Ukraine Peace Move Sets Off Violent Rightist Riot in Kiev

[eridani]

If federalism is good enough for the US and Canada, why isn't it good enough for Ukraine?

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/32278-focus-ukraine-peace-move-sets-off-violent-rightist-riot-in-kiev

When the Ukrainian parliament voted overwhelmingly, but almost a year late, to amend the Ukrainian constitution to allow greater autonomy to the eastern, separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine’s right-wing nationalists immediately unleashed violence in the streets. The August 31 preliminary vote on the first reading of the constitutional amendment was 265-185 in favor, and changed nothing for now – except for the willingness of hundreds of right-wing protestors to amplify the democratic process with smoke bomb and hand grenade attacks on national guards and police.

Eventually the reform bill will pass or fail in the vote on the second reading, which is expected in the next few months. To pass then it will need a two-thirds majority of 450 legislators, or 300 votes. Presumably street violence by the opponents now will make it harder for supporters to reach the 300-vote majority.

By contrast, there were no public outbursts earlier this year, after the parliament formally recognized and granted pensions to members of the World War II fascist army, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), that collaborated with the Nazi occupation in killing Jews and Poles.

The attacks killed three national guards and blew the leg off a fourth. A Kiev police spokeswoman reported the day after the rioting that 141 people remained in hospitals, 131 of them national guards or police, ten of them in serious condition. The Kiev government deployed some 2,000 police and national guards to control the violence. They have arrested about 30 people, including a Svoboda party member of parliament accused of throwing a grenade.

According to the BBC: “The protest was organised by the populist Radical Party and ultra-nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party – who oppose any concession to the separatists.” [emphasis added] Police say they plan to question top Svoboda party leaders about their role, if any, in the organized violence. Svoboda has six seats in parliament. Svoboda officially claimed the violence was triggered by national guard and police attacks on the protestors (an account at odds with those of reporters on the scene, a number of whom were themselves injured). The paramilitary organization Right Sector, with extreme nationalist views, also appeared to be involved as its symbols and flags dotted the protest.

[DetlefK]

1. Are you serious?

Imagine hundreds of mexican trucks, steered by who knows, carrying whatever, crossing the US-border illegally on a regular basis, unloading whatever they were carrying in secret locations, handing it over to people whose identities are unknown.

And at the same time as hundreds of mexican trucks violate the US-border, there is this teeny-tiny issue of secessionism at the US-Mexico-border, with US-states possibly joining Mexico.

Go federalism!

[Duckhunter935]

2. Of course the 50,000

troops along the unmonitored border, the year and a half of "military exercises along that border and the illegal "humanitarian aid" convoys are not to be mentioned. How is the east being resupplied with the latest vehicles and the munitions?


one other thing, I thought the right and the nazis were in charge of the Ukrainian government, seems not so much.

[pampango]

3. Federalism for one region but not others? Is that like the Southern push for 'states rights'?

If our South had 'federalism' but not the rest of the country, how fair would that be? I am sure that many southern politicians would love to have more 'states rights' than they currently have.

Ukraine far right ditches coalition, joins opposition

The far right Radical Party of Oleg Lyashko has left the ruling coalition in the Ukrainian parliament after a vote on constitutional amendments aimed at decentralizing the country took place, having been required by the Minsk agreements according to a report in RT.

“We do not see the possibility of staying in the coalition. We are joining the opposition,” Oleg Lyashko, leader of the party which has 21 of 450 seats in the Parliament, said on Tuesday as cited by TASS news agency.

The far right Radical Party of Oleg Lyashko has left the ruling coalition in the Ukrainian parliament after a vote on constitutional amendments aimed at decentralizing the country took place, having been required by the Minsk agreements according to a report in RT.

http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/163828/ukraine-far-right-ditches-coalition-joins-opposition

The far-right party had a little less than 5% of the seats in parliament. Not sure what this means for the government maintaining a parliamentary majority.