"Threat to territorial integrity": leaders of civil society organisations call on authorities to abandon peace referendum

"Threat to territorial integrity": leaders of civil society organisations call on authorities to abandon peace referendum

In social networks, an appeal is being circulated against "attempts to impose an illegal referendum on Ukraine" to approve a peace agreement.

Among those who signed the document are the former head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy Hanna Hopko, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Volodymyr Ohryzko, former Deputy Head of the Central Election Commission Andriy Mahera, head of the "Chesno" organization Vita Dumanska, head of "Detector Media" Nataliya Lihachova, as well as other activists, leaders of public organizations, and representatives of grant structures.

"On the international stage, there are ongoing attempts to replace joint pressure on aggressors to achieve sustainable peace with a path of ’appeasement’ of the occupier and forcing Ukraine into territorial and other concessions. Particularly threatening in this context are discussions about the alleged necessity of approving a possible peace agreement through a nationwide referendum," the statement reads.

The document also emphasizes that a peace agreement must be approved exclusively by the Verkhovna Rada.

"The only case in which the Verkhovna Rada is obliged to call a referendum is the ratification of a treaty on changing Ukraine’s territory. However, we cannot allow the President of Ukraine or persons authorized by him to sign an agreement that violates the territorial integrity of our country and involves the relinquishment of part of its sovereign territory," the statement specifies.

The authors of the appeal put forward the following demands:

- exclude the topic of approving a peace agreement through a referendum from discussions;

- prevent the coordination and signing by Ukraine’s representatives of international treaties "that contradict the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine, including obligations to hold any referendums."

"We warn the President and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine about the unacceptability of attempts to announce a referendum in violation of the provisions of Article 72 of the Constitution of Ukraine, as such actions would be openly unlawful and could lead to unpredictable destructive consequences," the statement says.