The opposition of Ukraine that organized the protests in favor of the country’s integration into the EU risks losing the people’s trust, considers the director of the Resource Center for Human Rights (CReDO) Sergiu Ostaf, who is in Kiev. The expert has told IPN it is evident that the opposition does not have a plan and a strategy as regards the further actions.
“There is no clear view as to the next steps. It seems that the opposition now does not manage to come to terms and does not clearly know what do to next, though it benefits from the people’s support. There is also no clear support from the heroes,” said Sergiu Ostaf. He added that though political support for adopting the censure motion against the Government seemed to have been garnered, the motion failed as the opposition didn’t have a clear strategy, communication, mobilization.
Sergiu Ostaf also said he knows from certain sources that the students and rectors of universities will join the protesters. Thus, the opposition should mobilize if it wants to achieve its goal.
According to the CreDO director, about 50,000 people are protesting in Kiev. They built an artificial fence around in order to barricade themselves from the police. The people protest peacefully and sleep in tents. They involve MPs from the opposition and representatives of civil society movements.
The protests in Kiev started after President Victor Yanukovych announced that Ukraine will not sign the Association Agreement with the EU. On December 3, the censure motion put forward by the opposition didn’t garner the necessary number of votes.
