Europeans horrified by Vlasenko ruling..and the end of democracy

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has asked the Ukrainian authorities to explain on what legal basis Mr Serhiy Vlasenko, an opposition deputy, was stripped of his parliamentary seat yesterday.

“I find it very unusual that a deputy elected by the people can be expelled from Parliament at short notice and without having committed a serious crime.

I have asked the Ukrainian authorities to provide an explanation for this action which may affect a fundamental principle in a democracy, the sovereignty of a people to elect its deputies”, he said. [Source]

Valeriy Portnikov explains why this week was the one when democracy came to an end in contemporary Ukraine: 

"If presidential elections take place in 2015, Yanukovych will lose, O.P.'s  clearly confirm this . He will lose even if Tymoshenko does not run. He would lose to Yatsenyuk and would lose to Klitschko. Right now he would probably beat Tyahnybok - but this is right now. By 2015, Yanukovych would lose the election to anyone - and he understands this better than Yatsenyuk, Klytschko, or Tyahnybok. 

And if he loses,  in just a few days such fraud, such corruption by the 'Donetski' will be discovered that there are not enough prosecutors and investigatorsin the land  to investigate, or judges to sentence the crimes. 

In contrast to millions of his fellow citizens, he has plenty to lose. That is why he is not going to lose. And those who have hopes for 2015, can relax. There will be no elections in 2015. The time when power in Ukraine changed as a result of elections is over."