Opposition lawmakers boo prime minister after government shelves potential EU deal

Описание: (22 Nov 2013) Opposition lawmakers on Friday booed Ukraine's prime minister, whose government shelved a landmark deal with the European Union, while turning towards Moscow.
Ukraine's Cabinet on Thursday suspended preparations for signing a free trade and a political association agreement with the EU at next week's summit, and the opposition has called on Ukrainians to turn up for a massive anti-government rally to protest the decision.
The move shocked many in Ukraine after President Yanukovych had promised two months ago that it will "absolutely" be signed.
The turnaround marked a big victory for Moscow, which has worked aggressively to derail the deal and keep Ukraine in its orbit.
Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told lawmakers on Friday that Ukraine cannot afford to lose trade with Russia and suggested the EU did not offer Ukraine any compensation for that.
"The decision to suspend the preparation of signing the association agreement and zone of free trade with the EU is hard," Azarov said.
"But the only one possible in the current difficult economic situation which we have now in Ukraine. Listen, you can always chant, we know that perfectly," he added.
The Prime Minister also complained that the conditions the International Monetary Fund has set for rescuing its struggling economy with a bailout loan were impossible to fulfil.
The enraged opposition lawmakers dressed in sweaters reading "Freedom to Ukraine" and "Ukraine is Europe" booed Azarov, started throwing stacks of paper at his ministers, and headed toward his seat in order to block the speech.
Opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk denounced the government's decision as state treason, accusing Yanukovych of selling out to Moscow in exchange for cash and ensuring his re-election in 2015.
"Viktor Yanukovych didn't sign this agreement, but it will be signed by another President, another government and another Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament)," he said.
Yatsenyuk continued "we can clearly state that there will be no honest and transparent election in Ukraine, and this is the part of an agreement between Vladimir Putin (Russian President) and Viktor Yanukovych."
The opposition leader urged Ukrainians to show up for an opposition rally on Sunday on Kiev's central square, the epicentre of massive 2004 protests dubbed the Orange Revolution, which annulled Yanukovych's fraud-tainted victory in a presidential vote and helped bring his pro-Western opponents to power.
Alexander Efremov, the Leader of Party of Regions faction in Parliament told reporters the government was taking a second look at the proposed deal.
"What has happened is that the government said let's stop and look at the situation we have because we have been moving toward the way of adopting the law on the EU very fast," Efremov said.


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