Separation was looming, if not clearly, in Ukraine on the 7th day of the
election standoff after a pro-Yanukovich meeting warned on Sunday of considering
the possibility of holding a referendum on setting up a "Southeastern Republic".
YANUKOVICH CAMP THREATENS TO SET UP TRANS-REGIONAL AUTONOMOUS ALLIANCE
Around 3500 people's deputies from 14 provinces and one autonomous republic
convened a meeting in eastern Ukrainian city of North Donetsk on Sunday, aiming
to explore solutions to the current election stalemate.
According to Ukrinform, Ukraine's national news agency, the meeting passed a
resolution unanimously, which mentioned to set up a trans-regional autonomous
alliance.
In order to enhance the leadership of the alliance, the meeting planned to
set up a coordination commission, whose task is to study the proposals put
forward by the meeting, including the possibility of holding a referendum on
setting up a "Southeastern Republic".
The resolution passed by the meeting also asserted that the declaration, made
on Wednesday by the Central Elections Commission,conforms to the Ukrainian
Constitution and Yanukovich is the legally-elected president.
The deputies warned that if the "illegal president" takes up the presidency,
they will reserve the power to safeguard the legitimate rights of Ukrainian
citizens.
The rights include holding a referendum on changing the division of
administrative regions of Ukraine and setting up a trans-regional autonomous
alliance.
The meeting's resolution is completely against the non-binding resolution
passed a day earlier by Ukrainian national congress, orthe Supreme Council,
which asserts that the second round of presidential election is of no legal
effect.
Yanukovich attended Sunday's meeting, urging the deputies to say "no" if
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and the Supreme Council fail to take action to
end the blocking of governmental buildings and stop the actions that jeer at the
Constitution and laws in the near future.
"We should maintain peace and stability, otherwise serious irreversible
consequences would take place," he told the meeting.
The prime minister said Ukraine is at the brink of a disaster and the peace
in the country is already "fragile", adding that thesituation is merely "one
step away from abyss."
