Yanukovych was elected president in 2010, defeating Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. The election was judged free and fair by international observers.[7][8] November 2013 saw the beginning of a series of events that led to his ousting as president.[9][10][11] Yanukovych rejected a pending EU association agreement, choosing instead to pursue a Russian loan bailout and closer ties with Russia. This led to protests and the occupation of Kyiv’s Independence Square, a series of events dubbed the “Euromaidan” by proponents of aligning Ukraine toward the European Union. In January 2014, this developed into deadly clashes in Independence Square and in other areas across Ukraine, as Ukrainian citizens confronted the Berkut and other special police units.[12] In February 2014, Ukraine appeared to be on the brink of civil war, as violent clashes between protesters and special police forces led to many deaths and injuries.[13][14] On 21 February 2014, Yanukovych claimed that, after lengthy discussions, he had reached an agreement with the opposition.[15] Later that day, however, he left the capital for Kharkiv, saying his car was shot at as he left Kyiv, and travelling next to Crimea, and eventually to exile in southern Russia.[16]
On 22 February 2014, the Ukrainian parliament voted to remove him from his post and schedule new elections on the grounds that he “has restrained himself from performing his constitutional duties” and effectively resigned,[17] rather than by following the impeachment process for criminal acts under Article 108 of the Ukrainian constitution.[18] Parliament set 25 May as the date for the special election to select his replacement,[18][19][20][21] and, two days later, issued a warrant for his arrest, accusing him of “mass killing of civilians.”[22] After his departure, Yanukovych conducted several press conferences. In one of these, he declared himself to remain “the legitimate head of the Ukrainian state elected in a free vote by Ukrainian citizens”.[23] On 18 June 2015, Yanukovych was officially deprived of the title of president by the parliament.[24] On 24 January 2019, he was sentenced in absentia to thirteen years’ imprisonment for high treason by a Ukrainian court.[25]
Dette er den biten jeg refererte til , 73% av parlamentet stemte for å fjerne han:
The vote took place on 22 February 2014, 328 of 447 members of the Ukrainian parliament (MPs)—or about 73% of the MPs—voted to “remove Viktor Yanukovych from the post of president of Ukraine” on the grounds that he was unable to fulfill his duties[190][18] and to hold early presidential elections on 25 May.[18][191][19][20][21] The vote came an hour after Yanukovych said in a televised address that he would not resign. He subsequently declared himself to still be “the legitimate head of the Ukrainian state elected in a free vote by Ukrainian citizens”.[23]
Lovlig valgt i 2010, men ekstremt upopulær i 2014.
Although the legislative removal by an impeachment procedure would have lacked the number of votes required by Ukraine’s constitution,[193] the resolution did not follow the impeachment procedure but instead established that Yanukovych “withdrew from his duties in an unconstitutional manner” and cited “circumstances of extreme urgency”,[191][194] a situation for which there was no stipulation in the then-current Ukrainian constitution.[196]
Så litt borderline måten han ble fjernet på, men med 73% av stemmene i parlamentet for å fjerne han, så kan man vel ikke si at han var en “mann av folket” lenger i 2014.