Speech by Stefanos Stefanou, member of the Political Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL, at the meeting in solidarity with the CP of Ukraine
Wednesday, 8th February 2017
Comrades and friends,
We have gathered here for the third time, outside the Embassy of the Ukrainian authorities because we don’t want to contribute to the veil of silence about yet another crime being committed, not far from us, in Ukraine. An attempt might be made today to complete this crime with the final prohibition of the Communist Party of Ukraine by the country’s authorities.
This decision is the culmination of a long persecution of communists in the Ukraine in recent years, through methods and tactics reminiscent of a witch hunt.
In the beginning they destroyed and confiscated the property of the Central Committee of the Party. They subsequently arrested leading Party members and militants. They repeatedly exerted political violence and terrorism not only against communists, but also against democratic elements. They then called on the Attorney General to ban the Communist Party of Ukraine. They subsequently proceeded to literally throw the Party out of the Ukraine Parliament. These are just a few examples of the “fascistisation” of the state and order that has prevailed in the country over the past few years.
The Communist Party of Ukraine supports the unity and integrity of Ukraine. It fights for and proposes the deepening of democracy and the respect of the rights of all its lawful inhabitants. This was the sin the Ukrainian Communists committed. They did not give in and consent to the imperialist interventions and nationalist propaganda of the ultra-right forces that seized power in a coupist manner and then organized undemocratic elections in the country.
These developments, of course, are not unrelated to the wider state of affairs in the country that has prevailed as of 2014 and since the overthrow of the democratically elected Yanukovich government, regardless of whatever problems this government may have had.
This was a development that was fostered by the European Union, the US and NATO with the aim of securing the country’s pro-Western orientation and its removal from the Russian Federation.
Since then the country has been driven to a civil war, while the most extreme and sinister political forces have further come to the fore and been enforced – the very same forces whose political and natural descendants are the collaborators of the Nazis during the Second World War.
It is no wonder that together with with the rampant anti-communism that has prevailed at all levels in Ukraine, there is now an intense effort underway to forcibly falsify and distort the country’s collective memory and history through the supposed “vindication” and rehabilitation of the former Ukrainian collaborators with the Nazis. Within this framework, a draft bill has recently been tabled in the Kiev parliament to criminalize the denial of the heroism of the fascists in the country’s history.
The current procedure being attempted by the Ukrainian authorities to ban the Communist Party of Ukraine is clearly in violation of the principles of International Law, the provisions of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which has been signed by the current Ukrainian authorities, as well as in violation off the rights and freedoms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
AKEL as a Party was prohibited twice and found itself struggling underground during its 90 year history. It will not be quite about the efforts underway to silence the voices of other Communist and Workers’ Parties through the flagrant violation of International Law and other international principles and conventions.
With our event today, we express our solidarity with the Communist Party of Ukraine.
We denounce the dictatorial-fascist attitude of the Ukrainian authorities, given that this procedure is directed against any notion of democracy.
It is a precursor of yet more adventurist acts.
We urge the House of Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to denounce this illegal action.
We call on the government to raise the issue at the EU Council.
Our state, which upholds and defends International Law and fundamental human rights given that they are being tested because of their violation in Cyprus, must adhere and follow a principled policy.
Today we have handed to the representatives of the Ukrainian Embassy a resolution denouncing today’s parody trial in Kiev, as well as the Joint Statement signed by Communist and Workers Parties all over the world. The Joint Declaration was launched yesterday on the initiative of our Party AKEL as a demonstration of solidarity towards the CP of Ukraine, with the Ukrainian Communists and progressives, which was jointly signed by a number of fraternal parties, while it is anticipated that more Parties will sign in the coming days.
Solidarity with the Communist Party of Ukraine!
Fascism will not pass!
