Early Presidential Elections may be coming to Ukraine
By:Luiz Brasil- Staff Writer
Ukraine’s government has expressed interest in the possibility of holding early presidential elections in an attempt to find a peaceful solution to the mass amounts of political unrest and violence that have gripped the country for the last two months. The protests began when Ukraine’s current President Viktor Yanukovych turned down a trade deal with the European Union that was widely popular with the public. The protests have turned violent in Kyiv, where many protest groups have begun barricading major roads and occupying government buildings.
The Ukrainian President’s parliamentary representative, Yuri Miroshnychenko, said that President Viktor Yanukovych has been speaking with various government officials about two possible ways to end the violent conflict. “The first is the release of occupied buildings and an amnesty [for protestors], the second is early elections. The amnesty is not working out,” said Miroshnychenko.
At the same time some protest groups are calling for their detained members to be freed from custody unconditionally, but the President has said that this will only be possible if the various occupied government buildings are all vacated soon. Other anti-government protest groups refuse to see any negotiations with President Yanukovych as legitimate, pledging to continue until the President resigns. “Nobody will go home just like that. So many people have sacrificed their lives and we’ll just go home? We will stand until the end,” said Oleg Smolniy, an anti-government protester.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged for sanctions against the Ukrainian government as a way to pressure them into coming up with a peaceful solution in a timely manner. “I think we must show sanctions as a threat,” said Steinmeier, who believes that Germany must be ready to seriously consider this option if the violence and death within the Ukraine is not ended soon. Steinmeiers thoughts contradict German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has already said that there is currently no question of any kind of sanction against Ukraine.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that the EU is considering delivering more financial assistance to Ukraine, as their markets face uncertainty and their local currency, the hryvnia, continues to fall. Meanwhile Ukraine’s opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk has called for a $20 billion aid package from the EU, $5 billion higher than the package that Russia has pledged that is now on hold.
The Ukrainian armed forces have as of yet remained neutral, much to the pleasure of the protesters who fear a combined force of riot police and armed forces. Many protesters have been gathering outside the ministry of defence in Kyiv, urging the military to “hear the people and not go against them” during upcoming talks between Ukraine’s ruling Party of Regions and other opposition parties.
“They gave an oath to protect the people of Ukraine, but there were talks going on recently, saying that the army should stand by the riot police and the government,” said protester Nikalai Lynich. “If the military uses force against the protesters, the whole public will go against them,” Lynich added.
