SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said on Sunday that Ukraine will not host foreign military bases, and its territory will not be used against Russia, when the country joins NATO.
Ukraine guarantees that there will be no foreign soldiers of any bloc or any country. This is implied by the Constitution of Ukraine and Ukraine's Law on the Fundamentals of Security," Yushchenko said.Ukraine has been pursuing NATO membership since pro-Western Yushchenko was inaugurated in January 2005.Ukraine's NATO membership, however, needs approval at a nation-wide referendum on the issue. Meanwhile, regular opinion polls show that the majority of Ukrainians continue to oppose joining the alliance.NATO has enlarged since 1999, admitting three ex-Soviet Baltic republics and four Communist-bloc states in Eastern Europe. The expansion has strained relations between the West and Russia, which is concerned by the new military bases emerging along its borders.Last December, European NATO members led by Germany blocked U.S.-backed bids by Ukraine and Georgia to join programs leading to membership in the military alliance, but the ex-Soviet states were told they would eventually be allowed to join.Yushchenko also said that the Russian Black Sea Fleet based in Sevastopol in Ukraine's Crimea must leave the base in 2017 when a bilateral treaty expires.Russia's Black Sea Fleet uses a range of naval facilities in Ukraine's Crimea, including the main base in Sevastopol, as part of a 1997 agreement, under which Ukraine agreed to lease the bases to Russia until 2017.Yushchenko announced last summer that Ukraine would not extend the lease of the Sevastopol base beyond 2017, and urged the Russian fleet to start preparations for a withdrawal
1 comment:
WARNING. Ukraine must think twoce before trusting Yushchenko again.
If this is true, I wrongly doubt it to be, then why does Yushchenko not include a provision in his draft Constitutional proposal requiring that any membership of a Military alliance be approved by a referendum of the people?
Instead, if you read Yushchenko's proposed Constitutional reforms, Yushchenko has prohibited any referendums on International agreements and issues foreign Policy.
Yushchenko's has proposed that Ukraine reverts back to Presidential autocracy.
The President of Ukraine will have absolute power and dominance over Foreign Policy and Ukraine's Courts. He will appoint 100% of the Constitutional Court, have complete control over the defence force, internal police and the prosecutions.
The Parliament's powers and authority would be stripped and limited to only reviewing acts of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The president is no longer held accountable for breaches of his Oath and Ukraine's Constitution.
The President holds absolute immunity and can only be impeached if convicted of Intentionally committing a crime.
Impeachment can only be initiated by the proposed new Senate.
The senate itself is unrepresentative as it gives greater power disproportionally to Western Ukrainian Regions. Yushchenko's Our Ukriane would elect three Senators with less then 157,000 votes (31%) in Zakpattia where Yulis Tymoshcneko with 28% will be unrepresented. Party of Regions in Donetsk with 1.7 Million votes (11 times the number of Our Ukraine votes in Zakpattia Region) will also elect three Senators.
The President would have the absolute power to dismiss Ukraine's Chamber of Deputies without limitation.
The Senate can not be dismissed and national elections costing 100's of millions of dollars per round will be held every two years. Senate Elections can not be held simmultaineously with the President or the Chamber of Deputies.
WHATS MORE YUSHCHENKO PROPOSES THAT HE BE GIVEN A SENATE SEAT FOR LIFE. EVEN IF HE IS VOTED OUT OF OFFICE AT THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
DEMOCRATIC AND TRUST WORTHY HE IS NOT.
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