Why referendum? Crimeans speak out on Ukraine
A referendum in Crimea will say in a week if the region wants more autonomy from Kiev, or if it sees itself a part of Russia. RT’s Paula Slier asked residents of Crimea’s capital whether they want to have the region’s status changed and, if so, why.
Many in the Black Sea peninsula are refusing to recognize the self-proclaimed authorities in Kiev, RT found out. Violent seizure of government buildings and bloodshed on the streets – that’s how Crimeans see recent events in Kiev.
“The government in power is not democratic because they had a
revolution in an armed way so that everything it orders is not
legal,” Aleksandr Mukharev, a writer told Paula Slier.
As the country remains bitterly divided between the EU-supporting
west and pro-Russia east, Crimeans have doubts that people, who
have come to power, will represent the interests of both the
sides.
One of the first decisions by the new government – to revoke the
law on minority languages, which includes Russian, – only
contributed to Crimeans’ worries.
“Their mission is not to promote the Ukrainian language as
much as suppress the Russian language and everything that is not
Ukrainian,” believes Aleksey Vakulenko, a citizen
journalist.
97 percent of Crimeans speak Russian. They weren’t happy, when
Russian disappeared from government websites and fear that
Russian TV channels might soon be banned. There have also been
cases of Russian journalists being denied access to the country,
something Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov slammed on
Saturday.
The news of far right political forces gaining prominence in Kiev
is another source of concern for Crimeans. The interim Kiev
government has six ministers – including the deputy prime
minister, Aleksandr Sych, – from the nationalist Svoboda party.
Reasons for Crimea joining Russia are far from ideological for
Lianu Stepanova, a flower seller.
“The prices will be lower and the salaries will be
higher,” she believes.
The east and southeast of Ukraine have never quite embraced the
partnership deal with the EU, bearing in mind austerity cuts
weaker economies there have to implement. Now the West is
promising economic aid through the International Monetary Fund.
The prospect of Ukrainians having to tighten their belts is ever
more real, as the assistance comes under the strictest of
conditions.
To learn more of the moods on the streets of Simferopol, watch RT
Paula Slier’s report from the Crimean capital.
