[While the Ukraine parliament has apparently come to terms with the rebellion in its east, it has also cliched the long pending deal with the EU, albeit keeping a part of it in abeyance in order not to unsettle the economic ties with Russia beyond a point, for the time being. We'll have to wait and see it brings peace to the region.]
I/II. http://rt.com/news/188124-rada-donbass-status-amnesty/ Special status to E. Ukraine regions, amnesty to combatants - parliament Published time: September 16, 2014 09:33 Edited time: September 16, 2014 13:43 The Ukrainian parliament has approved laws on special status for the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions, as well as amnesty for those participating in the hostilities. The special status law has received 277 'yes' votes from a total of 450 MPs, while the amnesty law was approved by 287 parliamentary members. The session of the Verkhovna Rada is underway during which MPs are to ratify an agreement with the EU. The law on the special status of Lugansk and Donetsk Regions guarantees the right to use and study Russian or any other language in Ukraine. It also states that local elections are to take place in the regions on December 7. The head of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic, Igor Plotnitsky, earlier welcomed the law on special status for Ukraine's eastern regions proposed by President Poroshenko. *"The law on the special status of Donbass generally reflects the priorities we voiced at the September 1 negotiations. That's why, even though a lot remains unclear, we may say that a peaceful solution has received its first chance of being implemented,"* Plotnitsky told RIA Novosti. Minsk protocol: Ukraine to be decentralized, special status for Lugansk, Donetsk <http://rt.com/news/185700-lugansk-donetsk-special-status/> The PM of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Aleksandr Zakharchenko has reacted to the news of the law being passed by saying it should first be signed by President Poroshenko, RIA Novosti reports. *"First let Poroshenko sign it, let it be published and come into force. Then we'll translate it into Russian, read it and give an assessment,"* Zakharchenko said. The law on 'Prevention of prosecution and punishment of participants of events in the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions' offers amnesty to those anti-government fighters who release all prisoners, hand in all weapons and vacate all occupied government buildings within a month following the law's enactment. The laws have been part of a peace roadmap negotiated by Poroshenko and representatives of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The roadmap also included an agreement to a ceasefire, which came into force September 5. The truce has been barely holding with numerous reports on violations and both the troops and the anti-government fighters blaming each other for sporadic shootings. Another part of the peace plan - a prisoner exchange - has been gradually implemented. II. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29220885 16 September 2014 Last updated at 15:54 Ukraine crisis: Rebels granted self-rule and amnesty *Ukrainian MPs have granted self-rule to parts of two eastern regions, and an amnesty to pro-Russian rebels there.* ..... The legislation means that pro-Russian separatists taken prisoner in the fighting should now be released. Separatists holding government buildings are now supposed to leave them, hand over captured Ukrainian soldiers and other prisoners and surrender their weapons. Rebels accused of other "grave" crimes will not be covered by the new amnesty either. But some Ukrainian lawmakers described the self-rule law as a sell-off of Ukraine in what they see as a war against Russia. "A capitulation was announced today in this war," Oleh Tiagnybok, the leader of the nationalist Svoboda party, was quoted as saying by the Ukrainska Pravda website. Andriy Shevchenko, an MP in the Batkivshchyna party led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, said he was "ashamed of this parliament". He said the law was voted in "a secret regime", violating normal parliamentary procedures. Meanwhile, Andrei Purgin, a rebel leader in Donetsk, told AFP news agency that the eastern region "no longer has anything to do with Ukraine". "Ukraine is free to adopt any law it wants. But we are not planning any federalism with Ukraine." Many rebels are demanding full independence and speak of creating a new state called "Novorossiya", something Russian President Vladimir Putin has also mentioned in speeches. Mr Purgin nonetheless said the legislation was a "positive signal because it marks Kiev's return to reality". *Historic day* The EU-Ukraine agreement ratified on Tuesday lies at the root of Ukraine's crisis. It was former President Viktor Yanukovych's refusal to sign the deal last November that triggered mass protests and his eventual fall from power. The votes ratifying the agreement took place simultaneously, with a live video link-up between the parliaments in Strasbourg and Kiev. Both President Poroshenko and the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, called it a historic day. The agreement would make Ukraine compliant with EU standards in the areas of human rights, security and arms control, and would remove trade barriers. But negotiations with Russia last week led to the free-trade part of the agreement being postponed until 2016. Russia says its market could be flooded with cheap EU goods shipped via Ukraine. Still, until 2016 Ukraine will maintain its existing restrictions on EU imports, while enjoying tariff-free access to the EU market for its own exports. In return, Russia has pledged to maintain favourable trade rules in place for Ukraine. The crisis has already severely hit Russia-Ukraine trade ties, with the two neighbours imposing economic sanctions on each other. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
