EDITORIAL: Crisis, anti-crisis, crisis (07/16/06)

EDITORIAL

Crisis, anti-crisis, crisis

A parliamentary crisis occurred, leading to the formation of an Anti-Crisis Coalition, which led to further crisis. That's pretty much how it went in Kyiv, amidst betrayals, fisticuffs and filings of legal actions. The European Union said Ukraine was "in a sorry state."

It all began when it became clear that Our Ukraine's nominee for chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Petro Poroshenko, was not accepted by the Socialists - though they had signed an agreement establishing the democratic Orange coalition that spelled out how it would function. That nominee, of course, was meant as a counterbalance to Yulia Tymoshenko, the presumptive nominee for prime minister, whose ascension to the post was accepted only grudgingly by President Viktor Yushchenko and Our Ukraine. The Poroshenko-Tymoshenko tandem had been an abject failure in Mr. Yushchenko's first Cabinet, so it was not understood why it should have worked now. Or was it not supposed to work?

After the surprise election of Oleksander Moroz as Rada chairman, it was announced that a new parliamentary majority had been formed comprising the Party of the Regions, the Communist Party and Mr. Moroz's Socialist Party. Next, the new coalition nominated Viktor Yanukovych, leader of the Regions, as prime minister.

Thus, the president now faces a parliamentary coalition that is hostile to his policies and may soon have an equally hostile prime minister who was his opponent in the 2004 presidential election that resulted in the Orange Revolution.

In the latest developments from Ukraine, Ms. Tymoshenko appealed on July 12 to the people of Ukraine to support her bloc's struggle for democracy and its defense of Ukraine's national interests. She called on Our Ukraine not to negotiate with "the Yanukovych clan." Tymoshenko Bloc supporters rallied to demand that the president disband the Rada, and Pora Party members set up a tent camp, pledging to remain there until that demand is met.

Yanukovych supporters also came out onto the streets of Kyiv, demanding that their man become prime minister and that other parties unite behind him. They erected a tent city near the Rada.

Meanwhile, President Yushchenko tried to stay out of the fray, and was reduced to making pronouncements of dubious value. (The New York Times described him as "appearing increasingly isolated and indecisive.") On July 12, reportedly at the request of the president, representatives of Our Ukraine and the Regions Party met for negotiations. On what exactly, we don't know; that's a secret.

On July 13 the president sent a letter to the Rada in which he wrote that "the withdrawal of some deputies from the coalition of democratic forces, which resulted in its disintegration, is inconsistent with the Constitution and the Verkhovna Rada's procedural rules." Therefore, Mr. Yushchenko added, the circumstances in which the new coalition was formed and its proposals are illegal. He demanded that national deputies resume "effective work in Parliament, settle the coalition issue legally and nominate a prime minister, but try not to make hasty decisions."

Pardon our skepticism, but what are the chances of that happening?

In the meantime, all the turmoil in Ukraine could lead the country back to where it was in November 2004, thus leading to the biggest betrayal of all: double-crossing the millions of ordinary Ukrainians who came out to support what the Orange Revolution stood for.

| Home Page |