KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine's Parliament voted Saturday to remove President Viktor Yanukovych and set new presidential elections for May 25. The action came hours after he left the capital and protesters took control of the city center.
Mr. Yanukovych vowed to remain in power, even as his political allies abandoned him in droves. In an afternoon interview with a small TV station in Kharkiv in the eastern portion of the country, he denounced the events in Kiev as a "coup d'état" that he blamed on "bandits."
Protesters relax at Ukrainian President Yanukovych's countryside residence in Mezhyhirya, Kiev's region, Saturday. AP
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"I have no plans to leave the country and I have no plans to resign. I am the legally elected president and all the international intermediaries I've talked to (over the last few days) have given me guarantees of security. We'll see how those are fulfilled," Mr. Yanukovych said in the TV interview.
Oleksandr Turchynov, a leading opposition lawmaker, was elected speaker of parliament, which under the constitution makes him acting head of state. He told lawmakers that Mr. Yanukovych had tried to board a plane to Russia but was turned back by border officials and had returned to the area near his hometown of Donetsk in Ukraine's east, according to the Interfax news agency.
In a day of fast-moving developments, Ukraine opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko also was released from prison and aides said she was heading to Independence Square in Kiev.
Opposition leaders had signed a peace deal with Mr. Yanukovych Friday after dozens were killed in clashes between protesters and police. The deal proposed power sharing and presidential elections by the end of the year. But protesters weren't satisfied and as they called for his immediate ouster, police withdrew from the center of the capital Saturday.
The conflict threatened to deepen tensions between the West and Russia. European officials immediately backed the decisions of the parliament and rejected Mr. Yanukovych's allegations of a coup. Moscow has strongly backed Mr. Yanukovych, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced the events in Kiev as "a direct threat to the sovereignty and constitutional order in Ukraine."
Mr. Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that Kiev had been taken over by "illegal extremists groups," and the situation in Ukraine had sharply degraded, according to a statement from the Russian foreign ministry.
Meanwhile, U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague said he agreed with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to support the new Ukraine government and would push for an International Monetary Fund financial-assistance package for Ukraine.
The EU also is prepared to offer Ukraine financial support, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said Saturday. "If there is a reform-minded government in Ukraine, we will work with the international community and international financial institutions to support Ukraine," Mr. Barroso told the German newspaper "Welt am Sonntag."
Despite Mr. Yanukovych's defiance, it wasn't clear how much support he had within the country's government. The parliament also voted Saturday to replace a string of key cabinet officials, including the defense and interior ministers, with opposition members.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that "it serves only the Ukrainian people and fully shares the desire of citizens for immediate change." It called for cooperation from all sides to ensure public order. And the Defense Ministry said in a statement that it would "in no way be drawn into the political conflict."
Parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Rybak, a close ally of Mr. Yanukovych, handed in his resignation Saturday ahead of the vote by lawmakers to replace him with Mr. Turchynov.
Dozens of legislators defected Saturday from Mr. Yanukovych's Party of Regions, while a majority of those who remained voted for his ouster in the parliament vote, said Serhei Tihipko, a senior party member. "We tried for a long time to reach him today but not a single phone worked, none of his aides, not anyone could be reached," Mr. Tihipko told reporters in the parliament. "Members of the party who were in parliament today felt abandoned."
"He should have the courage to resign," Mr. Tihipko said, noting that the party would find another candidate to run in the May elections if Mr. Yanukovych lacks support.
Meanwhile, Vitali Klichko, the former boxing champion who is one of the most prominent leaders of the opposition, said Saturday's developments amounted to "a political knockout" for Mr. Yanukovych.
Protests against Mr. Yanukovych's government started in November when he shelved a partnership accord with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia, which promised financial assistance to the county. The protests quickly turned into broader antigovernment demonstrations after a crackdown on protesters.
In Kiev on Saturday, volunteer security brigades from among the protesters took over security at government buildings, and journalists reported around 300 people had entered Mr. Yanukovych's opulent suburban residence without resistance.
Oleh Tyahnybok, an opposition leader, called on parliament to adopt a resolution calling on police and protesters' "self-defense" forces to work to prevent looting in Kiev and other cities.
Dozens of protesters carrying sticks and shields stood protecting government buildings, including parliament and the security service's offices. Outside the cabinet of ministers building, four policemen stood on guard beside the protesters.
Away from the government district and the main square that has been the hub of protests, the city was functioning largely as normal, with buses running and cafes open, including one near the front lines of clashes that had been closed for weeks.
Thousands poured into the square to watch proceedings in parliament on a large screen and bring flowers and candles to memorials to dead protesters.