"Miriane”: Threat from Poroshenko's team is dangerous for UOC and Ukraine

The NGO "Miriane" reacted to a fake thrown in by an MP from Poroshenko's party about the UOC community in Kropуvnytskyi and commented on the attempt to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Poltava region, again initiated by "European Solidarity".

"We believe that even in the case of unsubstantiated accusations of the UOC by MP Honcharenko we are dealing with a continuation of the destructive political campaign that was deployed against our Church by supporters of the ex-president in order to discredit it and promote the interests of Sergei Dumenko’s organization associated with them called ‘OCU’," said the "Miriane" and recalled how on July 21 the 10th session of the Poltava District Council took place, where a faction of the "European Solidarity" party initiated an appeal to the President with a demand to ban the UOC in the entire territory of Ukraine.

"Of course, this would not have any legal consequences for the existence of the UOC in the Poltava region and in Ukraine, even if it passed through the local councils. It is only a political declaration that underscores the unchanging ideology and goal of Poroshenko's followers: to disregard the law and sow discord in Ukraine during the war. The OCU lobbyists and MPs from former president Petro Poroshenko's party are usually behind the incitement of local council deputies to illegally "ban" the UOC in territorial communities. The above-mentioned examples from the Poltava region are a сlear confirmation of this," the public union stressed.  

According to “Miriane”, this nationalist populism simultaneously gives the OCU a chance to appropriate more of someone else's church property, and Poroshenko's people a chance to earn the sympathy of a radicalized electorate against the tolerant “Servants of the People”, as well as to undermine society in the rear, creating problems for their political rivals – the current government.

"If we realise this, we should clearly separate the anti-Church intentions and initiatives of the 'EU' from public policy. And make efforts to help our belligerent country to disarm the internal Poroshenko threat, which is equally dangerous for our Church and for Ukraine as a whole," the NGO "Miriane" states.

As reported, Oleksiy Honcharenko, an MP of the “European Solidarity” Party, was accused of lying about the UOC community in Kropyvnytskyi. The cleric of the Annunciation Church denied the information that people were not allowed into the shelter (the church basement) during the air raid. 

In July, at a session of the Poltava regional council, MPs considered an appeal to the President to ban the activities of the UOC in Ukraine. The ban was initiated by Ihor Protsay of the “European Solidarity” party.  

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