Refat Chubarov: Crimea Has to be Transferred into National – Territorial Autonomy

29 June 2012

The First Vice Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, the President of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars, MP of the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea Refat Chubarov made such statement in the talk show “Open Politics” on STRC “Qrim” on June 28, 2012 the Qrimskotatarske Pytannya online reports.

Refat Chubarov noted that Crimea needs the special status, but the current one doesn’t meet the interests of the society. “We need to reform the essence of the autonomy into the national-territorial,”- he noted.

R.Chubarov reminded that every people has right to the self-determination. “And Crimean Tatars have right to self-determination,”- the President of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars noted.

As an example, the politician mentioned the territorial structure of the Russian Federation, numbering “dozens of such autonomies” where the indigenous peoples represent the minority of the local population”.

At this, R.Chubarov noted that “the thing is not how the autonomy is called, but in the way the rights of the citizens are understood there”.

According to him, one should extend the powers of the autonomy, for example in the field of the protection of the historical monuments. Also for the solution of the sensitive issues, as for example, about giving Amet-Khan Sultan name to Simferopol International Airport, which have not been solved yet, because of he lack of powers of the Crimean authorities.

More over, Refat Chubarov was indignant at Crimean political expert Natalia Kiseleva’s words that called Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people the “criminal organization”. “You can write an information and bring it to SBU,”- the First Vice Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people replied to her.

“The problem of the autonomy is in such scientists, – said the politician, – because of them the minorities, whose rights are not provided in the main Law of the state, must unite in order not to be crushed by those who want to make a mess in the peninsular”.

R.Chubarov explained to the political expert that non-introduction of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people into the legal framework doesn’t mean that it is criminal.

“Mejlis will exist forever,”- R.Chubarov concluded.

As far as the theme of the talk-show – the Constitution of Ukraine, concerns, the politician noted that “there are no bad constitutions; another case is how they are implemented”.

“Everyone who wants to answer the question if he respects the Constitution, must answer fist if he respects himself,”- Refat Chubarov noted.

Reference: On June 28, 1996 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Constitution of Ukraine – the first Constitution of the independent Ukrainian state. The MPs worked for the draft, staying in the session hall all night on June 27-28. The Constitution contains the legal basis of independent Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The day of adoption of the Constitution is the national holiday – the Day of the Constitution of Ukraine.