Mayoral elections across Ukraine brought plenty of surprises. The MPs finally managed to adopt EU-required “visa liberalization package,” some of them noticeably struggling to reach psychological compromise with their perception of “anti-discrimination” draft law. Ukrainian Prime Minister sees a dark cloud on his political horizon.

While a number of Ukrainian officials, including head of the Central Election Commission Mykhailo Okhendovsky, suggested inexpedience of a second round of mayoral elections, these allegations are actually unfounded. Vitaly Klitschko in Kyiv and Andriy Sadovy in Lviv may have easily won their second-round battles, but the standoff in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk between Borys Filatov (UKROP Party) and Oleksandr Vilkul (Opposition Bloc) was fierce, indeed. Besides, the industrial hub of Kryviy Rih in Dnipropetrovsk region may have yet to witness the elder Vilkul prove the legitimacy of his, rather hastily declared, victory over Yuriy Myloboh. The southern port city of Mykolayiv has got a new mayor - Oleksandr Senkevych (Samopomich), while a Batkivshchyna member Anatoly Bondarenko defeated Cherkasy’s incumbent mayor Serhiy Odarych. Another MP, Vladyslav Atroshenko, outplayed Oleksandr Sokolov  in Chernihiv despite the latter having governed the city since 2002. A low voter turnout on November 15 is evident of the fact that the elections to local councils are overshadowed by other events if held for a longer period of time, rather than of the citizens’ political apathy.

In fact, the Ukrainian politicians don’t tend to pay too much attention to their voters in-between the elections. The fight for adopting the package of bills required by the EU to further implement the Visa Liberalization Action Plan is a very showing example. Objectively speaking, following several attempts to pass the motions, the parliamentary Coalition branded “European Ukraine” should be renamed to "Primeval Ukraine", because the logic of statements of many MPs does not hold water. Some of the politicians noticeably struggled reach psychological compromise with their perception of “anti-discrimination” draft law and overcome their primal fear of adopting anything that could hint at protecting the rights of sexual minorities. Their willingness to put political expediency above public interest was regrettable and disheartening. I am afraid that even the terrorist attacks in Paris, which can result in tectonic changes in EU security system, are unlikely to force our politicians to see beyond their noses.

Zlata Ognevich / Photo from UNIAN

However, there were some pleasing moments in Rada last week. Zlata Ognevich from the Radical Party of Oleh Lyashko announced her decision to quit parliament and return to her singing career. Soon she will be replaced in Rada by an experienced lawyer, Tetiana Iuzkova. Yevgeny Rybchynsky, a Ukrainian poet and MP, who had resigned from the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko, moved into the Volya Narodu (Will of People). He can form a creative tandem with the "singing rector" Mykhailo Poplavsky. Dmytro Yarosh, the major boogeyman for the Russian media, stepped down as leader of the Right Sector organization, focusing on the management of its Volunteer Corps. Rumor has it that there was a coup in this military-political organization, and the new leaders today need Yarosh as much as the fish needs a bicycle.

The black cloud is getting bigger on the Cabinet’s horizon. Not only the deadline for the Government's immunity gets nearer (early December will mark a year since the adoption by Rada of the Government’s Action Plan), but also there is no success in the executive performance, which would be clear and understandable to millions of Ukrainians. Although Borys Lozhkin, head of the presidential administration, claims that Yatsenyuk's resignation is “not on the agenda," the Bankova Street [presidential Administration] would be able to distance itself at any moment from the unexpected, but targeted, parliamentary initiative. However, the list of potential nominees for the prime minister’s post bears little resemblance to the list of those who are willing to sacrifice their political careers for the actual reform of the Ukrainian economy.

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Two hostages were released from militant captivity in eastern Ukraine, 77% of Russians consider unlikely any protests in Russia against declining living standards and for the protection of their rights, at least 153 people were killed in a series of terrorist attacks in Paris.

One Ukrainian fighter jet, Su-25, crashed in Zaporizhia region; pilot died in a crash while no civilians were hurt, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Military Prosecutor's Office launched pre-trial investigation into the accident.

One MP, a member of the Radical Party, Zlata Ognevich, who is also a singer and Ukraine’s Eurovision star, announced her decision to resign from the Verkhovna Rada.

Two Ukrainian hostages were released from militant captivity in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko tweeted on Sunday. The released Ukrainians are the employees of the State Emergency Service.

Ukraine needs at least six-seven years to meet a number of requirements for a possible accession to NATO, said Petro Poroshenko.

Seven people were killed in a crash of a Ukrainian civil helicopter in eastern Slovakia, foreign media reported, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Slovakia.

Seven enterprises of the military-industrial complex located in the occupied Crimea were included in the Russian registry, being provided an opportunity to take the state defense orders of the Russian Federation, according to the Russian media.

7.75% is the yield of the Ukrainian bonds issued to complete the restructuring of the public and publicly guaranteed debt, according to Ukraine’s Finance Ministry. The newly issued bonds mature between 2019 and 2027.

15 members of the Islamist militant group who plotted attacks in Northern Europe and the Middle East, were arrested by police in six European countries - Italy, the UK, Norway, Finland, Germany and Switzerland, foreign media reported.

$21.7 (RUB 1,400) is the estimated average amount of monthly subsidy per household member in Russia in 2017, Russian media reported with reference to the Ministry of Industry of the Russian Federation. According to the official estimates, nearly 25% of Russian citizens will apply for targeted food assistance for the poor.

World Wibe Web, one of the core technologies of the Internet worldwide, celebrated its 25-year anniversary, foreign media reported. WWW hypertext technology has become so popular that it is often confused with the global network, itself.

26.5% of Ukrainians called regaining of control over the border with Russia as the condition for holding local elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, while 39% believe that the main condition is to hold them in full accordance with Ukrainian legislation, according to a survey conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation

62 deputies of the regional parliament of Catalonia adopted a resolution proclaiming the split of the province from Spain, according to the Spanish media. Only ten MPs voted against the motion.

63 financial institutions have been withdrawn from the market by the Individuals’ Deposit Guarantee Fund within the last 2 years, according to the Fund. The depositors of these banks were paid over UAH 54 billion in deposit compensation.

77% of Russians consider unlikely any protests in Russia against the declining living standards and for protection of their rights, according to a poll by Levada Center. 18% of respondents think that such developments are possible.

At least 153 people were killed in a series of terrorist attacks in Paris, foreign media reported. According to preliminary data, among the victims there are citizens of Belgium, Romania, Sweden and Portugal. In addition, eight terrorists were killed and six of them blew themselves up with suicide belts. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Islamic State group, whose members are also committed several attacks (43 dead and 240 injured) in Beirut, Lebanon.

234 MPs out of 333 registered in the session hall supported the anti-discrimination amendment to the Labor Code of Ukraine.

283 judges in the occupied Crimea should be dismissed. The decision was taken by a disciplinary chamber of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, according to the commission. Relevant recommendations were submitted to the High Council of Justice of Ukraine.

309 MPs voted for the extension of the farmland sale moratorium for one year – until January 1, 2017.

Newly discovered underwater gold mine in the Bohai Sea off the eastern coast of China may contain up to 470 tonnes of gold, according to the foreign media.

1,043 members of illegal armed groups in the east of Ukraine and their accomplices have been announced suspicion in a number of criminal investigations launched since early 2015, according to Main Directorate of the National Police in Donetsk region. Indictments against 136 suspects have been submitted to the courts in Donetsk region and other regions across Ukraine.

The U.S. intends to send 1,200 pieces of heavy military equipment to Eastern Europe, according to Ukrainian media citing Gen. Ben Hodges, commander of U.S. forces in Europe. About 600 pieces of equipment will be located at the bases in Poland. The other half will be deployed in the Baltic States, Romania and Hungary.

1,753 pieces of weapons and military equipment have been received by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2015, under the state defense order, the Defense Ministry reported. Besides, more than 400,000 missiles and munitions have been delivered in the said period.

12,500 investigators have been reassigned in the bodies of the National Police of Ukraine, according to the press service of the National Police.

UAH 600 million is needed to train and organize participation of the Ukrainian athletes in the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 2016, as well as for the payment of prize money, according to the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.

Ukraine cannot pay to the Russian Federation $3 billion borrowed by former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych in 2013, as Russia has not joined the debt restructuring program, said Ukraine’s Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko.

Margarita Andreyeva

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