Strasbourg – PACE's disappointment about Kyiv's fulfillment of its obligations continues to grow, a co-reporter on Ukraine of the PACE Monitoring Committee, Mailis Reps, has said in an exclusive interview with an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent in Strasbourg.
She noted that the previous report on Ukraine was prepared "almost a year ago."
"At that time we understood that we had to give a credit of trust to the new authorities," Reps said.
She also noted that in the times when previous reporters, including Hanne Severinsen, prepared reports "many great hopes" were connected with Ukraine, and PACE’s position "was very gentle when nothing was taking place in Ukraine."
"At that time we did not react to the problems properly, because we hoped that democratic reforms launched by Ukraine, and the hopes of the people, would bring results. Today, unfortunately, we have to say that despite the change in rhetoric, nothing has changed in Ukraine," the co-reporter said.
In connection with this, Reps said that "the credit of hope has expired."
"The authorities were given time, they introduced their plans, but now it’s time to act. In the previous interim report on Ukraine we noticed the intentions and steps forward, but now we have to say that after a year many of our fears have become a reality," she said.
According to Reps, in particular, the law on the elections of people’s deputies raised serious concern.
"The parliamentary elections in Ukraine have never been in question before, but the new bill gives every reason for this," the co-reporters said.
She added that "there are reasons to say that the language of the next report will considerably differ from that of the previous one."
"We have to realize that because of the events in Ukraine, and the serious dissatisfaction of many European leaders, including members of the assembly, there is disappointment. They are ready to take very different measures – there are reasons to do so – and the language of the report will be different, and it [Ukraine] could be deprived of the right to vote, etc. But, of course, it is too early to speak about this," she said, and added, "There have been enough words, and it is time to act."
When asked about PACE’s possible actions if former Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko is declared guilty, the co-reporter said that European institutions could "insist on the decriminalization of the article of the Criminal Code."
"Under international legislation, if the article is removed from the Criminal Code, she could be released despite of her sentence. This is what European leaders are striving for, because [European Commission President Jose Manuel] Barroso and [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel know very well that during the gas crisis they put pressure on her to take a decision," Reps said.
