Pilot Nadiya Savchenko on Friday called for early parliamentary elections to “infuse fresh blood” into Ukraine’s politics, a call that could send shock waves across the volatile nation. Savchenko, 35, who has become a national icon in Ukraine after spending two years in a Russian prison, told The Associated Press that the “Ukrainian people deserve a better government that they now have.” She said that the Ukrainian government has failed public expectations raised by the ouster of the country’s former Moscow-friendly president, Viktor Yanukovych, who was driven from power in February 2014 after months of massive street protests on Kiev’s main square, the Maidan.
“The longer this dishonorable government leads us, the further back toward a precipice it will drive us,” Savchenko said, speaking with emphasis. “People believed in it after the Maidan; they gave a big credit of trust to the government, which it has failed.”
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his allies in the ruling parliament coalition strongly oppose early elections, arguing that they would only foment instability and deepen the country’s economic crisis. With the popularity of Poroshenko and his coalition partners sinking amid economic troubles, an early vote would likely leave them with far fewer seats in parliament.
“This government is sinking like the Titanic,” she said. “The more people see that this government is hurting them, the quicker they will ask it to step down.”
Full Article: AP Interview: Savchenko calls for early elections in Ukraine.