Ukraine PM offers resignation in wake of protests

The prime minister of crisis-torn Ukraine has submitted his resignation.

In a statement on the government website today, Mykola Azarov offered his resignation in order to encourage what he called “social-political compromise”.

Ukraine has been gripped by protests for two months and the crisis was aggravated in recent days after protesters and police clashed violently.

The pro-Western protests in the capital, Kiev, began on November 21 after President Viktor Yanukovych shelved a long-planned political and economic treaty with the European Union, then accepted a huge bailout package from Russian President Vladimir Putin instead.

The crisis has been aggravated in recent days after protesters and police clashed violently.

Mr Azarov’s statement was released as parliament opened a special session which is expected to repeal harsh anti-protest laws that were imposed this month. Those laws set off the police-protester clashes in which at least three demonstrators died.

Mr Azarov’s resignation must be accepted by the president, but that appears to be only a formality. Last week, Mr Yanukovych offered the premiership to Arseniy Yatsenyuk, one of the opposition’s top figures. Mr Yatsenyuk turned down the offer yesterday.

The prime minister’s resignation would remove one of the figures most despised by the opposition and repeal of the anti-protest laws would remove a severe aggravating factor in the crisis. But they stop well short of opposition demands, which include Mr Yanukovych’s resignation.

In addition, Mr Yanukovych says an amnesty for dozens of protesters arrested in the demonstrations would be implemented only if protesters leave the streets and vacate buildings that they have occupied. Ending the protests without having other demands met appears unlikely.