Ukraine Parliament Repeals Anti-Protest Laws As Prime Minister Falls On President's Sword

from the fighting-against-the-tide dept

A while back, we discussed the uprising and protests in Ukraine, along with the almost sadistically Orwellian threats utilized by the government there to attempt to stifle protests. Those efforts, combined with hamfisted legislation rammed through the Ukrainian parliament via the laughable hand-count voting technique, achieved the opposite of their intention and lit a fire under the protesters. We made the argument then that, in this age of technology, ruling with such an iron fist couldn't and wouldn't work, and that the Ukrianian government was ignoring the lessons governments in the Middle East were forced to learn mere years ago.

It turns out not only were we correct, but we were to be proven as much with somewhat shocking speed. The most recent news out of Ukraine is that the parliament has voted to repeal those laws against protests with a near-consensus.

In a first step, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to repeal sweeping anti-protest laws whose passage this month angered anti-government demonstrators. The special parliamentary session is now looking at legislation that might provide amnesty for more than 200 people arrested since the demonstrations began in late November.

This 360 180 degree reversal was brought to you by a popular Ukrainian movement unimpressed with the Orwellian tactics and attempted legal machinations brought against it. It's the quickest expression of the idea that governments should fear their people, rather than the other way around, that I've seen to date. And it's only a first step. Everyone must have known that the reversal of policy wouldn't be enough and that very high level politicians were going to have to lose their jobs over this. The cross hairs for that were rightly pointed at Ukraine President, Viktor Yanukovych, who set all this off by unilaterally ending negotiations with the EU on a trade treaty in favor of a Russian bailout that can only result in more of the same bullying of Ukraine seen in years past.

Unfortunately, Yanukovych appears to lack the gumption to fall on his own sword, so he's let someone else leap onto it instead.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his government Tuesday, amid a political crisis fired by violent protests on the country's streets. Azarov and his Cabinet will continue in their roles until a new government is formed, a notice on the presidential website said.

This, I fear, won't be enough to send the protesters back to their homes. A new government with the same President is only "new" as a method for parody and derision. An attempt to turn on the free speech of a people isn't going to be forgiven in exchange for lesser resignations.

Filed Under: free speech, mykola azarov, protests, ukraine, viktor yanukovych