Victor Yushchenko's Easter Address to the Nation

My fellow citizens,

I would like to offer my best wishes to you. Easter, one of the most important religious feasts in our life, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. It has traditionally been a day of spiritual purification and family reunion. Today we are offering one another warm feelings and words. I would like to say such words to you.

Everything will be alright. I deeply and firmly believe in this. The truth is with us. This indivisible truth of the Ukrainian nation belongs to each of you with no exception, with no political colorings and regional divisions.

I have heard lots of words of reproach and disappointment. I have never been afraid of hearing them, for I have always believed in our truth and have been working to achieve our common goal. I believed in our truth when we all awakened to defend democracy, freedom and our convictions. I believed in it when I offered a model of national cooperation to all parliamentary forces. I believed in it when I took the responsibility to end the devastation of morality and the ruination of the social and national foundations.

Our truth is to strictly adhere to Ukraine's constitution. You voted for the political parties you trust during last year’s parliamentary elections. The elected parties reflect your choice. I respect it.

Guided by the law, I accepted the majority formed in the parliament and its government, and created conditions for their work. Seeking to benefit the people and the country, I put forth a plan of cooperation that included concrete and simple measures aimed at raising your salaries and developing your social standards, improving healthcare, protecting you from criminals, preserving your lingual rights and renewing our national identity. In fact, no clause of this plan, the National Unity Pact, has been fulfilled in the past eight months. You, your needs and the country’s development were forgotten.

We saw an unceasing and deliberate power struggle, inability to fulfill obligations and unconcealed plots instead. Certain people in government thought they would never be punished and could purchase and sell your votes. Your choice was cancelled.

This is a demonstration of disrespect towards each of us and a brutal manifestation of political corruption.

Step by step, Ukraine’s lawmakers were artificially and illegally expanding their coalition to seize three hundred votes. Individual deputies – not deputy factions – were joining the coalition so that it could monopolize power, even at the cost of violating the constitution. If such a constitutional majority is formed, it will not need anything else: no nation, no Constitutional Court, no wishes of the Ukrainian voters. Its government will become uncontrollable. It will limit your rights and change the country’s order. This is what we call usurpation. It was founded on a fancifully disguised betrayal and triggered by corruption, destroying the state.

The President is the guarantor of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, the observance of the constitution and civil and human rights and freedoms. The President’s obligation is to prevent and stop attacks on the state and its people. This is the letter and the spirit of the constitution. This is the letter and the spirit of my oath of office. Our common obligation is to make the pharisees and moneychangers leave our temple.

I signed a decree dissolving the Verkhovna Rada of the fifth convocation not to cause more tensions but for purification.

It is not important what the country’s new parliament will be like. It will reflect your will. The most important thing is to make Ukrainian politicians remember they are responsible for you and vaccinate our state against tyranny and usurpation. It is imperative to respect the nation and its will. We need no controlled, fraudulent and sham democracy.

My decision is constitutional and legitimate, and irreversible.

There will be no social confrontation and danger. I guarantee this. Our law enforcement agencies are implementing my commands and orders. The new election will be free and fair. Early elections are common and held peacefully and without conflicts in European democracies. We will independently resolve our problems. We have the experience and goodwill for this.

We are wise, noble, great and united. Everything will be alright.

With all my heart, I am asking each of you not to stand on squares and streets now but to join the rest of the nation at festive family tables.

I believe firmly in our truth and future. We are free. It has been and will always be so.

Christ has arisen! Ukraine will arise!