Yulia Tymoshenko: Yanukovych’s team is destroying Ukraine’s thousand year old roots

Independence Day is a symbolic day that marks all the negative "achievements" of Viktor Yanukovych’s first six months in office, says Yulia Tymoshenko.

"Today Yanukovych gave orders for there to be 20 salutes in honor of Ukraine’s independence. Everyone’s been asking: why 20 salutes if it’s been 19 years? I think that each of Yanukovych’s salutes marks another loss for Ukraine. They’re not dedicated to independence, love or serving one’s people, these are salutes marking the "achievements" of the current government," Yulia Tymoshenko said today during a rally honoring Ukrainian Independence Day, held by the Taras Shevchenko monument tin Kyiv.

According to her, the first salute marks the "planed removal of everything Ukrainian from the people’s souls – language, culture, history, faith, everything that is part of our thousand year roots."

The leader of the Batkivshchyna Party stressed that the actions by Yanukovych’s team are meant to "burn out these roots."

"With the second salute he can celebrate that he has put an end to the freedom that is in our hearts: freedom of speech, freedom of religion."

Yulia Tymoshenko believes that the president’s refusal to hold a joint prayer for Ukraine is a sign of this.

"For the first time in recent years they’re inciting religious conflicts, and for the first time on Independence Day the president didn’t organize a joint prayer for Ukraine with all confessions and all churches, because he needs there to be discord."

Yulia Tymoshenko also stressed that one of the consequences of Yanukovych’s presidency will be the destruction of the judicial branch of power.

"We can also ‘celebrate’ Yanukovych’s first six months in power with a salute in honor of the burial of courts and judges….there is no truth or justice left in the courts."