Rada in crisis as new pro-Russian coalition is formed (07/16/06)

Rada in crisis as new pro-Russian coalition is formed

by Zenon Zawada
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Ukraine's government plunged into crisis as pro-Russian groups led by the Party of the Regions announced they had formed a parliamentary coalition on July 11, while their pro-Western opponents called for a dismissal of the Verkhovna Rada and new parliamentary elections.

The pro-Russian Anti-Crisis Coalition was formed just days after Socialist Party of Ukraine leader Oleksander Moroz betrayed the pro-Western Orange coalition agreement he had signed with the Our Ukraine and Yulia Tymoshenko blocs.

In opening the Verkhovna Rada's July 11 session, Mr. Moroz immediately declared the democratic coalition null and void, throwing the Parliament into chaos as pro-Western politicians began brawling and resorting to any measures needed to obstruct the day's work.

"I turn to television viewers and radio listeners: Do you see who doesn't want the Verkhovna Rada to work, bringing in megaphones and other devices to the session hall?" Mr. Moroz asked amidst ear-piercing sirens sounded by Our Ukraine and Tymoshenko Bloc deputies.

"The issue is not resolving political matters and passing the necessary laws. The issue is that certain people, at any price, are trying to get into power and gain the corresponding authority at any price," he stated.

Both Our Ukraine Legal Department Chair Roman Zvarych and Yulia Tymoshenko announced their political blocs had submitted court complaints to contest the formation of the Anti-Crisis Coalition, which they alleged was illegal because it violated the democratic coalition agreement signed on June 22.

"Given that the Constitution [of Ukraine] doesn't allow for the simultaneous existence of two coalitions of deputies' factions, we will demand that the court recognize as illegitimate the ... Anti-Crisis Coalition's agreement," Mr. Zvarych said.

Additionally, the Constitution requires that anyone leaving a coalition agreement has to give partners 10 days' notice, something Mr. Moroz failed to do.

As a result, Ukraine's Parliament currently has a functioning, pro-Russian majority coalition that hasn't demonstrated a tangible agreement, as well as a legally binding, pro-Western coalition that has no chance of revival.

Fist fights and deafening police alarms couldn't prevent Rada Chairman Moroz from submitting Viktor Yanukovych as the Anti-Crisis Coalition's nominee for prime minister to President Viktor Yushchenko the same day.

Pro-Western national deputies also couldn't prevent the eventual nomination and election of Communist Adam Martyniuk as the Rada's first vice-chairman, which was announced at 11:32 p.m. on July 11.

Besides legal action, Ms. Tymoshenko declared that she wants President Viktor Yushchenko to dismiss the Verkhovna Rada and to unite her bloc with Our Ukraine in the subsequent elections.

"I think that if pre-term elections are held out of this chaos, which was created by unnatural coalitions, there's only one way out: obtain additional authority from the people," Ms. Tymoshenko said. "If pre-term elections are held, absolutely our bloc will enter them with dignity and in full union with Our Ukraine."

New elections are common in European democracies, she said, as in times of crisis, leaders ask the voters to return to the polls in order to reaffirm their support.

Ms. Tymoshenko would stand to gain the most in new elections, having captured in the last three months large support from the Socialist Party and Our Ukraine voters who are disenchanted with their leaders, political experts said.

Though many of Mr. Moroz's supporters would remain loyal to him, his act of betrayal has cost the Socialist Party a significant part of its electorate, said Oles Donii, chair of the Kyiv-based Center for Political Values Research, which is supported by Ukrainian citizens.

Ms. Tymoshenko said she supports legislation to raise the qualifying barrier for Parliament from the 3 percent that was in effect for the March 2006 elections.

"I am convinced that neither the Socialists nor the Communists, who even united their names today with clans, criminals, corruption, oligarchs, will make it into Parliament, regardless if the barrier is raised or not," she told reporters on July 11.

It's unclear how President Yushchenko will deal with the emergence of a parliamentary coalition that is hostile to his foreign policy goal of drawing Ukraine closer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.

So far, Mr. Yushchenko has called for negotiations to resolve the crisis, rather than any drastic action.

On July 12, the Ukrainian president invited Mr. Moroz, Mr. Yanukovych and Party of the Regions leaders for coalition discussions at the Presidential Secretariat.

It's apparent that the Our Ukraine bloc would split if its leaders decide to join a broad coalition with the Party of the Regions and the Socialists.

While acting Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov favors Our Ukraine uniting with the Party of the Regions, other bloc members such as Mykola Katerynchuk said they would never join such a coalition.

After meeting with Mr. Yushchenko the night of July 11 for 90 minutes, Mr. Moroz said President Yushchenko would support a broad coalition.

Despite the chaos in the Verkhovna Rada, the president hasn't directly addressed the events, instead allowing Secretariat Chair Oleh Rybachuk to comment that the Anti-Crisis Coalition violates the Constitution and the Parliament's regulations.

Though forming a broad coalition with the Party of the Regions and the Socialists remains an apparent option for Our Ukraine, Mr. Yushchenko hasn't ruled out dismissing the Parliament either, Mr. Rybachuk said. He can do so as of July 25, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Katerynchuk said pro-Western forces plan to block the Parliament's activity until about that time.

New elections would cost the Ukrainian government $100 million, which is approximately what the March 2006 elections cost, said Maryna Stavnyichuk of the Central Election Commission.

All the political heavyweights have mobilized citizens to launch protests in Kyiv that will likely last for weeks.

Revealing its solidarity with Ms. Tymoshenko, the Pora Citizens' Party pitched more than 50 tents on Kyiv's Independence Square and asked that Ukrainians join them in their act of civil disobedience until the president dismisses the Parliament.

Meanwhile, 1,500 Party of the Regions supporters have been arriving from other cities and protesting in front of the Verkhovna Rada, calling for Mr. Yanukovych to become prime minister and the other parties to unite behind him.

The July 11 violent fiasco in Parliament came exactly one year after the Communists brawled with pro-business forces to prevent them from passing bills needed for Ukraine's accession into the World Trade Organization.

This time around, it was Our Ukraine and Tymoshenko Bloc deputies throwing the punches and blaring emergency sirens.

Chairman Moroz opened the session, declaring an end to the democratic coalition and the birth of an Anti-Crisis Coalition comprising the Socialists, the Communists and the Party of the Regions consisting of 238 national deputies.

He entered the session hall behind dozens of Party of the Regions national deputies who formed a protective barrier around the chair's rostrum.

When Mr. Moroz called for a vote following the announcement of the Anti-Crisis Coalition, Our Ukraine and Tymoshenko Bloc deputies blocked a main aisle to prevent Regions deputies from returning to their seats to vote.

As the pro-Western deputies pushed the Regions members back, the latter responded with a push forward, and the two groups rocked back and forth in what looked like a wave.

When Tymoshenko Bloc National Deputy Oleksander Turchynov attempted to take to the rostrum, Oleksander Stoyan of the Party of the Regions began smacking him over the head with a newspaper.

In this fashion, the first scuffling and fighting erupted.

Highlights included a national deputy getting flipped off his feet, another sustaining a broken nose and an egg splattering the suit of Socialist National Deputy Ivan Bokyi.

During a break, Mr. Bokyi lashed out at Ms. Tymoshenko for allowing her national deputies to fling eggs at him.

"In all my years as a national deputy, I don't remember such a tense situation in the session hall," Mr. Zvarych said. "This is evidence that a significant portion of deputies' body realizes how flagrantly the Rada chair of Ukraine violated regulations and how he cynically violated their rights."

The Anti-Crisis Coalition emerged despite the fact that the Party of the Regions is a pro-business party and the Communists had long ago accused Mr. Moroz of betraying Ukraine's left-wing ideals.

"The Communists are demonstrating we know how to reach the correct conclusions in a certain situation," said Petro Symonenko, the leader of the Communist Party.

"In this situation, we took the step toward compromise that provides a possibility to create a realistic leadership in the Rada and begin the Rada's work. We don't deny earlier statements we made. We know Oleksander Oleksandrovych Moroz. We know his positive and negative qualities. But, in this situation, the Verkhovna Rada has to work."

When asked by a Lviv reporter to confirm if the Communist Party received money for their votes, Mr. Symonenko was visibly irritated.

"I am sick of your stupid questions," he told the reporter from the Vysokyi Zamok newspaper. "Just as we were honest and principled, that's how we remain."

Tymoshenko Bloc National Deputy Mykola Tomenko accused the Party of the Regions of setting up a $250 million slush fund to buy the votes of national deputies.

After the session, Mr. Moroz announced that three national deputies had defected into the Anti-Crisis Coalition: Oleksander Volkov and Volodymyr Zaplatynskyi of Our Ukraine and Volodymyr Zubyk of the Tymoshenko Bloc.

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