MOSCOW, October 30 (RIA Novosti) — Moscow has serious doubts about new Ukrainian parliament's commitment to democratic standards as opposition lawmakers have already been targeted with threats and intimidation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
"We have serious doubts about the declared adherence to democratic standards and values as commanders of punitive battalions who became lawmakers in new Verkhovna Rada said they were ready to use their field experience to fight against those who openly oppose them," the ministry said in a statement.
"Opposition lawmakers are being harassed and receive threats of physical punishment. This is the Kiev-style democracy in its earnest," the statement said.
The ministry also stressed that despite hopes for consolidation of the society after the elections, the situation in Ukraine remains volatile with no signs of progress towards national reconciliation.
Following the Ukrainian parliamentary elections, several experts voiced concern to RIA Novosti that the newly elected parliament would suppress the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine, threaten the opposition and bring new wave of internal conflict. The leaders of the European Union and the United States, however, praised the elections as "victory of democracy."
Early parliamentary elections were held in Ukraine against the background of a serious political and economic crisis.
With 99.65 percent of the votes counted, the People's Front party headed by Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is leading with 22.16 percent, followed closely by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's Bloc with 21.83 percent of the votes.
