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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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23Jun17
Ex-premier says initiative to impeach Poroshenko stems from Ukraine's economy collapse
The initiative on possible impeachment of the Ukrainian president is rooted in the national economy collapse and impoverishment of the population, Ukraine's former Prime Minister Nikolai Nazarov, who now heads the Ukraine Salvation Committee, told TASS on Friday.
"The initiative of the Kiev Region Council stems from the dramatic worsening of the situation in the country in the past three years: the continuing armed conflict, economy collapse, growing prices and tariffs and absolute inaction of the so-called president and two governments," he said.
On Friday, Kiev Region Council appealed to the Verkhovna Rada (national parliament) asking it to legislatively regulate the procedure of impeaching the president to kick off the process of removing the current president from his office. The appeal was initiated by the Batkivshchina factions and won support from 57 out of 62 lawmakers.
Azarov reminded that Ukraine's constitution of 1996 envisaged to adopt this law but this idea has been blocked ever since. "Now it has become very topical. Poroshenko has lost people's confidence. According to the latest opinion polls, ninety percent of the population have no confidence in the president: his personal rating is below 8-9%, his party's rating is about the same," he said, adding that such moods are spread across the entire country.
"Even in western regions, people demand resignation of the president. Lawmakers from the Kherson, Nikolayev, Zaporozhye Region Councils are oppositional," the former prime minister noted. However, in his words, the future of this initiative will "depend on whether there are enough responsible lawmakers ready to support it in the Verkhovna Rada."
"Poroshenko will spare no effort to block the law on impeachment. The country is ruled by a system of intimidation of dissenters. All who have ever come up with criticism are either dead, or in prison, or abroad. Buzina was killed, Sheremet was blown up, Katsyuba is facing criminal charges," Azarov said, adding that the latest such example is a case against Igor Guzhva, editor-in-chief of an online media outlet, "who was not even oppositional but only wanted to be unbiased."
"I support this initiative," he stressed. "I don't think Poroshenko is worth of being president. One cannot rule a country with such poor support from the population. If it is possible to impeach the current head of state, I will be an ardent advocate of such step."
[Source: Itar Tass, Moscow, 23Jun17]
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