Updated 3.21pm

THE OPPOSITION IN Ukraine has agreed to a deal to end the protracted crisis rocking the country after marathon negotiations between President Viktor Yanukovych and EU envoys, leader Oleh Tyahnybok said.

“It was decided to approve the decision to sign the agreement with the president on the condition that the (current) interior minister is not in the next government and the attorney general is replaced,” he was quoted as saying by Ukraine’s Interfax news agency.

The following is the text of the agreement:

1. Within 48 hours of the signing of this agreement, a special law will be adopted, signed and promulgated, which will restore the Constitution of 2004 including amendments passed until now.

Signatories declare their intention to create a coalition and form a national unity government within 10 days thereafter.

2. Constitutional reform, balancing the powers of the President, the government and parliament, will start immediately and be completed in September 2014.

3. Presidential elections will be held as soon as the new Constitution is adopted but no later than December 2014.

New electoral laws will be passed and a new Central Election Commission will be formed on the basis of proportionality and in accordance with the OSCE & Venice commission rules.

4. Investigation into recent acts of violence will be conducted under joint monitoring from the authorities, the opposition and the Council of Europe.

5. The authorities will not impose a state of emergency. The authorities and the opposition will refrain from the use of violence.

The Parliament will adopt the 3rd amnesty, covering the same range of illegal actions as the 17th February 2014 law.

Both parties will undertake serious efforts for the normalisation of life in the cities and villages by withdrawing from administrative and public buildings and unblocking streets, city parks and squares.

Illegal weapons should be handed over to the Ministry of Interior bodies within 24 hours of the special law, referred to in point 1 hereof, coming into force.

After the aforementioned period, all cases of illegal carrying and storage of weapons will fall under the law of Ukraine.

The forces of authorities and of the opposition will step back from confrontational posture.

The Government will use law enforcement forces exclusively for the physical protection of public buildings.

6. The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Poland and the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation call for an immediate end to all violence and confrontation.

Earlier

Earlier today, Yanukovych confirmed he will call an early presidential election.

“I am initiating early presidential elections,” Yanukovych said in a statement, without specifying a date.

He also said he was starting the process of changing the constitution and forming a government of national unity.

The news follows crisis overnight talks talks mediated by the EU and Russia, which were convened in the wake of the worst day of violence yet in the country’s current crisis.

Gunfire

In other developments, Ukraine’s interior ministry this morning accused anti-government protesters of shooting at police officers.

“Rioters opened fire at police officers and tried to break through in the direction of the Verkhovna Rada,” the statement said, adding that the incident started at 10:15 am (08.15am Irish time)

In the wake of yesterday’s violence, the European Union agreed to slap a travel ban and asset freeze against Ukrainians with “blood on their hands” but left the door open to a political deal by naming no names.

The sanctions, which include a wide-ranging ban on European sales of anti-riot equipment, mark a diplomatic U-turn for the EU, which had previously had resisted US calls to impose punitive measures.

© AFP 2014

Read: Ukrainian President Yanukovych gives in to early election demands