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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 6 december 2017

Protesters decry corruption in Ukraine, prevent arrest

By N. VASILYEVA police, who unsuccessfully
V. ISACHENKOV tried to disperse the dem-
Associated Press onstrators with tear gas.
MOSCOW (AP) — Hundreds After a tense standoff that
of protesters clashed with lasted for hours, Saakashvili
police in Kiev and called for was freed by his supporters
the ouster of Ukraine’s pres- and led them on a march
ident following a botched to parliament to demand
attempt Tuesday by author- President Petro Poroshen-
ities to arrest Mikheil Saa- ko’s resignation.
kashvili, a former Georgian “I will die for Ukraine,” Saa-
president-turned-Ukrainian kashvili shouted to the
opposition leader. crowd. “I owe you my free-
The turmoil is just the latest dom and my life.”
challenge for the Ukrainian With the yellow-and-blue
government, which has Ukrainian flag around his
been weakened by months neck, Saakashvili urged
of political infighting and Ukrainians to rise against
accused of not halting of- “Poroshenko and his gang.”
ficial corruption. “Don’t be afraid, let them
Tuesday’s standoff began fear us!” he shouted.
when officers of Ukraine’s Saakashvili has won broad
Security Service, the SBU, popularity in Ukraine with Ukrainian Security Service officers detain Mikheil Saakashvili at his house in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday,
went to Saakashvili’s home his fiery campaign against Dec. 5, 2017. Ukraine’s intelligence agency on Tuesday detained the former president of Georgia
in Kiev to detain him. Try- official corruption, riding a who has emerged as an anti-corruption campaigner in his new country but faced an angry
ing to resist the arrest, he wave of public frustration backlash of protesters who would not let the officers to take him away.
climbed onto the roof and over Poroshenko’s failure (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
threatened to jump off, but to uproot endemic graft. eral Yuri Lutsenko claimed finance the protest. of Georgia, Saakashvili
SBU agents took him down He has staged a series of on television that his office Saakashvili rejected the ac- made a failed attempt to
and put him into a van. rallies calling for the presi- has evidence that Saa- cusation, noting the long- reclaim control over Geor-
Several hundred protesters dent’s resignation, but they kashvili’s representative running hostility between gia’s separatist province of
then surrounded the ve- haven’t produced any vis- received $500,000 from him and Russian President South Ossetia, triggering a
hicle and blocked it from ible impact. Ukrainian businessmen Vladimir Putin. five-day war with Russia in
moving. They clashed with Ukrainian Prosecutor Gen- who have ties to Russia to When he was president 2008.q

Poland kicks off year of 100th anniversary celebrations

By M. SCISLOWSKA tutions as it condemns gov- tion, Poland should enjoy they undercut decision- through parliament. The
Associated Press ernment policies that it says its full rights and be a “loyal making in its 28 member opposition says the aim is
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — threaten democracy and and at the same time in- states, and has been call- to consolidate the party’s
Poland’s president kicked European values. In a sign dependent member” of ing for a reform of the bloc. power grab.
off a year of celebrations of discontent, opposition NATO and of the EU, Duda One major dispute is over The speech opened cer-
for the country’s 100th in- lawmakers brought white said. “Enough of this sense Poland’s refusal to accept emonies that will lead to
dependence anniversary roses that opponents of the of dependence, of the un- migrants under an EU relo- the 100th anniversary in
by praising the Polish gov- two-year-old government certainty over whether we cation plan. November 2018 of Poland’s
ernment that is at odds with often carry during protest can follow our own path. He also said Poland needs regaining independence
the European Union. marches. Enough of this telling us that new political and justice after World War II.
In a speech Tuesday be- Duda said Poland’s we cannot have our own order, remarks seen as sup- The ruling conservative Law
fore parliament, President strength is in overcoming sovereign goals and aspi- port for the deep changes and Justice party is focused
Andrzej Duda also criti- divisions and in charting its rations,” he said. to Poland’s judiciary and on strengthening and pro-
cized the opposition, which own, individual path. Poland has been critical of electoral systems that moting Poland’s national
seeks support from EU insti- As a large European na- many EU policies, saying the ruling party is pushing identity.q