United opposition calls on Ukrainians not to vote for Regions Party

The Batkivschyna United Opposition held an Independence Day rally near the monument to Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko in Kyiv on Friday, Aug. 24.

An Interfax-Ukraine reporter said that the rally had brought together about 10,000 participants.

Representatives of the youth organization of the opposition unfurled Ukraine's largest flag (40x60m) before the rally.

Opposition leaders – Arseniy Yatseniuk, Oleksandr Turchynov, Anatoliy Hrytsenko, Oleh Tiahnybok, as well as the leaders of parties who created the Batkivschyna United Opposition, participated in the rally.

After the event the united opposition adopted a resolution calling on Ukrainians "to mobilize efforts to resists the occupation regime."

In addition, the resolution notes that the current government poses a real threat to the country's independence, so the opposition called on Ukrainians not to vote for the pro-government Regions Party in the parliamentary elections, as well as to start active propaganda work for the sake of ensuring the opposition's victory.

"Our hearts are filled not only with festive feelings on this day. The criminal and gangster occupation regime is currently in power in Ukraine. This occupation government currently poses a major threat to the national security of our country, its real independence and native Ukrainian language... We realize that political prisoners could be released only after [President Viktor] Yanukovych and the Regions Party are removed from power. We also believe that we can protect the independence of our country by sending the regime of Yanukovych to a landfill of history... Our main slogan today is not to vote for the Regions Party," reads the resolution.

Parliamentary elections in Ukraine are to be held in October 2012.