The possible blocking by the opposition of bills aimed at implementing the president's social initiatives would entail opposition to the people, and not the government, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.
"As for work in these directions [work on social bills] with the opposition, I don’t know who would dare to say something against them. What kind of opposition is appropriate here? This is not opposition to me or the government. This is in fact opposition to the people. Let them try to do so. I think there will be a response from the people after a while, if not at once," Yanukovych said at a meeting with the leadership of the parliament and the heads of the parliamentary majority factions in Kyiv on March 13.
While speaking about his new social initiatives, Yanukovych noted that the authorities must adopt relevant bills as "there is no time for protraction any more."
The president also rejected claims the initiatives were presented "due to the upcoming elections."
"Please, tell me, when do we have a period of time not connected with the elections? We’re always having elections. When parliamentary elections end we start preparing for local elections. After local elections parliamentary campaign will start," the president said.
Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn, First Vice Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Adam Martyniuk, Leader of the Regions Party parliamentary faction Oleksandr Yefremov, Leader of the Communist Party parliamentary faction Petro Symonenko, Leader of the People’s Party faction Ihor Sharov, Leader of the Reforms and Order group Ihor Rybakov, First Vice Premier Valeriy Khoroshkovsky, and Head of the presidential administration Serhiy Liovochkin attended the meeting.
At the beginning of the meeting, Yanukovych recalled that he invited the leaders of the opposition factions so as to "get feedback."
The leaders of the opposition factions ignored the president’s invitation and insisted on having a separate meeting with him.
