BYUT to reject PR proposals to form a coalition

October30200821:32

“I do not rule out that PR will try to tackle BYUT using various tactics, including provocations,” Stepan Kurpil opined.

The lawmaker believes the union of BYUT and PR is out of the question due to their opposite ideological agendas. “We take differing views on our past and future. BYUT stands for integration in EU and NATO. While reportedly supporting the first, PR is strongly opposed to joining NATO.”

“BYUT unequivocally supports the single state language, Ukrainian, whereas PR favors making Russian the second state language. You can find scores of such disparities in our agendas,” Kurpil added.

“No talks have been held with PR. There were consultations, but no talks to create a coalition,” he said. He expects that a coalition of NUNS, BYUT and the Lytvyn bloc may be formed soon.

According to The Ukrainska Pravda report, Andrij Kliuyev, a prominent Party of Regions lawmaker, said answering a question on a coalition between his party and BYUT: “Unfortunately, PR and BYUT have been rivals for a long time. There is a large knot of problems which need to be untangled. I realize it is almost impossible to do this within a short time, but we will see. There exist a number of issues on which we have reached a consensus. We have to come to a conclusion that we must trust each other. This comes with time. I think that if a coalition between BYUT and PR is formed after the election or without it, Ukraine will become a viable and stable country.”

Answering a question about who initiated talks between both parties in September, A. Kliuyev said this: “Both parties. It take two to tango, you know. There was a common realization that something is to be changed in Ukraine. However, we didn’t agree to form a coalition.

Asked whether BYUT’s tough stand on sharing portfolios with PR was the main reason, the PR lawmaker said the distribution of portfolios was not in the center of the talks in September.