Ukraine opposition offers concession in freeing state buildings

EuroMaidan protesters freed several key government buildings and a key central Kyiv artery, Hrushevskoho Street, this weekend in their biggest attempt at compromise since the protest turned violent on Jan. 19. Opposition leaders attempted to satisfy the controversial Jan. 28 amnesty law, initiated by President Viktor Yanukovych. It has been referred to by the opposition and Western legal experts as the “hostage law,” in essence setting an ultimatum for EuroMaidan protesters to free occupied buildings and streets by Feb. 17 or else amnesty would be lost for those convicted or charged between Dec. 27 and Feb. 2. On February 16, the Prosecutor General’s Office posted a statement on its official website recognizing that the protesters ”practically performed the totality of actions” necessary for amnesty.

Among the buildings freed was the Kyiv City Council, which was surrendered to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which in turn transfer control to a newly appointed Kyiv City Administration Chair loyal to President Viktor Yanukovych, reported the Kommersant-Ukraina news site on Feb. 17. Four oblast state administrations – or regional organs of the Presidential Administration – were freed from occupation as well, including the western Ukrainian center of Lviv. In exchange, opposition leaders demanded the closure of more than 2,000 criminal cases against EuroMaidan activists, as well as criminal records cleared for more than 230 prosecuted activists.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Pshonka said on Feb. 16 he will fulfill the amnesty conditions in the course of a month. Meantime, EuroMaidan activists maintained control of Hrushevskoho Street in case the government fails to meet its end of the agreement. They allowed only one lane open to traffic, controlled by a gate. Many activists were dissatisfied with the release of the Kyiv City Council building and vowed to retake it should the Yanukovych administration renege on the compromise.

Zenon Zawada: The Prosecutor General’s acknowledgement of the concessions looks more like an installment payment to the EuroMaidan protesters as they did not fully execute the ultimatum conditions: Hrushevskoho Street is still largely blocked and the Kyiv City Council is still surrounded by activists. The peace is tenuous and the government and opposition may be reignited towards more hostile measures at any time. In particular, opposition leaders announced a “peaceful march” to the parliament building (currently cordoned off by the internal army) on Feb. 18 to urge a vote for Ukraine to return to a parliamentary-presidential republic. Given that authorities won’t let protesters reach the Rada building, new violent conflicts are possible as soon as tomorrow.

The political opposition has taken a large risk with its compromise attempt. Since the EuroMaidan’s launch, there has always been tension between the civic activists and politicians. If this maneuver results in a setback to the protest movement, the politicians will lose their already tenuous support and credibility among their electorate, which has viewed Ukraine’s pro-Western politicians with deep skepticism ever since the disaster of the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko. Given the unpredictability of the Yanukovych administration, we don’t know what to expect as its response to the concessions.