Crimea’s Parliament Decides to Secede to Russia

[Superboy]

That has basically nothing to do with what I said, but whatever..

Short question, since you're Canadian (I'm guessing Russian naturalized) : what is your opinion on Quebec holding tomorrow a referendum in which they choose to go independent, and France sending troops to prevent any problems?

Quebec did hold a referendum on independence. It was narrowly defeated.

 

[Declein]

Quebec did hold a referendum on independence. It was narrowly defeated.

So did Crimea, they choose to be part of Ukraine.

"On 26 February 1992, the Verkhovniy Sovet (the Crimean parliament) renamed the ASSR the Republic of Crimea and proclaimed self-government on 5 May 1992[33][34] (which was yet to be approved by a referendum held 2 August 1992[35]) and passed the first Crimean constitution the same day.[35] On 6 May 1992 the same parliament inserted a new sentence into this constitution that declared that Crimea was part of Ukraine"

Fortunately now we have "polite people" to make sure they don't get any ideas and actually vote democratically (god forbid)

If I can rephrase, from your comments, I understand that there would be no problems if a French division lands tomorrow in Quebec to supervise a new referendum (and assure it goes as planed, or else..)

 

[PhoneyMember]

Russian bear has finally woken up from a long sleep. The yin yang will be restored and the uni polar wold will finally end. It has been very difficult 2 decades for many countries of the world,with only one Big power doing as it wished.
I really hope this crisis grows deeper and the cold war era begins again.

 

[HRK]

Russian Parliament Welcomes Crimea to Leave Ukraine for Russia | Russia | RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, March 7 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s upper house of parliament said Friday it would welcome the addition of Crimea to the country's territory if residents there choose to secede from Ukraine in a referendum scheduled next week.

Officials in the Crimean parliament – the Supreme Council – and the city council of Sevastopol voted Thursday for the majority ethnic Russian region to become part of Russia, amid increasing fears that Moscow was seeking to annex the Ukrainian territory. The votes by Crimean authorities, however, are not legally binding and have little immediate effect.

“We [the Supreme Council] have made a decision on entry into the Russian Federation. Now the ball is in your court, you must decide the fate of Crimea – I hope, forever,” said Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of Crimea’s Supreme Council, at a meeting of the region's officials with the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament Sergei Naryshkin.

The speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, said Russia would support the addition of Crimea to its territory.

“If the people of Crimea make the decision in the referendum to join Russia, we, as the upper house, will of course support such a decision,” Matviyenko said Friday.

The public referendum on the issue, scheduled for March 16, has been dismissed as a “farce” and “a crime against the state” by the acting president of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, who said Thursday that the Ukrainian parliament would move to dissolve the Crimean one.

The referendum will offer voters two choices: to either approve the secession or for the primarily Russian-speaking peninsula to remain an autonomous republic within Ukraine.

Votes by Crimean authorities on secession Thursday, though legally toothless, outraged the Ukrainian government and the West, escalating an ongoing political crisis in the region after thousands of troops – apparently under Russian command, but lacking official insignia – took control of Ukrainian military bases across Crimea in the past week.

US President Barack Obama denounced the move as illegal under the Ukrainian constitution and international law, and ordered financial and visa sanctions for those responsible for the vote, which he said threatened the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

US allies in the European Union swiftly followed with a further round of visa sanctions and asset-freezing, threatening further measures if the crisis could not be defused.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a phone call with Obama on Thursday night that Ukraine’s current government, brought to power by a revolution that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych last month, was illegitimate.

He said that “Russia cannot ignore [Crimea’s] appeals for help in this regard,” but that it would act in full compliance with international law.

 

[HRK]

Crimea Ignores President's Order to Stop Secession Vote | World | RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, March 7 (RIA Novosti) – Crimea, a majority ethnic Russian region within Ukraine, decided on Friday to ignore a presidential order on a technicality and proceed with an upcoming vote to secede and join Russia.

The regional government said the order, issued earlier in the day by Ukraine’s interim president, was not submitted to the country’s Constitutional Court in the proscribed manner and is therefore invalid.

Crimea’s parliament, members of which have declared they do not recognize the interim government in Kiev, decided on Thursday to secede from Ukraine and request annexation by Russia.

The region scheduled a popular vote on the matter for March 16, which was opposed by the presidential order.

The speaker of Crimea’s parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, said the vast majority of its members were in favor of holding the vote.

Authorities in Crimea, which hosts a majority Russian naval base, have repeatedly contested the legitimacy of the national government, formed by the erstwhile opposition after the country’s pro-Russian president was ousted late last month.

Meanwhile, thousands of troops apparently lacking official insignia but carrying weapons and wearing uniforms used by Russian soldiers have taken over Ukrainian military bases across Crimea in the past week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted, though, that the masked soldiers are “local militia.”

 

[HRK]

Thousands Rally in Moscow in Support of Crimea’s Secession | Russia | RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, March 7 (RIA Novosti) – A massive rally took place in Moscow on Friday to support the decision of authorities in Ukraine’s Crimea republic to secede and join Russia.

Moscow police estimated the turnout at the sanctioned rally outside the Kremlin at 65,000.

The government of the breakaway Ukrainian region said earlier this week that it wants to secede and join Russia. A popular vote on the issue is set for March 16.

Crimea, a majority ethnic Russian region in southeastern Ukraine, was recently invaded by thousands of troops widely alleged to be Russian military.

Official Moscow has stubbornly denied involvement despite the fact that the troops speak Russian, use Russian military equipment and license plates and have repeatedly admitted their Russian affiliation on camera.

The Crimean crisis follows the ouster of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, late last month.

Yanukovych, who fled to Russia, was deposed after a bloody standoff with the erstwhile opposition, which has since gained control of the national government.

The local Crimean government and the Kremlin have both refused to recognize Ukraine’s newly installed national government, which, in turn, has declared Crimea’s upcoming referendum on secession to be illegal.