Ukraine parliament votes to end the military crackdown on protesters across the country:

[pampango]

The #Ukraine Parliament just voted for a full demilitarization of the country, ordering all forces to return to their bases immediately.

34 Deputies from Yanukovych party voted with opposition in Parliament @aavst: 34 депутата от партии Регионов голосуют вместе с оппозицией

The 239 MPs present at Ukr. parliament session looks set to elect new speaker. The current one, Rybak, seems to have fled country.

... parliament is about to take up question of returning to the 2004 constitution.

In other words, Yanukovych now not only has a major crisis on the streets, he’s about to have a constitutional crisis, as his own party has not showed up to the Rada, but the Rada is legally capable of making policy without them.

http://www.interpretermag.com/ukraine-liveblog-day-3-of-the-ukraine-crisis/#1313

It will be interesting to see how Yanukovych responds to this vote in parliament. Many members of his party, including the speaker of the parliament, seem to have fled the country. Hopefully, this will represent a democratic end to the violence.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Have fled the country...

am I reading this right? HIs support is evaporating and some people are going over fleeing is the better part of valor? Not that I can blame them, mind you.

[bemildred]

2. That's very good, if it holds up. nt

[pampango]

4. If it holds up. Good point. For now folks on the Square and parliament seem to be happy.

People singing the national anthem on the Maidan right now: thousands of them, holding up phones with lights on like candles. It's been a horrible day, but as it ends.

http://en.pravda.com.ua/

http://www.interpretermag.com/ukraine-liveblog-day-3-of-the-ukraine-crisis/#1313

[bemildred]

6. Well, somebody just tried to crack down, get something going, and got handed their ass.

Of course they will keep trying ...

[oldhippie]

3. Is the Parliament in command of the military?

Might make some difference.

[pampango]

5. They definitely are not.

Of course, this isn’t about legalities. No one expects the riot police to be pulled off the streets because of laws. In fact, these are not even laws yet, as the President would have to sign them. If the President does not sign them, they would go back to the Rada, but it would take some time, and by then the President’s MPs would likely be in place to block the votes.

This is about the image — the image of a half-empty Rada, where only the opposition MPs and those who defected to them stayed to come up with solutions. In fact, large numbers of Yanukovych’s camp have either defected, resigned, or deserted. Yanukovych’s political support is crumbling by the minute, and what happened in the Rada is the surest sign that this aspect of the story will be making headlines tomorrow.

http://www.interpretermag.com/ukraine-liveblog-day-3-of-the-ukraine-crisis/#1313

You could make the case that in the short term Yanukovych could be very dangerous. With many the members of his party in parliament leaving the country, he has no majority in parliament. He can refuse to sign this legislation, however, and at any rate he has control over the military.

[1000words]

7. Reports of Yanukovych family members sighted at Heathrow

It's over for him. He knows it.

[pampango]

8. I had heard rumors that his family had left Ukraine. This is confirmation of it. n/t