Ukraine’s opposition makes parallel govt

Ukraine’s opposition has announced forming a parallel government upping the ante in its confrontation with President Viktor Yanukovych.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, a leader of the Batkivshchyna Party, said he had turned down Mr. Yanukovych offer to appoint him Prime Minister and that opposition leaders reached a joint decision to form their own government.

“My reply to Yanukovych is this: I’m not to be bought over, Mr. President, like you buy your stooges,” Mr. Yatsenyuk told a rally in Maidan, the Independence Square on Sunday.

“Opposition will form its own government. This is a joint decision of the opposition leaders, including former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko,” he said.

“Our government will work for the goals formulated here on Maidan: rooting out corruption… pursuing integration with Europe, freeing all political prisoners and Yulia Tymoshenko, and holding honest presidential elections,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said.