MOSCOW, April 10 (RIA Novosti) – The creation of a Ukrainian Federation could help the country preserve its current borders, Oleg Tsarov, a Ukrainian member of parliament and presidential candidate, told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
“Look what happened in the parliament yesterday. They beat up the head of the Communist faction right before my eyes. It is a blatant example of fascism. He was speaking on behalf of his electorate … This is no democracy,” Tsarov said.
In his speech in parliament, the Communist leader accused far-right parties, who seized all key offices following the February coup, of intimidating the people of Ukraine. His comments prompted parliament members from the nationalist Svoboda party to climb towards the podium and attempt to push him down. Other lawmakers joined the fray and scuffles broke out.
“If they don’t let people speak their mind in parliament, what is to become of the country? It’s a dictatorship,” the presidential hopeful said.
Tsarev stressed the participation of the US ambassador in government sessions and meetings of the National Security and Defense Committee spoke volumes about Ukraine’s government as the leadership of an independent state.
Amid the ongoing political chaos in the country, federalization has begun to look like a viable option in preserving a diverse Ukraine within its current borders. The country has populations that speak different languages and attend different churches. Many other countries with diverse populations, like Russia and the United States, have federal systems of government.
On February 22, a change of power took place in Ukraine that could be categorized as a coup. The Verkhovna Rada ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, amended the Constitution and scheduled a presidential election for May 25.
