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Tigipko: situation in southeast of Ukraine cannot be resolved by force

“This situation cannot be resolved by force. The first victims will trigger a civil war,” the presidential candidate was quoted by his press service

KIEV, April 13, /ITAR-TASS/. There is no force solution to the situation in the southeast of Ukraine, presidential candidate, people’s deputy Sergei Tigipko said on Saturday. Ukraine will hold early presidential election on May 25.

“This situation cannot be resolved by force. The first victims will trigger a civil war,” the presidential candidate was quoted by his press service.

Tigipko is certain that the Verkhovna Rada (parliament of Ukraine) should immediately “consider a package of measures for the crisis settlement in the southeast of Ukraine.” In particular, he believes, “concrete dates of the first elections of governors,” as well as early elections of parliament deputies should be set.

“The law on local self-government reform and decentralisation of power will transfer the maximum powers to regions, and also will ensure the succession of power for the transition period,” Tigipko said. The presidential candidate also noted that it is necessary to take measures to disarm people in the streets. “First - to amnesty the participants in the protests in the southeast. Second - the disbandment of illegal military formations. No elections can be legitimate at the point of assault rifles,” he added.

Tigipko also called for the country’s “non-aligned status,” recognition of the Russian language as the second state language, as well as for equal representation of all regions in the power bodies and electivity of governors.

The Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council held an extraordinary meeting in Kiev on Saturday. It discussed measures to normalise the situation in the southeast of the country. There have been no reports on the meeting outcome.

Members of the Verkhovna Rada Nikolai Rudkovsky had earlier demanded to call an urgent parliament meeting to discuss the situation in the south-eastern regions of Ukraine.

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