The Ukrainian parliament voted on Friday to curtail presidential power as well voting to free imprisoned opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been locked up for over two years.
According to Reuters, the parliament voted in amendments that decriminalize specific criminal codes that allowed Tymoshenko to be imprisoned.
The Batkivshchyna party's current leader Arseny Yatsenyuk had said earlier that parliament should bring up the bill to be voted upon. The bill would also make the specific criminal code similar to European Union laws, which was seen as a potential move of appeasement towards the West as the country struggles with political protests.
According to CBC News, the vote was criticized by a senior Russian lawmaker and anti-government protesters didn't any happier than before.
Parliament also voted to curb President Viktor Yanukovych's power, which he had previously managed to convince lawmakers to bestow upon him. He lost the ability to nominate the prime minister, as well as terminating the Cabinet.
Another move was made to appease protesters: parliament voted to fired Vitali Zakharchenko, the interior minister, after he escalated violence on Thursday by using snipers to target protesters.
image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
