Poroshenko holds meeting with civil society representatives
On February 10th, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held a meeting with civil society representatives. Ukrainian political technologist, Taras Berezovets, disclosed some details of this meeting on his Facebook page.
“Yesterday at the President’s Administration, I had a private meeting with Petro Poroshenko and other civil society representatives. Poroshenko asked not to quote him. Two film crews were also asked to leave the hall. I wrote a couple of pages of his quotations, some of which are very valuable. Unfortunately, I cannot reproduce them,” Berezovets wrote.
“Poroshenko made a brief introduction and then we engaged in a dialogue. The main topics for discussion were amendments to the Constitution, details of the Minsk Agreements, the situation within the coalition and the Block of Petro Poroshenko (BPP) as well as the strategy to combat corruption. The meeting was initially scheduled for one hour, but extended to three hours. In general, Poroshenko spoke about many essential but non-public details about an ongoing situation. He was mild and gentle, which is uncommon for him. He encouraged his supporters, but did not convince his opponents. Actually, Poroshenko is not afraid to hear views that do not coincide with his own,” Berezovets noted.
In conclusion, Berezovets wrote, “The overall impression, please note that these are not the president’s quotations but my own conclusion, is that the government crisis is inextricable and the present coalition is unsustainable. Chances for the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada are increasing. Elections for Parliament itself may become a true challenge, if not a catastrophe, against the backdrop of a rise in political populism in society. The defense capability of Ukraine will be further enhanced. The negotiations in a 'Geneva format' on Crimea will take place this year. An all-Ukrainian referendum on the restoration of the sovereignty of occupied territories of Donbas may be scheduled as well.”
Previously, Berezovets stated that the BPP had allegedly initiated the preparations for earlier elections for submission to the Verkhovna Rada, which may take place in September.