Quotable notes

"We'll block the Rada throughout all this time [30 days]. After that, by law the Parliament would have to be dismissed. It is important to make sure that not only the interests of a coalition representing one half of a country but the interests of all the people are recognized. We'll make sure that laws in Ukraine are executed properly.

"We will not allow re-opening the session because we no longer trust some members of the temporary presidium. One of its members, a representative of Our Ukraine, Mykola Katerynchuk, is constantly closing the Parliament meeting. In the Rada, our rights are ignored. We wanted to have a deputies' meeting; however the microphones were turned off. The Parliament was literally split into the 'Orangists,' the members of a coalition, the privileged and the rest, i.e., those without any legal rights. And those without any rights basically make one-half of the Rada and represent the interests of half of Ukraine. Also, we disagree with the Rada's resolution that was proposed by the coalition. The resolution specifies that a prime minister is elected before a speaker [chairman of the Verkhovna Rada]. This is a violation of the order. Our Political Council is ready to protect the Constitution. ..."

- Viktor Yanukovych in an interview with Yanna Sokolovskaya in the Moscow-based newspaper Izvestia, June 28 (translated by Lisa Koriouchkina for The Ukraine List, No. 394, July 3).

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 9, 2006, No. 28, Vol. LXXIV

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