A statement posted on Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council’s Web site
says that this decision was taken at an extraordinary session on
Saturday, and was signed by the council chairman, Vasyl Skrypnychuk.
“In accordance with Articles 2, 3, 4 and 21 of the law of Ukraine on
local government in Ukraine, the regional council decided to approve an
address of the regional council to the members of the Ivano-Frankivsk
regional branch of the Party of Regions and the servants of the current
regime and ban in Ivano-Frankivsk region the activities and use of
symbols of the Party of Regions and the Communist party of Ukraine, as
they contradict national interests and violate the rights and freedoms
of Ukrainian citizens,” reads the decision of the regional council.
The address also states that “the events that have recently occurred
in Ukraine, particularly rampant corruption, social inequality, the
rejection of the European vector of Ukraine’s foreign policy, the
adoption of anti-constitutional dictatorial laws, and the lawlessness of
law enforcement agencies and riot police officers, have shown the
deafness of the authorities to the requirements of the Ukrainian people,
the failure of the state’s leadership – members of the ruling Party of
Regions – to overcome the existing political crisis, aggravated the
growth of tension in society and led to mass protests in Ukraine and the
region.”
The document also calls on the residents of the region “to exert
moral pressure on those who will be in the ranks of the Party of Regions
in future.”
According to the Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper, Ternopil Regional
Council at an emergency session on Saturday took a similar decision
banning the activities and symbols of the Party of Regions and the
Communist Party of Ukraine in the region.
At the same time, the Party of Regions said that the decisions taken
by the two regional councils contradict Ukrainian legislation and basic
principles of democracy.
“The regional councils have clearly gone beyond the powers that they
have under the law. The Constitution of Ukraine and the law of Ukraine
on political parties in Ukraine envisage only one mechanism for banning
the activity of a political party – under a court ruling. The court of
first instance in cases of this kind is the Supreme court of Ukraine,
and the proceedings can be initiated by the Justice Ministry or the
prosecutor general,” said the deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada
committee on the rule of law and justice, Party of Regions MP Dmytro
Shpenov.
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