KYIV, September 30 – After two weeks of precipitous political turmoil, Ukraine’s embattled president on Saturday accused protesters and opposition leaders of resorting to violence and sabotage to unseat him, while praising the formation of a long-awaited parliamentary majority.
Referring to recent protests by thousands of Ukrainians nationwide seeking his ouster, President Leonid Kuchma said in a speech on national television “It’s one thing to express one’s dissatisfaction but another thing to force a violent change of power … and I stress ‘violent’ change.”
Kuchma’s remarks apparently referred to opposition lawmakers’ unannounced entry into a state-owned television studio in a failed attempt to get airtime and their occupation of the president’s administration building for several hours last week demanding his resignation.
In protests on September 16, more than a thousand baton-wielding riot police broke up a tent camp set up by protesters who blocked streets around the president’s office demanding he step down. Kuchma also praised the newly formed parliamentary majority as “a big step forward,” while accusing opposition leaders of “sabotage” for boycotting parliament since Wednesday. He chastised them for obstructing passage of legislation to provide assistance to families of handicapped persons and anti-money laundering laws – which could lead to international sanctions against Ukraine.
“Maybe that’s exactly what the people who sabotaged parliament on September 26 want?” Kuchma said. The president’s speech came just hours after ex-deputy Prime Minister and opposition leader Julia Tymoshenko and former Prime Minister Viktor Yushchenko – arguably Ukraine’s most popular politician – lashed out at the parliamentary majority formed by pro-presidential factions, calling it a blow to Ukraine’s sputtering democracy.
On Friday, lawmakers from nine factions, most supporting Kuchma, formed a razor-thin majority coalition that excludes Tymoshenko’s forces and the other main opposition groups that have led two weeks of public protests calling for Kuchma’s ouster.
“A parliamentary republic is when the people transfer their right to elect a true head of state … what is (our) parliament today? It is three or four clans who paid (lawmakers) to form a majority and for payment they (the majority) vote,” Tymoshenko said on the “Parliament Hour” weekly talk show on state-run UT2 television.
Last month, facing mounting pressure to step down, Kuchma announced he was willing to cede more power to parliament and urged lawmakers to form a solid majority required to pass laws.
“The reforms proposed by the president of Ukraine in fact prolong the usurpation of power by him and by forces loyal to him,” said Tymoshenko, echoing the views of other opposition groups.
The president called for an end to protests, saying that previous demonstrations have damaged Ukraine’s image and stall social progress. “(Opposition leaders) must think about whether to perform the responsibilities for which they were elected by some 50 million citizens, or to execute the demands of close to 50,000 people who participated in nationwide demonstrations.”
Kuchma’s troubled presidency was buffeted further last week by U.S. accusations that he personally approved the transfer of a sophisticated radar system to Iraq in violation of United Nations sanctions.
Kuchma on Saturday made only indirect reference to the allegations, saying, “I state with full responsibility that I will never violate the law.” “I refuse categorically to resign … because I was elected by the people as the head of state and I feel fully responsible for all the happens in the country,” he added.
