Interfax: Ukraine not a boxing ring – Party of Regions’ faction

KYIV. Jan 23 (Interfax) – The Ukrainian Party of Regions’ faction sees the opposition actions and initiatives as an attempted coup.

“Yet another step by the opposition … is the “establishment” of a so-called people’s Rada and the handover of the national parliament’s legislative functions to it … In the current situation the Party of Regions’ faction is entitled to give a legal and political assessment to such actions of the clearly overexcited opposition, to warn erring colleagues in parliament against provocative steps and actions which might lead to serious consequences. However democratic these calls were, no matter how often opposition representatives cited the will of the Maidan and yet another veche (assembly), such actions have one categorical definition in international legal practice, being qualified as an attempted coup d’etat,” the faction said in a statement on Thursday.

When opposition activists are trying to cover their “anti-constitutional pangs with the people’s will as if with a fig leaf” it is “blasphemous and immoral,” the regional party members said.

“The Party of Regions’ faction urges the opposition not to go beyond legal domain, not to provoke new conflicts, not to push their supporters towards aggression and violence,” the statement said.

The document mentions “one of the Maidan leaders” who vowed to organize a new attack if his ultimatum demands are not met. “We consider such actions by opposition activists to be absolutely irresponsible, not consistent with the practice of civilized resolution of political conflicts. We remind you: Ukraine is not a boxing ring!” the statement said.