07.07.2006, 17:37:12

Alexander Moroz accepts congratulations from Nikolai Azarov (Party of Regions), photo AFP

Oh, Frost, Frost...

"Orange" anathematized the leader of the Socialist Party of Ukraine

Never before has Bartholomew Korobeinikov been so vilely deceived. He could deceive anyone, but here he was deceived with such brilliant simplicity that he stood for a long time, kicking the thick legs of the dining table.
Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov. "12 chairs"

“Pavlik Moroz”, “Political creature Frost”, “To betray in time is not to betray, but to foresee! (epitaph to A. Moroz)”, “Ap, and the speaker’s chair has been sold” - this is only a small part of the headlines of the Ukrainian media, which devoted their comments to events that occurred in the Verkhovna Rada on the night of July 6-7. In their assessment of the leader of the Socialist Party, journalists, however, did not outdo some of Alexander Moroz’s colleagues in the deputy corps, who used expressions that went beyond the vocabulary of even Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

But in fact, all this righteous anger has no basis, because Moroz, having risked running for speaker on his own, merely acted like a politician. Therefore, appealing to the feelings of deceived voters, which Yulia Tymoshenko is currently not tired of doing, is simply ridiculous. On the Ukrainian political Olympus, everyone seems to have long forgotten about the existence of these same voters, having plunged headlong into the sometimes pleasant and sometimes not so pleasant troubles of dividing power. Judge not, lest you be judged, that’s what I would like to say to those who are now demonizing the leader of the socialists, making innocent eyes and trying by hook or by crook to appear decent to themselves and to society. Suffice it to remember that just a couple of weeks ago the same socialists and BYuT members criticized Our Ukraine for its contacts with Viktor Yanukovych. And the fact that until now the BYuT has not been subject to obstruction by the “orange” is explained only by the confrontation between the business interests of Tymoshenko’s supporters and the Party of Regions. But certainly not with election promises.

Moroz himself explains his “betrayal” by the incomprehensible obstinacy of Our Ukraine, which, despite the repeated requests of the leader of the SPU to withdraw the candidacy of Petro Poroshenko for the post of speaker, continued to push in front of him as a buffer for the presidential godfather. “Our Ukrainians” believed that Poroshenko would be a worthy counterweight to Yulia Tymoshenko, who, according to the “orange” scenario, was supposed to receive the premiership. Moroz, in turn, believed that such a tandem would lead to another political crisis. Considering how events unfolded in September last year, the position of the leader of the SPU seems more balanced than the rosy dreams of Our Ukraine.

However, the remark in defense of Moroz was somewhat delayed, so let’s talk about everything in order.

From majority to minority

Alexander Moroz

Chairman of the Socialist Party of Ukraine. Alexander Moroz was born on February 29, 1944 in the village of Buda, Kyiv region, Ukrainian. Higher education, mechanical engineer, author of six books, enjoys chess, wrestling, swimming and literature. After school he graduated from the Ukrainian Agricultural Academy. Mechanical engineer. He worked in his specialty for 12 years: as a teacher at a state farm-technical school, in engineering positions in the district and regional associations "Agricultural Equipment". Served in the army. Since 1976, in party and trade union work. He was the first secretary of the district party committee, secretary of the Regional Trade Council, head of the regional party committee, and was elected as a people's deputy of Ukraine three times. Since 1991, Chairman of the Socialist Party. In 2004, he ran for president, but did not make it to the second round, subsequently transferring his votes to Viktor Yushchenko, which ensured his final victory.

As already reported, the day before, Alexander Moroz, in violation of all agreements with his “orange” coalition comrades, who (even Yulia Tymoshenko!) nominated Poroshenko for the post of speaker, decided to run for chairman of parliament himself. The split in the Socialist Party, provoked by this act of its leader, did not prevent Moroz from successfully winning the vote, since he was supported by the entire faction of the Party of Regions. It is not yet clear who has imposed itself on whom as allies, although it is obvious that both sides benefited from this, no matter how loudly “our Ukrainians” and “BYuT members” shouted that Moroz buried the Socialist Party. After all, its leader, even on Maidan, was never seen wrapped in an “orange” scarf, and after the parliamentary elections he winced every time someone called his coalition with BYuT and Our Ukraine “orange.”

Immediately after the vote, representative of the Our Ukraine faction Roman Zvarych announced that his political force was leaving the coalition. This statement, loud at first glance, should not be overly dramatized - the faction of “our Ukrainians”, as well as the SPU, seems to be a parliamentary welterweight fighter who does not decide anything on his own, but is completely dependent on the position of the heavyweights - the “regionals” and BYuT. But no matter Yulia Tymoshenko’s disappointment, she reserved her thoughts on the current situation until Friday, when she proposed dissolving parliament, calling it illegitimate. BYuT faction member Sergei Polishchuk said that the bloc's legal department is preparing a submission addressed to President Viktor Yushchenko stating that the vote on the speaker on Thursday has no legal force. According to Polishchuk, “the parliament in the form in which it exists today will not be capable, and its work will not benefit Ukraine.” The deputy did not give reasons for his logic, or, more likely, was unable to.

Since neither the Socialist Party nor the other parties that voted yesterday together with the Party of Regions told their voters that they would create such a coalition. And therefore they simply do not have legitimacy from voters to take such steps.

Yulia Tymoshenko, leader of BYU

Tymoshenko was more convincing. She believes that the “orange” coalition never existed at all, therefore, 30 days after the start of the Rada’s work have expired, and now the president has every right to send deputies home to call re-elections. It is not clear, to be honest, why this is so, if Tymoshenko herself, like Moroz and Roman Bessmertny from Our Ukraine, signed a coalition agreement, which was demonstrated to the public by all Ukrainian TV channels. And it was she, the leader of BYuT, who in recent days in her statements to the press has made it clear that she is separated from the premiership only by the stubbornness of Yanukovych, who does not allow the Rada to begin approving the government.

The coalition is dead, long live the coalition?

On Friday, a member of the political council of the Party of Regions, Yevgeny Kushnarev, continued to desecrate the remains of the “orange” coalition, saying that the “regions” would soon create a coalition with the SPU and the communists. “Taking into account the situation that has developed in parliament, as well as the results of the vote on the head of the Rada, the political council unanimously decided to form a coalition in the format of a faction of the Party of Regions, the Socialist Party and the Communist Party,” the politician said. At the same time, according to Kushnarev, the political council of the party also decided to leave the possibility for any other political forces represented in parliament to join the coalition.

Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Tymoshenko understand that they have been fooled, photo AFP

It is interesting that in this case we are not talking about blocs such as BYuT or Our Ukraine, but about specific parties, as is clear from Kushnarev’s further words. “You understand the nuance, the Our Ukraine bloc includes six forces, and the BYuT includes three forces,” said a representative of the “regionals.” Moreover, when asked whether Yanukovych’s supporters are splitting their opponents in this way, Kushnarev answered “five”: “Who studied what.” No, no one is going to sing the hosannas of the Party of Regions, but, you see, not taking advantage of the fact that your political rivals for three months could not agree even among themselves would be unforgivable.

On Friday, the Party of Regions also officially decided on its candidacy for the post of prime minister, which, if a coalition agreement is signed with the SPU and the communists, will be approved by 97 percent (the remaining three will be attributed to personal interference in the Ukrainian affairs of George Bush and the landing on the Maidan of all Georgian democrats led by Mikheil Saakashvili). The hopes of those who expected that, for example, Yevgeny Kushnarev would be proposed for the post of head of government, who less often than other “regionals” make mistakes in words and do not portray the savior of the Fatherland in front of the camera, were not justified - Viktor Yanukovych was delegated to lead the cabinet of ministers, whose premiership, against the backdrop of Ukraine’s current economic turmoil, has labeled him a “strong business executive.” The figure, of course, is very charismatic, and he does things much better than he speaks - even his most ardent opponents cannot argue with this.

Viktor Yanukovych nominated as a candidate for Prime Minister of Ukraine, photo from the website of the Party of Regions

But nothing has been decided yet, since not all interested parties have had time to state their position in the current circumstances. The country's president is still silent, although it is expected that on Friday evening Yushchenko will devote a special televised address to the ups and downs in the Rada. Meanwhile, it became known that Viktor Yanukovych, immediately after voting on the speaker’s candidacy, had “a normal balanced conversation with the head of state, with an understanding of the process that took place in parliament,” as the main “regional” later admitted. On Friday, Yushchenko also held a meeting with Moroz, which lasted only five to ten minutes. The speaker sparingly said that he had discussed with the president the political and legal situation that had developed in parliament, but Moroz refused to answer the question about Yushchenko’s attitude to a possible reformatting of the coalition, citing lack of time.

Now the extremely intrigued, but completely tired of political squabbles, Ukrainian society can only wait to see what Yushchenko will say, and also what next Tuesday, July 11 (it was on this date that the Rada rescheduled its next meeting), the parliament will decide on the candidacy of the prime minister. There is a chance that this whole “orange-blue-red-crimson” show will end, unless Tymoshenko calls people to the barricades. But she can.

Peter Bologov

Oh, Frost, Frost...

From majority to minority

The coalition is dead, long live the coalition?

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