11/17/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Protests in Krivyi Rih against election fraud.

Protests in Krivyi Rih against election fraud.

11.17.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Protests in Krivyi Rih against election fraud.
• Hryvnia plunged on interbank market.
• Supreme Administrative Court ruled the deprivation of immunity of MP Mosiychuk to be illegal.
• Ukraine national football team got to Euro 2016 finals.
  

Key Events in Ukraine

• In Krivyi Rih, thousands protested against election fraud, which, according to the protesters, was carried out by election commissions in favor of the candidate from the Opposition Bloc Vilkul.
• Prosecutor General's Office announced the main suspects in all episodes of harassment and violence against the activists of the Maidan protests: former President Yanukovych and his associates, law enforcement officers and judges. The Yanukovych case will be transferred to court for trial in absentia after the extradition from Spain of the former Finance Minister Kolobov.
• The Supreme Administrative Court ruled illegal the deprivation of parliamentary immunity and rescinded the custody order of MP Mosiychuk. The Pechersk district court of Kyiv hearing on choosing restrictive measures for Mosiychuk did not take place as he was in a hospital for surgery.
• Justice Minister Petrenko, following the interrogation by the Prosecutor General's Office on obstructing the work of judges of the Constitutional Court when considering the lustration law, said that judges had a conflict of interests and that prosecutors refused to consolidate this case with the investigation into the actions of judges who helped former President Yanukovych to usurp power.
• The official hryvnia rate on the interbank market dropped by more than 2%: 23.77 ₴/$ (+0.56 UAH), 25.36 ₴/€ (+0.48 UAH), 3.62 ₴/10 ₽ (+ 0.14 UAH). Cash dollar sell rate exceeded 25 UAH/$.

Ukraine at War

• Militants intensified the shellings and attacks on the Ukrainian army positions and population targets. OSCE observers reported the use by the militants of MLRS Grad. According to the official reports, three Ukrainian soldiers were wounded.
• Following the intensification of the hostilities in the conflict area in Donbas, the trilateral contact group on Ukraine at the Minsk negotiations adopted an appeal to the parties of the conflict to stop the activities inconsistent with the Minsk agreement. OSCE Special Representative Sajdik said the data on mine clearance should be exchanged by the end of November.
• Seventh wave of partial mobilization will be announced in Ukraine in early 2016.

Ukraine and the World

• US Assistant Secretary of State Nuland said that the US and EU sanctions against Russia should remain in force until Crimea is returned to Ukraine. According to her, the main threat to the West are terrorism, the conflict in Syria and the aggression of Russia in Ukraine. US will support its allies in Eastern Europe. Nuland urged the Ukrainian authorities to build a democratic and prosperous European state that would be the best response to Russia’s aggressive policy.
• Foreign Ministers of Lithuania and Sweden said at the meeting with President Poroshenko that sanctions against Russia should remain in force until the complete fulfillment by Russia of the Minsk Agreements.
• Lithuania will start receiving liquefied natural gas from the US in February 2016. This will allow to diversify supplies and reduce Europe's dependence on the Russian gas.
• President Putin introduced a new defense plan of the Russian Federation for 2016-2020 that focuses on the modernization of strategic nuclear forces.
• French President Hollande plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 26 in Moscow to discuss the challenges of the fight against terrorism.
• EC confirmed that the free trade area with Ukraine will take effect on January 1, 2016, despite the fact that disputable issues have not been agreed with Russia.

The Trends

• According to the Deputy Prosecutor General Kasko, anti-corruption prosecutors are now totally dependent on the General Prosecutor's Office and will not be able to effectively fight corruption until they become a fully independent agency with a special status.
• The hryvnia continued its rapid decline on the interbank market, the dollar exchange rate went up sharply in the exchange offices and reached the level of February 2015. According to experts, the reasons for the hryvnia depreciation include: its emission by the National Bank to cover the needs of Naftogaz and the Deposit Guarantee Fund; increased budget expenditures; VAT refund; increased importers’ demand; deterioration of the situation on the ferrous metal market ensuring most foreign exchange earnings; and growth of the US dollar index in the world market. According to the forecasts of leading Ukrainian bankers, hryvnia will continue to decline, although it will not fall below 30 UAH/$. The government will not be able to receive the next tranche of the IMF loan due to the delay with adopting the Tax Code and the 2016 budget.
• Analysts believe the discussions about changing the electoral law and the Constitution by the members of the Ukrainian delegation at Minsk negotiations to constitute abuse of authority that might lead to a political crisis and increased instability in the country. The status of the Minsk Agreements is not defined, they do not constitute an international treaty in terms of current legislation.