Ukraine leader scraps anti-protest law

Ukraine's beleaguered president agreed Monday to scrap harsh anti-protest laws amid ongoing violence in Kiev that has seen running battles between police and demonstrators.

In a statement on the presidential website, Justice Minister Elena Lukash said that in a meeting with top opposition figures and President Viktor Yanukovich on Monday night, "a political decision was made on scrapping the laws of Jan. 16, which aroused much discussion."

It is the latest concession by Yanukovich aimed at quelling unrest that threatens to topple his government. Over the weekend he offered the premiership and deputy premiership to two leading opposition figures, both of whom rebuffed his gesture.

The anti-protest laws scrapped Monday were pushed through parliament on Jan. 16. Clashes with police broke out three days later, a sharp escalation of tensions after weeks of mostly peaceful protests.

Eliminating the laws, which is likely to be done in a special parliament session Tuesday, would be a substantial concession to the opposition. But it still does not meet all of their demands, which include Yanukovich’s resignation.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, a key opposition member, said over the weekend that his party was ready to lead Ukraine. But he turned down the prime minister's job when offered it by Yanukovich Saturday.

At that time, he said protests would continue. In the Monday meeting, Yanukovich said a proposed amnesty for arrested protesters would not be offered unless demonstrators stopped occupying buildings and ended their round-the-clock protests and tent camp on Kiev's central square.

Protesters have been afraid that authorities were preparing to end the spreading demonstrations by force, but the foreign ministry said earlier that the government has no immediate plans to declare a state of emergency.

Three protesters died in the clashes last week, two of whom were shot by hunting rifles, which police insist they do not use. With demonstrators now willing to risk injury, a state of emergency would be likely to set off substantial fighting on the streets of the capital.

"Today, such a measure is not on the table," Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara told journalists.

U.S. Vice President Biden subsequently called Yanukovich Monday to reiterate American support for the negotiations  between the government and the opposition.

According to a readout of the call sent by the White House, Biden “underscored that the U.S. condemns the use of violence by any side, and warned that declaring a State of Emergency or enacting other harsh security measures would further inflame the situation and close the space for a peaceful resolution.”

Biden also urged Yanukovich to make good on Monday’s indication that Ukraine would scrap its anti-protesters laws and formally reject the anti-democratic measures in a parliamentary session on Tuesday.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also said in a statement that she was alarmed by reports about the government considering a state of emergency and warned that such a move "would trigger a further downward spiral for Ukraine which would benefit no one."

The protesters still occupy three sizable buildings in downtown Kiev, including City Hall. The Justice Ministry building was seized in a spectacular assault early Sunday, when hundreds of protesters threw rocks and firebombs into the building where about 200 police were sheltering. The crowd eventually formed a corridor through which the police left.

Lukash, in a televised statement, noted that protesters seized the building as justice employees were working on measures to grant amnesty to protesters and to make changes in the constitution to restore more power to the prime minister. As of late Monday it was reported that demonstrators had left the building but remained camped outside.

It's not clear if constitutional changes will be on the agenda for Tuesday's parliamentary session, but granting more power to the prime minister could both sweeten the offer and allow Yanukovich to portray himself as offering genuine compromise.

The fears of a state of emergency come after other official statements suggesting the government is considering forceful moves against the protesters.

Interior Minister Vitali Zakharchenko, an official deeply despised by the protesters, on Saturday warned that demonstrators occupying buildings would be considered extremists and that force would be used against them if necessary. He also claimed demonstrators had seized two policemen and tortured them before letting them go, which the opposition denied.

The protests began in late November when Yanukovich shelved a long-awaited agreement to deepen ties with the 28-nation European Union and sought a bailout loan from Russia. The demonstrations grew in size and intensity after police violently dispersed two gatherings. Demonstrators then set up a large tent camp on Kiev's main square.

After Yanukovich approved the new anti-protest laws, demonstrations spread into other parts of the country, including to some cities in the Russian-speaking east, the base of Yanukovich’s support.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press