2 Apr 2013 21:47

Ukrainian opposition parliamentarians blockading Rada's work

KYIV. April 2 (Interfax) - Members of the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, from the Party of Regions faction are leaving the building, as the opposition factions have blockaded the rostrum at the session hall.

"There is no work, so why waste time?" Anatoly Kinakh, a Party of Regions member, told Interfax.

Taking part in the rostrum blockade are members of the parliamentary factions of the Udar and Batkivshchyna parties, who have seated themselves in the presidium and blocked the entrances to the presidium with chairs.

Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Rybak earlier announced a 30-minute recess at the demand of the Batkivshchyna and Svoboda party factions.

The opposition says its members would continue the parliament's blockade until the end of Tuesday and will continue negotiations with the Party of Regions on Wednesday.

"We will blockade it until 6:00 p.m. and will continue the negotiations tomorrow," Svoboda faction leader Oleh Tyahnybok said at a news conference on Tuesday.

The opposition will continue ongoing street protests, he said.

Batkivshchyna faction leader Arseny Yatsenyuk announced three demands that the parliamentary majority is supposed to meet to unblock the parliament's work. They include the calling of elections in Kyiv, the repeal of the ongoing pension reform, and a vote of no confidence in the Cabinet of ministers.