Mychailo Wynnyckyj: as long as Yanukovych is in office, the protests will continue

Source: https://www.facebook.com/mychailo.wynnyckyj/posts/703175613067125

The Ukrainian Parliament just voted overwhelmingly to re-enact the Constitutional amendments passed in 2004, and then cancelled by the Yanukovych-controlled Constitutional Court in 2010. In other words, Ukraine just became a Parliamentary-Presidential republic again.

This means Yanukovych still retains power over the army, and over foreign affairs (Defense and Foreign Ministers remain Presidential appointees), but the rest of the executive branch is now accountable to Parliament. A new formalized coalition majority must now be created in Parliament which will then appoint a new Prime Minister and approve all other Ministerial appointments.

Note: there is a possible trap for the opposition here – currently their factions do not formally have enough votes in Parliament to create a coalition.

If the Party of Regions can be re-instated as a monolithic entity, and then a deal struck with the Communists and some independents, the new majority may be just as pro-Yanukovych (authoritarian) as under the previous system.

Immediately after the Constitutional vote, Parliament also voted with overwhelming unanimity to pass a new law that grants blanket immunity to all those involved in anti-government activities and violence. Not sure about the exact text of this immunity yet… Maidan does not trust any of this, and frankly, I’m with the radicals on this one: as long as Yanukovych is in office, the protests will continue.