchyna faction A.Yatseniuk claimed that “the Party of Regions has just brought in 200 of its “titushky” to the Verkhovna Rada.” He addressed the Presiding at the meeting to show them out of the building of the Parliament.
A.Yatseniuk noted in particular that “this is neither the political crisis, nor the economic problem in the country, but the problem of human dignity and injustice.”
According to him, “this is a provocation of the Party of Regions. The same as people were beaten on Bankova Street by provocateurs of the Party of Regions, the same the Chairman of the Parliament Rybak instructed to bring in the “titushky”. We call to stop provocation,” he claimed.
Volodymyr Rybak informed that he did not instruct anyone to come into the building of the Verkhovna Rada. The Presiding suggested make a short break.
“Do not yield to provocations. There is no one here, in the building of the Verkhovna Rada,” stressed Volodymyr Rybak after the break.
A.Yatseniuk announced demands of the opposition factions – resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers, criminal prosecution against the Minister of Internal Affairs V.Zakharchenko and resignation of the President of Ukraine V.Yanukovych.
According to the All-Ukrainian union Svoboda faction leader O.Tiahnybok, “situation in the Parliament, in the Ukrainian society and in the Ukrainian state is not merely tense. It is catastrophic in both political and economic sense.”
Chairman of the faction of the Communist Party of Ukraine P.Symonenko stated that “the CPU condemns violence and cruelty against peaceful demonstrators.”
“The things that happen in Ukraine now are nothing but the fight of oligarchic clans for the presidential post. The fight for victory, in which oligarchs are ready to destroy out country,” he stressed.
P.Symonenko claimed also that “the whole political responsibility lies on representatives of oligarchic clans that are both in opposition and in the ruling party. “We call on the citizens of Ukraine to unite in order to fight for their interests. We call on to stop this escalation. We call on to stop!” he stressed.
Representative of non-affiliated people’s deputies, Volodymyr Lytvyn noted that recent developments are more radical than that of 2004.
V.Lytvyn noted also that the government should bear responsibility for the things that happened. According to him, the government should be present in the Verkhovna Rada when considering the issue of responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The people’s deputy proposed to invite the government in order to report.
Volodymyr Rybak informed that 166 people’s deputies introduced for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada the issue on responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers and adoption of the Resolution on vote of no confidence to the Cabinet of Ministers. He informed also that the government was invited to the plenary meeting, however it did not come and the reason is unknown.
The Presiding at the meeting gave the floor to the author of the resolution on responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers, the people’s deputy A.Yatseniuk.
A.Yatseniuk said that the constitutional procedure for consideration of the issue on responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers requires presence of the government. “We give one hour to invite the government to the Verkhovna Rada,” he claimed.
The people’s deputy S.Sas addressed the Presiding to put to vote the demand of 166 parliament members on the presence of the government during the plenary meeting. Other opposition deputies upheld the proposal.
Representative of the Party of Regions, the people’s deputy V.Bondar proposed to grant a hearing to the Prosecutor General on the recent developments and, by the decision of the Verkhovna Rada, to bring in the issue on personal responsibility of those who gave the command and took the decision.
“Why did the Maidan rise? It rose because we had turned from the course of European integration. By the events happening now we are driven further into Russia. By these events we cut off the possibility of communicating with the European Union. We need to come back to negotiations with the EU. There is the President’s point of view regarding this issue. He instructed the government to start negotiations. If we are blamed now that there is no government, that we have brought the situation to a carnage, then we will just be swallowed by Russia, the country will be split and we will be put into situation where there will be no government, no parliament. The country will disintegrate into re-elections for a year, then there will be presidential elections and the country as such will not exist,” stressed V.Bondar.
After a few more speeches, the Chairman put to vote the suggestion to invite Prime Minister of Ukraine M.Azarov and members of the Cabinet of Ministers to today’s plenary meeting.
The people’s deputies upheld the demand with 368 votes.
A break was announced.
At 12:50 p.m. members of the Cabinet of Ministers headed by Prime Minister of Ukraine M.Azarov came into the room. Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine V.Zakharchenko was not present among them.
Volodymyr Rybak gave floor to the people’s deputy A.Yatseniuk who reported on the draft resolution on responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. He stressed personal responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers for beating children on the Maidan on November 30.
A.Yatseniuk also noted that “this Cabinet of Ministers together with Viktor Yanukovych bear personal responsibility for selling Ukraine to the Russian Federation and killing the dream of millions of Ukrainians for European future.
This Cabinet of Ministers is responsible for economic catastrophe of Ukraine. They have stolen so much that Ukraine went bankrupt during the years of service of Prime Minister Azarov and President Yanukovych.”
“Our demand is clear: dismissal of the Cabinet of Ministers, early parliamentary and presidential elections. If the resolution is not adopted, we will go to the Administration of the President in order for the President to sign the Decree on dismissal of the government and announce early parliamentary and presidential elections.
We will block the premises of the Verkhovna Rada. It is a peaceful protest. Citizens fight for their rights and we will have this right to prove that people can win,” claimed A.Yatseniuk.
Prime Minister Mykola Azarov was given the floor.
The Chairman of the Government apologized for the actions of the law-enforcement officers on the Maidan on November 30. He also said that for the last three days law-enforcement officers did not use violence for maintaining order.
M.Azarov informed that during storming of the Presidential Administration building law-enforcement officers were deprived of all means of influence and were given strict instructions not to use force. According to him, as a result – 162 militia workers were injured, 92 of which were hospitalized with serious injuries.
As to the incident which happened on the night of Friday to Saturday, M.Azarov claimed that a thorough investigation should be carried out. According to him, now there is a list of all the injured and there is only one person under 17, all the other are much older.
M.Azarov addressed all deputies with a request to “abandon emotions and follow the letter of the law,” because “the law is the European way.”
He commented on the words of A.Yatseniuk about the fact that the government and President of Ukraine sold Ukraine to Russia, reminding of the 2009 “enslaving Kharkiv Pact” signed by those who are in the opposition now and who were in government then.
According to him, “for three and a half years the President and the government have been withstanding the onslaught, this terrible financial dictatorship.”
M.Azarov also claimed that the President of Ukraine and the Party of Regions have set a course for European integration. “Yesterday I was present when Viktor Yanukovych had a telephone conversation with President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso. We agreed to continue negotiations on conditions of signing the Free Trade Agreement. Both the European Commission and the EU in general are ready to consider the issue on financial compensation to Ukraine. We need to survive in this difficult fight.
Next week the respective government’s delegation will be sent to Brussels and will conduct negotiations. Yesterday Barroso instructed Mr Tombinski to organize such trip,’ said the Chairman of the government.
M.Azarov also informed about his meetings with the ambassadors of European countries who said that “blocking buildings of administrative institutions and the Cabinet of Ministers is not a way to European integration. It is a way of violence which they condemn.”
The Prime Minister addressed representatives of the opposition faction and everyone who is involved in unlawful, illegal decisions to block the government’s building to immediately stop it. “You will definitely bear responsibility for this,” he said.
M.Azarov noted that the government is open for dialogue and is ready to discuss all conditions of agreements with peaceful demonstrators. “We have extended a hand to you. If we see a fist, frankly speaking, we have enough powers,” he stressed.
The Prime Minister informed that yesterday sessions of most Oblast councils were conducted. They demanded from government to establish order, to continue course for European integration and democratic changes.
M.Azarov explained reasons of such difficult situation in the country invoking external and internal factors.
Representatives of deputies’ factions participated in the discussion.
The draft law was upheld by factions “Batkivshchyna”, “UDAR” and “Svoboda.”
Against adopting the Resolution on distrust to the Cabinet of Ministers reported a representative of the Party of Regions.
A representative of the Communist Party faction suggested his draft resolution on distrust to the government.
Volodymyr Rybak said that it should be registered and considered.
M.Azarov assured the people’s deputies that he would make harsh conclusions and the government would face drastic changes in personnel.
The Chairman put to vote the draft resolution on responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers and adoption of the Resolution on distrust to the Cabinet of Ministers.
186 people’s deputies voted for. The Party of Regions and the Communist Party of Ukraine did not participate in the vote.
The draft resolution was rejected.
The Chairman adjourned the morning meeting.