You're reading: Tymoshenko calls on Yanukovych not to sign laws passed on Bankova Street, but to convene national roundtable

Kharkiv - Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has called on Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych not to sign the laws that were passed by the parliamentary majority on April 4 at a meeting held on Bankova Street.

This statement was read out by the ex-premier’s defense counsel, Serhiy Vlasenko, at a briefing in Kharkiv on Friday. Vlasenko said that Tymoshenko wrote the statement on Thursday and passed it to him at a meeting on Friday.

“Under no circumstances sign the bills that were illegally considered by your parliamentary majority, no matter who advises you to do it. Once you sign these bills, you will disgrace yourself and the post of the Ukrainian president,” she said in a statement to Yanukovych.

Tymoshenko said that such actions had already occurred in Ukraine’s history and they had been erroneous.

“Today [on April 4] MPs from your parliamentary majority left the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada and hid behind closed doors from the media and their colleagues, opposition deputies, and started passing laws in the name of the Ukrainian people almost underground. This is the collapse of the foundations of the state’s life, which is occurring under your leadership,” reads the statement.

Tymoshenko said that a similar situation had already occurred in Ukraine’s history.

“At that time, our parliamentary majority did the same thing, leaving the session hall and making decisions at the Ukrainian House separately from the parliamentary opposition. We then, as you now see, considered ourselves to all-powerful and victorious, because we through our goals were so righteous that they allowed us to use force. I am writing to you today, because I believe that a historical mistake was made at that time by all those who participated in the events at the Ukrainian House, even if legally everything was done perfectly, because that kind of parliamentary coup left a humiliating taste of injustice and lawlessness in Ukraine’s history. And all MPs who participated in it are tainted by political violence. We would like to tear and burn those historical pages, but that shame has already become immortal,” reads the statement.

Tymoshenko called on Yanukovych to immediately intervene in the situation and gather a national roundtable to find a compromise.

“I am again appealing to you, Viktor Fedorovych [Yanukovych], with the recommendation not to repeat the same mistake and immediately intervene personally in the current situation in the Verkhovna Rada. Under any circumstances don’t sign the bills that were illegally considered by your parliamentary majority, no matter who advises you to do it. Once you sign these bills, you will humiliate himself and the post of the Ukrainian president,” Tymoshenko said.

“This is a time when you will be able to rise to the level of the country’s leader. Immediately convene a national roundtable, invite all independent MPs and delegations from all parliamentary groups and help them find a compromise on all contentious issues, which have led to a serious parliamentary crisis. Don’t imitate finding a compromise, but really find it. If you reach a mutual understanding with all parliamentary factions, you will make the first step towards the establishment of your relations with the people whose fate is now entrusted to you as president of Ukraine,” reads the statement.

The former prime minister said that it was unacceptable to use “absolute power” in the current situation.

“During these negotiations refrain from using the absolute power that you have concentrated in your hands. Try to find an understanding on the basis of wisdom and justice. Believe me, Viktor Fedorovych, this is only an illusion that a worthy leader of the nation is the one who can use force to make everybody knuckle under. This is a good trick for a circus arena, but a worthy leader can only be the one who for his people is the embodiment of justice, the voice of truth, a guarantor of security, who can unite, rather than split, who can love, rather than humiliate. Today, the country is in a period of dangerous turbulence that poses a threat to its very existence. Many people are scared. They are confused and need support and fair action. One of the best U.S. presidents once said: ‘The people now need to bind up their wounds.’ There are currently circumstances that help you do it. If you refuse to sign the bills that were unfairly adopted today, if you convene a nationwide roundtable and justly help resolve contentious issues in the Verkhovna Rada, you will add the first worthy pages to the history of your presidency,” reads the statement.

“Listen to my advice, because I do what I suggest, you need not only for the return of peace in the country, it is necessary first of all to you personally, because Ukraine is a historical anatomy, what to take it by force is futile. And not like you will excuse me, tried. And where are they? Ukraine can be with their leader only for love, for the trust in the wisdom, justice. Unfortunately we did not have such presidents.’s not too late to try you. Begin now,” Tymoshenko’s statement reads.