Yanukovych slams Ukraine events as coup

Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych has described as a coup the events that happened after he signed a deal with the opposition to end almost three months of unrest in the country.

Speaking in a televised address from the northeastern city of Kharkov on Saturday, Yanukovych stressed that he has no intention of resigning or leaving the country, saying the events resemble the rise of Nazis in the 1930s.

Yanukovych said a coup was underway against him after he left Kiev and the country’s parliament debated a motion calling for his resignation.

The president rejected parliament’s recent moves as illegal.

His remarks come after a lawmaker from the Western-backed opposition camp said Yanukovych would step down.

But, Yanukovych reiterated that he had no intention of resigning or leaving Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, parliament voted to speed up the release of former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, from jail after it picked Oleksandr Turchynov, a close ally of Tymoshenko, as its new speaker. The parliament has also appointed a new interior minister.

Pro-Yanukovych authorities in eastern regions, meanwhile, challenged the parliament’s legitimacy and said they were taking full control of their territories.

Regional leaders meeting in Kharkov adopted a resolution declaring the central state organs “paralyzed.”

“Until the constitutional order and lawfulness are restored…we have decided to take responsibility for safeguarding the constitutional order, legality, citizens’ rights and their security on our territories,” the resolution said.