Possibility of Election Union Between Mejlis and Party of Regions was not Considered, – Mustafa Jemilev

16 July 2012

The Leader of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, MP of Ukraine Mustafa Jemilev said in his interview to the newspaper “Avdet”, commenting on the statement of the Leader of Crimean “Batkivschina” Andrei Senchenko about the cooperation between Mejlis and Party of Regions.

“As a rule, it is Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar people that makes the decision concerning the elections. There are 250 delegates and they adopt their decisions following from the national interests and opinions of their nationals who have elected them. That is why the overwhelming majority of Crimean Tatars, as the practice of all elections in the territory of Ukraine for the last two decades showed vote in compliance with the recommendations of its Qurultay.

However, there were and are small groups of Crimean Tatars who have no firm political views, but obligatory call people to vote against Qurultay’s recommendations. It’s their job. They make a living that way.

The possibility of the election union between Mejlis and Party of Regions was not considered, because we have different and sometimes even diametrically opposite views on many issues of the development of Ukraine and Crimea.

However, even if one could hypothetically admit that Qurultay will call its natives on any considerations to vote for the Party of Regions, there is no doubt that the majority of Crimean Tatars will do this, because the representative body of the Crimean Tatar people has quite high rate – according to the data of the Center of Rosumkov it comprises about 82 %. Of coarse, we were touched by Andrei Senchenko’s trouble about Mejlis’ authority, but I think that there are no reasons for trouble,”- the Leader of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, MP of Ukraine Mustafa Jemilev said.