Ukrainians blockade government buildings as crisis deepens Date December 3, 2013 - 6:55AM Read later inShare submit to redditEmail articlePrint Ads by Google Go On an Adventure Today.MalaysiaAirlines/Sale Escape to Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines from AUD631. Ukraine opposition blocks govt offices Protesters blockade the main government building in Ukraine as opposition calls for a general strike to bring down President Viktor Yanukovich. Autoplay ONOFFVideo feedbackVideo settings Kiev: Opponents of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych blocked state buildings and thousands of demonstrators crowded streets in subzero temperatures to protest his refusal to sign a European Union trade accord. Opposition leaders called for a no-confidence vote tomorrow against the government of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who warned that protests are spinning out of control, according to Interfax newswire. Clashes in the capital last night left hundreds injured during a police crackdown on the 10th day of unrest, while European Commission President Jose Manual Barroso urged authorities to respect democratic freedoms. We need a full reset of power, boxing world champion Vitali Klitschko, whos also the head of the opposition Udar party, said in Kiev. People are on the streets, theyre tired, but its getting worse. We have to change the system. Tempers are flaring about who Ukraine should tie its future to - Russia or the EU. Photo: AP In an echo of the Orange Revolution in 2004, emotions are flaring in the debate whether Ukraine should tie its future to Russia or the EU. The two powers are jostling for influence over the ex-Soviet nation of 45 million, an essential transit route for Russias gas shipments to Europe. Mr Yanukovychs opponents want early parliamentary and presidential elections, said Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the head of jailed ex-Premier Yulia Tymoshenkos party. Advertisement EU chair Lithuania has summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to Vilnius as it demands a probe into the violent crackdown on pro-Europe protesters in Kiev. Lithuanias foreign ministry expressed its concerns about the violent dispersal of peaceful demonstrators on Independence Square in Kiev on Saturday, according to a ministry statement. Authorities said 190 had been injured in the clashes, including police, demonstrators and more than 40 journalists. Protesters shout and wave flags during a rally at the central Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine. Photo: AP The Baltic state, which holds the rotating EU presidency, stressed the need to investigate and duly punish the culprits. Russian Response The protests gripping the country from Lviv to Kharkiv are the biggest political crisis since the events nine years ago, when a group including Mr Tymoshenko overturned a presidential election initially won by Yanukovych. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who backed Mr Yanukovychs failed presidential candidacy during the Orange Revolution, said events in Ukraine today are akin to pogroms, not revolution. He also predicted the demonstrations, which he said were being prepared for 2015 presidential elections, will wane. While the 2004 uprising was peaceful, with hundreds of thousands camping out in freezing winter cold for weeks, protests now are marred with violence. That changes the dynamics, according to Gleb Pavlovsky, president of the Effective Policy Foundation in Moscow. Everything changed when the Berkut police unit beat protesters, Mr Pavlovsky said. For Ukraine, this is an absolutely new phenomenon. Its a shock. Nationwide Strike The opposition yesterday announced plans for an all- Ukrainian strike, urging people to come to Kiev and take part in the protests. Outdoor markets in Kiev are joining the work stoppage, Mr Tymoshenkos party said on its website. Political developments in Ukraine took on an unexpected character and escalated into an apparent political crisis, Alexander Morozov, Moscow-based chief economist for Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Baltic countries at HSBC Holdings Plc, said in an e-mailed note. The president and the government risk losing control over the situation and we expect important political changes to follow shortly. Protesters also blocked the central banks entrance. The mayors office was seized on Sunday and a group stormed the headquarters of the presidential administration. Across the capital city, groups of protesters sang the national anthem every hour as light snow dusted streets and squares. At Independence Square, the center of the Orange Revolution, dozens of Ukrainian and EU flags snapped in the breeze, while hundreds of demonstrators attached flags to their clothing and handbags. With no sign of the protests abating, the Kiev administration issued a storm alert tonight for more wind, snow and rain. Protests began on November 21 when Mr Yanukovych suspended progress toward an association agreement with the EU, opting instead to strengthen ties with Russia, which supplies 60 percent of Ukraines gas. The protests grew over the weekend after the president failed to reconsider the deal at a November 28-29 EU summit in Vilnius and the first clashes broke out. Read more: smh.au/world/ukrainians-blockade-government-buildings-as-crisis-deepens-20131203-hv419.html#ixzz2mOvxWBTM
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 09:08:55 +0000
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