Ukraine opposition parties set terms for talks with govt
KYIV. Dec 7 (Interfax) - Three key opposition parties on Saturday put forward demands that the government would have to satisfy if it were to hold talks with them.
"We demand the release of all political prisoners who have been detained on Independence Square - there are 16 of them already, - we also demand punishing all those guilty of violently dispersing [a demonstration on] the square, and we demand the dismissal of the government," Vitali Klitschko, leader of the UDAR party, told a briefing at the "National Resistance Headquarters" in Kyiv.
Arseny Yatsenyuk, parliamentary leader of Batkivshchyna (Fatherland), added that, if the demands were met, Batkivshchyna, UDAR and Svoboda (Freedom) would be prepared to start talks on forming a new, "technical," government which would sign an association agreement with the European Union and on calling early presidential and parliamentary elections.
Changes might be made to the Ukrainian constitution as result of the talks, Yatsenyuk said.
"This is not an ultimatum from the opposition, it is an ultimatum from the Ukrainian people," he said.
Klitschko, Yatsenyuk and Svoboda leader Oleh Tyahnybok called for a mass turnout for a planned rally on Independence Square at noon on Sunday.