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by makomk 4416 days ago
If I'm not entirely mistaken, the "coup leaders" in Ukrane were in fact the duly elected government of Ukrane, and it was exactly as much a "coup" as Congress kicking out the US President would be.

Edit: to be clear, I'm not being hyperbolic here, the "coup" in question literally consisted of the elected representatives of the Ukranian people kicking out the president, who I think even belonged to the same party as a number of the ringleaders.

Edit 2: yep, "The Ukrainian parliament, which decisively abandoned Yanukovich after loyalists defected, declared on Saturday the president constitutionally unable to carry out his duties and set an early election for May 25."[1] His own former political allies voted to give him the boot.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/02/ukraine-parliam...
1 comments
geoka9 4416 days ago
> the "coup" in question literally consisted of the elected representatives of the Ukranian people kicking out the president

In fact, the president _illegally_ fled the country (on a Russian navy ship) leaving the parliament no choice but to appoint an acting president until the elections (which will be on May 25).

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jqm 4416 days ago
You may wish to look into number of votes required to remove the existing president of Ukraine.

And the number of people present voting.

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jqm 4416 days ago
and why would the president "illegally" remove himself from the country?

I suppose during peaceful democratic transitions of power this is a bit unusual to say the least. But ya... coup.

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geoka9 4416 days ago
> and why would the president "illegally" remove himself from the country?

That is the question you would have to ask him. AFAIK, not a single official from his government or staff or party has been arrested or hurt since the president fled. As I said, he could return to the country, but he chose not to.

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jqm 4416 days ago
baloney.

They had at least one guy (Bashkalenko) handcuffed on stage during the protests. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTqveUVU70g

But I really don't want to argue about it anymore. I realize the people of Ukraine had legitimate grievances. I don't think Russia should own Ukraine. I don't think the CIA or anyone else instigated the coup. I just don't think Washington should have had the state department in the middle of it. And I think they should tone down the hostile talk.

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makomk 4416 days ago
It's not clear he can; he's in Russia, and Russia don't seem to have any more interest in him returning to Ukraine or to power than the Ukrainian government.
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geoka9 4416 days ago
The president illegally removed himself from the country, rendering the government inoperable - no bill could be signed into law by him "in absentia". He could return to the country but he chose not to. Calling for new elections and appointing an acting president until the time was the only sensible thing the parliament could do in such conditions.
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