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Yanukovich: Ukrainian people will never yield to dictation of nationalists

ROSTOV-ON-DON, April 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine is “moving towards” bankruptcy, while the Ukrainian people will never submit to yield to dictation especially on the part of nationalists, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich told journalists in Rostov-on-Don, southern Russia, late on Sunday.

“They cannot understand (the interim government in Kiev) that dialogue is much more important for the country today than successful presidential elections; a broad dialogue that will serve as ground for searching a consensus,” Yanukovich said.

“Regions do not want to live on orders from the central authorities. That is why a referendum that will pacify the country, stop the civil war and save Ukraine from splitting is the only solution under these circumstances,” the Ukrainian president went on to say.

“This is a legitimate and fair demand of the Ukrainian people who are looking for protection from lawlessness, arbitrary rule and humiliation,” he emphasized.

Yanukovich urged the army not to obey “criminal orders” to shoot at Ukrainian people.

He said the new authorities in Kiev as well as employees of Ukraine’s National Security Service and the Interior Ministry that were fulfilling the criminal orders would have to answer for their doings and face criminal charges.

“Describing the legitimate demands of Ukrainian citizens as separatism and calling the second inconsiderable part of the country revolutionaries, they (the new authorities) are conscientiously splitting the Ukrainian society provoking its further disintegration,” Yanukovich said.

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