Translated material
TV war in Kyiv
The ruling coalition in Ukraine is under threat of collapse
The next political crisis in Ukraine was not long in coming. In yesterday's televised address to the nation, President Viktor Yushchenko spoke for the first time about a “political and constitutional revolution” in the country. This statement was indirectly confirmed by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who already stated in her televised address that she would seek a change in the form of government in the country from presidential to parliamentary: “I think that before the presidential elections there will be changes in the constitution that will give a strong parliamentary form of government to Ukraine.” Tymoshenko announced that she would soon propose for parliamentary consideration “thought-out and justified” amendments to the country’s constitution, which would “consolidate the Verkhovna Rada.”On September 2, the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (BYuT), part of the ruling coalition along with the pro-presidential Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense (NUNS), voted together with the opposition Party of Regions and the Communists for bills simplifying the presidential impeachment procedure , as well as for changes into the law on the Cabinet of Ministers, limiting presidential powers. On the evening of the same day, the pro-presidential NUNS decided to leave the parliamentary coalition with BYuT.
Formally, according to the law, the ruling coalition still has time until September 11 to play back and keep everything in its current form. Otherwise, a new coalition must be created within another 30 days. If this fails, then the president has the right to dissolve parliament and call early elections.
According to President Viktor Yushchenko, the collapse of the coalition was planned by supporters of Yulia Tymoshenko, and now, with the adoption of these laws, a “dictatorship of the prime minister” is being established in the country. “BYuT entered into an alliance with the Party of Regions and the Communist Party,” the president said, emphasizing that this unification was based on “not Ukrainian or state interests”: “The democratic majority has been betrayed. The collapse was a well-planned event.”
In response to Yushchenko's accusations, the BYuT faction stated that the president had launched a massive campaign against Prime Minister Tymoshenko, since she is his competitor in the presidential elections, which are to be held in the winter of 2009/10: “The accusations of President Viktor Yushchenko are a complete adventurist lie. Motive all his actions are a struggle with the Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko for victory in the next presidential elections." In a televised address, Tymoshenko said that she was even ready to refuse to participate in the presidential elections in order to preserve the democratic coalition in parliament: “I am ready to give in and once again support a single candidate in the presidential elections if it is possible to achieve normal, harmonious work, if they do not interfere with the government.” .
According to the majority of Ukrainian observers, the actions of BYuT were provoked by accusations from the presidential secretariat against Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. She was accused of “high treason and political corruption” in favor of Russia. The reason for the accusations was the prime minister's silence during the August conflict in the Caucasus, while President Yushchenko actively supported the Georgian leadership. Deputy head of the secretariat Andrei Kislinsky said then that the political leadership of Russia was considering a decision to support Tymoshenko’s candidacy in the presidential elections in Ukraine.
Now, under the threat of the collapse of the coalition, BYuT put forward conditions for maintaining the precarious balance in the Rada. Deputy leader of the BYuT faction Andrei Kozhemyakin said that one of the conditions for preserving the coalition is “the dismissal of the head of the presidential secretariat.” In addition, Kozhemyakin noted that BYuT expects an apology in connection with the accusations against Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Regarding changes in the presidential impeachment procedure, Viktor Yushchenko has already announced that he will veto the laws adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on September 2. On the other hand, the Party of Regions and BYuT have more than 300 votes in the Rada, which allows them not only to override the presidential veto, but also to make changes to the constitution.