Following one of the most historic days in Ukraine’s independent history, Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms party leader Vitali Klitschko told journalists on Feb. 23 that, despite the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych as president the release of ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko from prison, EuroMaidan demonstrators should stay on the streets to oversee the changing of the political guard.
“Today we
keep Maidan the same status as yesterday,” he said, adding that the protest
movement’s security forces should also remain on the streets. “(EuroMaidan) Self-Defense
must take control in the city. There are no police on the streets right now. The
police will be reorganized, and we will try to do this as fast as possible.”
Klitshcko
also said that he would consider with other political leaders to push for
bringing charges against Yanukovych for his role in the deaths of several dozen
protesters who were killed in January and February.
“We will
consider this issue and we will compile a list of people responsible for giving
these orders (to police troops and snipers to fire live ammunition at
protesters), and we will decided then,” he said. “Yanukovych is responsible for
everything that has happened in Ukraine (since he came to power in 2010.). He
is fully responsible for the people who have died.”
Klitschko said
the first order of business, however, is to create a technocratic government, hold
new elections and ensure the financial and economic stability of the country.
Prior to
his impeachment, Yanukovych had brokered a $15 billion bailout deal with
Russia, the first $3 billion tranche of which was received and quickly spent in December.
But Moscow said it will hold the second tranche of cash until it sees who is
appointed to top positions in Ukraine’s new government, putting the nation in a
financial predicament.
One alternative
might be help from the West. British Foreign Secretary William Hague wrote
on Twitter that he had spoken to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter
Steinmeier about pushing for a vital International Monetary Fund financial package for the country
under its new government.
Deflecting accusations
made by Yanukovych in a recorded video interview released on Feb. 21, during
which he likened the opposition’s acts in parliament to a coup d’etat,
Klitschko said: “We didn’t break the rules. We did things open and legally.”
He also spoke
about Russia’s role in the political crisis.
“I
understand that this has something to do with geopolitics,” he said. “But I’m
sure that every country in this region is very keen to see Ukraine stable in
economic and political terms.”
On the
release of Tymoshenko and the changed political landscape, he said: “The most
important task for me is to work to change rules of the game. If necessary, I can
do this as president. But there
must be an honest competition between the politicians. It is good
that Yulia is back, so more people can be involved. It is good for the
political map.”
As for the
political future of Yanukovych loyalists in the Party of Regions, which has suffered mass defections in the last week, Klitschko
said he welcomed the idea of them taking part in the construction of a new Ukrainian
government.
“They have
a chance to use their skills that in Yanukovych’s government that didn’t work,
because it was corrupt. If their
views and ideas are good enough, we welcome them to the new government. We want
to build a new Ukraine all together.”
Kyiv Post editor Christopher J. Miller can be
reached at [email protected],
or on Twitter at @ChristopherJM.
