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| Ukraine’s Leader to Revoke Curbs on Dissent, but Opposition Remains Wary | Ukraine’s Leader to Revoke Curbs on Dissent, but Opposition Remains Wary |
| (7 months later) | |
| KIEV, Ukraine — Still struggling to contain a national civil uprising, President Viktor F. Yanukovych of Ukraine agreed late Monday to revoke a package of new laws severely restricting political dissent, but a wider accord to defuse the crisis remained out of reach, officials said. | |
| While nominally a concession to the opposition, a repeal of the laws would simply reverse a provocative legislative maneuver on Jan. 16 that only further infuriated antigovernment protesters who at that point had been on the streets for nearly two months over other grievances. | While nominally a concession to the opposition, a repeal of the laws would simply reverse a provocative legislative maneuver on Jan. 16 that only further infuriated antigovernment protesters who at that point had been on the streets for nearly two months over other grievances. |
| The situation in Ukraine, a country of 46 million perched strategically between Russia and the European Union, has deteriorated sharply after clashes between the police and demonstrators in Kiev turned violent last week and mass protests began spreading in regional capitals. | The situation in Ukraine, a country of 46 million perched strategically between Russia and the European Union, has deteriorated sharply after clashes between the police and demonstrators in Kiev turned violent last week and mass protests began spreading in regional capitals. |
| Mr. Yanukovych, who set off the crisis in November by breaking a promise to sign political and free-trade agreements with the European Union, began offering concessions on Saturday in a sign that the authorities were losing control and that the police were outnumbered. | Mr. Yanukovych, who set off the crisis in November by breaking a promise to sign political and free-trade agreements with the European Union, began offering concessions on Saturday in a sign that the authorities were losing control and that the police were outnumbered. |
| He offered to install opposition leaders as prime minister and vice prime minister — a proposal that they swiftly rebuffed in part because there was little support for it on the street, but also because it would have solidified Mr. Yanukovych’s own grip on power. | He offered to install opposition leaders as prime minister and vice prime minister — a proposal that they swiftly rebuffed in part because there was little support for it on the street, but also because it would have solidified Mr. Yanukovych’s own grip on power. |
| One of those opposition leaders, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, the leader in Parliament of the Fatherland Party, officially informed the president on Monday night that he would not accept the post of prime minister. | One of those opposition leaders, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, the leader in Parliament of the Fatherland Party, officially informed the president on Monday night that he would not accept the post of prime minister. |
| In a statement released earlier in the day, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, a Fatherland leader and former prime minister who was jailed by Mr. Yanukovych, urged that the deal be rejected. “The people want fundamental changes in their lives, justice in Ukraine and a path to European values,” she said. “This is their last chance. Politicians still don’t understand that the people are ready to achieve their goal at the cost of their lives, health and physical freedom.” | In a statement released earlier in the day, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, a Fatherland leader and former prime minister who was jailed by Mr. Yanukovych, urged that the deal be rejected. “The people want fundamental changes in their lives, justice in Ukraine and a path to European values,” she said. “This is their last chance. Politicians still don’t understand that the people are ready to achieve their goal at the cost of their lives, health and physical freedom.” |
| In addition to repealing the new restrictions on dissent, officials said that a special session of Parliament on Tuesday would also begin to address a rollback of constitutional changes broadly expanding the powers of the presidency that had been made at Mr. Yanukovych’s direction earlier in his term. | In addition to repealing the new restrictions on dissent, officials said that a special session of Parliament on Tuesday would also begin to address a rollback of constitutional changes broadly expanding the powers of the presidency that had been made at Mr. Yanukovych’s direction earlier in his term. |
| Yet, in a sign of how Mr. Yanukovych has reshaped the political system to his advantage, a return to the Constitution as it existed in 2004, absent other changes, would largely serve to empower a Parliament now solidly controlled by his Party of Regions. | Yet, in a sign of how Mr. Yanukovych has reshaped the political system to his advantage, a return to the Constitution as it existed in 2004, absent other changes, would largely serve to empower a Parliament now solidly controlled by his Party of Regions. |
| Despite a thuggish reputation, Mr. Yanukovych has repeatedly proved himself to be a wily negotiator. After backing away from the deal with Europe, which would have required him to free Ms. Tymoshenko, as well as to undertake painful austerity measures demanded by the International Monetary Fund, Mr. Yanukovych secured a desperately needed $15 billion financial rescue package from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. | Despite a thuggish reputation, Mr. Yanukovych has repeatedly proved himself to be a wily negotiator. After backing away from the deal with Europe, which would have required him to free Ms. Tymoshenko, as well as to undertake painful austerity measures demanded by the International Monetary Fund, Mr. Yanukovych secured a desperately needed $15 billion financial rescue package from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. |
| At the same time, he avoided having to declare that Ukraine would join Russia’s customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan, which the Kremlin has clearly wanted as part of a deal. | At the same time, he avoided having to declare that Ukraine would join Russia’s customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan, which the Kremlin has clearly wanted as part of a deal. |
| Still, Mr. Yanukovych’s allies have grown increasingly uneasy as the country has descended into chaos, and international leaders have raised a growing outcry over evidence of abductions, beatings and other abuse of protesters by the authorities or their surrogates. On Monday, the Party of Regions issued a statement accusing protest leaders of attempting a coup, and of encouraging the occupation of government buildings. | Still, Mr. Yanukovych’s allies have grown increasingly uneasy as the country has descended into chaos, and international leaders have raised a growing outcry over evidence of abductions, beatings and other abuse of protesters by the authorities or their surrogates. On Monday, the Party of Regions issued a statement accusing protest leaders of attempting a coup, and of encouraging the occupation of government buildings. |
| On Monday afternoon, protesters in Kiev withdrew from a Justice Ministry building that they had seized just the night before. But Oleksandr Danylyuk, the leader of a faction called Common Cause, which led the occupation, warned that his group was prepared to seize it again depending on developments in Parliament on Tuesday. | On Monday afternoon, protesters in Kiev withdrew from a Justice Ministry building that they had seized just the night before. But Oleksandr Danylyuk, the leader of a faction called Common Cause, which led the occupation, warned that his group was prepared to seize it again depending on developments in Parliament on Tuesday. |
| In its statement, the majority Party of Regions warned that Ukraine had been pushed to the brink of civil war, and squarely blamed the three main opposition leaders: Mr. Yatsenyuk; Vitali Klitschko, the former boxing champion, who was offered a post as vice prime minister for humanitarian affairs; and Oleg Tyagnibok, of the nationalist Svoboda Party. | In its statement, the majority Party of Regions warned that Ukraine had been pushed to the brink of civil war, and squarely blamed the three main opposition leaders: Mr. Yatsenyuk; Vitali Klitschko, the former boxing champion, who was offered a post as vice prime minister for humanitarian affairs; and Oleg Tyagnibok, of the nationalist Svoboda Party. |
| The aggressiveness of the statement, even as Mr. Yanukovych had begun offering concessions, underscored the divisions that are certain to emerge as any compromise with the opposition takes shape. Already, Mr. Yanukovych has said he is prepared to remove Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, a staunch ally since the protests began. | The aggressiveness of the statement, even as Mr. Yanukovych had begun offering concessions, underscored the divisions that are certain to emerge as any compromise with the opposition takes shape. Already, Mr. Yanukovych has said he is prepared to remove Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, a staunch ally since the protests began. |
| Ahead of the special legislative session, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. called Mr. Yanukovych on Monday — the second time in less than a week. According to the White House, he urged a peaceful settlement and cautioned that harsh security measures could worsen matters. Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, was to arrive in Kiev on Tuesday. | Ahead of the special legislative session, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. called Mr. Yanukovych on Monday — the second time in less than a week. According to the White House, he urged a peaceful settlement and cautioned that harsh security measures could worsen matters. Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, was to arrive in Kiev on Tuesday. |
| Even as they rejected Mr. Yanukovych’s main overtures, opposition leaders said they were bracing for the possibility that he would seek to declare a state of emergency and attempt a severe crackdown on the protests. | Even as they rejected Mr. Yanukovych’s main overtures, opposition leaders said they were bracing for the possibility that he would seek to declare a state of emergency and attempt a severe crackdown on the protests. |
| Volodymyr Lytvyn, a member of the Party of Regions in Parliament and a former speaker, said on Monday that he did not believe there were sufficient votes to support such a declaration. | Volodymyr Lytvyn, a member of the Party of Regions in Parliament and a former speaker, said on Monday that he did not believe there were sufficient votes to support such a declaration. |
| After the negotiations on Monday night, Ukraine’s justice minister, Olena Lukash, also said that there was a tentative agreement to grant amnesty to detained demonstrators, but only once protesters withdraw from roadways and public buildings. | After the negotiations on Monday night, Ukraine’s justice minister, Olena Lukash, also said that there was a tentative agreement to grant amnesty to detained demonstrators, but only once protesters withdraw from roadways and public buildings. |
| Mr. Yanukovych has also suggested that the cabinet could be reorganized on Tuesday. | Mr. Yanukovych has also suggested that the cabinet could be reorganized on Tuesday. |