Ukrainian president and opposition sign early-poll deal

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition protesters have agreed to an early presidential poll before the end of the year.

The election is part of a deal to end the country's political crisis.

The deal has not been published, but Mr Yanukovych referred to a national unity government and constitutional changes reducing the president's power.

>

The German and Polish ministers met protesters in Kiev's Independence Square before announcing their leaders backed the deal.

The agreement was later signed by opposition leaders and Mr Yanukovych at the presidential administration headquarters in Kiev.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26289318

---

The issue may now be the degree to which the opposition leaders are able to exercise any control over the protests i.e whether or not they are in fact leaders.

[EmilyAnne]

1. If Yanukovych steps down, this could work.

Putin can save face by facilitating the resignation.
It seems he might be considering this in light of the recent announcement by Medvedev saying that Russia will not give assistance to Ukraine now that they are unsure about the stability of the government. That Russia will wait to see that Yanukovich can actually control the country.
Putin told Yanukovich yesterday to not be a "door mat."
A pretty scary taunt. btw, considering what not being a door mat would look like to Putin.

[pampango]

2. Here are some of the provisions in the agreement signed today.

1. Within 48 hours of the signing of this agreement, a special law will be adopted,signed and promulgated, which will restore the Constitution of 2004 including amendments passed until now. Signatories declare their intention to create a coalition and form a national unity government within 10 days thereafter.

2. Constitutional reform, balancing the powers of the President, the government and parliament, will start immediately and be completed in September 2014.

3. Presidential elections will be held as soon as the new Constitution is adopted but no later than December 2014. New electoral laws will be passed and a new Central Election Commission will be formed on the basis of proportionality and in accordance with the OSCE & Venice commission rules.

4. Investigation into recent acts of violence will be conducted under joint monitoring from the authorities, the opposition and the Council of Europe.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/21/ukraine-crisis-president-claims-deal-with-opposition-after-77-killed-in-kiev

There are several other provisions at the link.

It is noteworthy that the Council of Europe will be involved in the investigation of 'recent acts of violence'. The European Court of Human Rights, which enforces the European Convention on Human Rights, will probably be the institution that does the investigating.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Polish foreign monister told the opposition they would all die if they didn't sign.

15.26 Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister has been filmed by ITV telling a protest leader: "If you don't support this [deal] you'll have martial law, you'll have the army. You will all be dead."

The minister was leaving talks when he was asked by James Mates, ITV News Europe Editor, if he had managed to convince the opposition. "I don't know," he replied.

European foreign ministers then came back for more talks, after which they announced that the opposition had agreed to sign the deal.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10653226/Ukraine-protests-live.html

[Jefferson23]

4. Looks like it's calming down already, they signed a truce agreement. Except Putin's representative

Except Putin's representative down there was supposed to sign as a witness and refused to...what jerks. I think the agreement can go through anyway though.


K&R

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Ukraine vote could pave way for release of Yulia Tymoshenko

Ukraine's parliament has voted for amendments in the criminal code which could pave the way for the release of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

The amendments would decriminalise aspects of the criminal code relevant to her prosecution and set Ukrainian law in line with European Union legislation, her supporters have said.
...
Tymoshenko, a former prime minister and long-standing rival of President Viktor Yanukovich, was narrowly defeated by him in a run-off for the presidency in February 2010.

She was jailed in 2011 for seven years for abuse of office linked to a gas deal she brokered with Russia as prime minister after a trial denounced as political by the European Union.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/21/ukraine-opposition-leader-yulia-tymoshenko

[bemildred]

6. White House welcomes agreement between Yanukovych and opposition

The United States welcomes the agreement signed between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition leaders.

"The United States welcomes the agreement signed today between Ukrainian President Yanukovych and opposition leaders. Now, the focus must be on concrete action to implement this agreement, which we will be monitoring closely," the Office of the Press Secretary of the White House said in a statement.

The United States calls for immediate implementation of the initial steps – an end to the violence, amnesty and security normalization, and passage of the constitutional package in the [Verkhovna] Rada – to provide space for the negotiations to begin on formation of a technocratic coalition government.

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/191784.html