KIEV, January 20. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s ruling Party of Regions has said it favors a peaceful settlement to the current political conflict in Ukraine and has called on the opposition to give up violent force scenarios, the party said in its statement on Monday circulated by its press service. “The Party of Regions is urging opposition members not to provoke aggression and violence and not steer away from participation in the national dialogue,” the party’s press service went on to say.

The Party of Regions said that the opposition should remember about its responsibility for the country’s European future. It has described the opposition’s actions as criminal and amoral and has thanked law enforcers for performing their line of duty on Grushevsky Street in central Kiev.

“The Party of Regions believes it is very important that parliament passed a package of anti-extremist laws on January 16,” the party said in its statement.

“The dramatic events of January 19 confirmed that the anti-extremist laws were urgent and timely. A reliable legislative barrier should be put up to violence and aggression. All the persons linked to the organization of mass riots should be brought to justice,” the Party of Regions said in its statement.

In his address to the protesters last Sunday, the leader of Ukraine’s Batkivshchina (Fatherland) party Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the Ukrainian parliament had lost its legitimacy after the majority of deputies had voted for bills on prosecution for slander and extremism on January 16. Other measures include stricter punishment for organization of mass riots, the blocking and seizure of buildings.

Besides, new laws also introduce punishment for negation of crimes committed by fascists and prosecution for the destruction of monuments to Soviet soldiers. They also provide for additional measures to protect judges.

“Verkhovnaya Rada (parliament) lost its legitimacy after that vote,” Yatsenyuk said.

“That is why we should create our own People’s Rada (parliament) out of opposition representatives,” Yatsenyuk said.

Besides, the opposition intends to stage a public vote for the Ukrainian president’s resignation and work out a new constitution for Ukraine.

For his part, Oleg Tyagnibok, the leader of the Svoboda (Freedom) party, has pledged to sabotage the bills adopted by parliament on January 16 and signed by President Viktor Yanukovich.