Ukraine peace is a positive development, but will it last?

Finally, Ukraine's embattled president Victor Yanukovych has reached an understanding with the opposition to end the long-running political crisis in the country. But doubts persist about the eventual smooth implementation of the deal since the opposition finds it short of the president's relinquishing his post. Nevertheless, the development has come as a big relief for the nation that has seen the worst crisis since the former Soviet republic attained independence.
During the last three days, the carnage left more than a hundred people dead and scores of others, injured, as the future of the resource-rich country was looking too uncertain. President Yanukovych's dramatic announcement of early elections and several other concessions enabled the reaching of the deal with the vociferous opposition which looks at it with some cautious optimism. Opponents of the president are still calling for his resignation, although their backers -- the "Western countries" -- have broadly welcomed the understanding.
Under the agreement, the signatories to the deal will form a national unity government within ten days, constitutional reforms will start immediately and be completed by September, 2014, presidential elections will be held no later than December this year, all parties will refrain themselves from resorting to violence and investigations into the recent acts of violence including those of the government will be conducted.
The deal was made possible following hectic negotiations that also involved the government's main supporter, Russia, and the opposition's friends, particularly the European Union (EU). Earlier, American vice-president Joe Biden threatened that the US would impose sanctions on the Ukraine officials who had ordered firing on the anti-government protestors. The crisis has turned Ukraine into prize, fought for with Cold War-era gusto by Moscow and the West. The nation of 46 million is divided sharply over being pro-Russian and pro-West.
The peace deal was signed in the presidential palace "Blue Hall", in the presence of the EU envoys, by the president and three opposition leaders including the charismatic boxer-turned lawmaker Vitali Klistcho. The development has calmed down much of the heat of the current tensions and mayhem, but many protestors are unwilling to see the president remaining in power any longer. Many are also demanding that he should never be allowed to remain in the political picture of the country since they consider him as the root of the crisis.
Life appears to be returning to normal in capital Kiev as the city's vital metro network has resumed its service after remaining shut down for preventing the protestors from coming to the "Independence Square" for the meeting. The situation in the country turned volatile in last few days with the spectre of a civil war with the opposition supporters readying themselves with arms for fighting with the security forces. The "West" severely condemned the government action.
It is clear that the beleaguered president of the Ukraine has finally caved in, to reach an understanding with the opposition as things seem to be going out of his hand and Moscow, his principal backer, has also felt that matters are coming to a head. Certainly, the deal has smoothened the volatility of the situation, but much would now depend on its proper and effective implementation and also on how the government proceeds to deal with the opposition during the coming phase.
All parties concerned must jettison violence and seize the opportunity to a meaningful finale of the political settlement that would see the country back to normal conditions, ending three months' deepening crisis. The development may not fully remove the political tensions, but it is the bounden duty of the government to see to it that the understanding achieves its purpose.      
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