[Ohio UZO News] Ukraine: NYT; FT; WSJ; RFE/RL

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The New York Times

October 10, 2008


Ukraine Will Hold Snap Elections 


By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ

MOSCOW - President Viktor A. Yushchenko of Ukraine signed an order
Thursday to dissolve Parliament and hold snap elections, after efforts
to resuscitate a long-ailing pro-West coalition collapsed and sent the
country deeper into political turmoil. 

The vote will be on Dec. 7, a spokeswoman for the president said. It
will be the third parliamentary election since Mr. Yushchenko came to
power after the 2004 Orange Revolution, which promised a break from the
former Soviet republic's corrupt, authoritarian past, but instead left
Ukraine mired in political stagnation.

The political crisis could be compounded by global economic tumult and
may undermine some of Mr. Yushchenko's policy goals, including NATO
membership.

Mr. Yushchenko's decision followed weeks of raucous political infighting
with his one-time coalition ally, Prime Minister Yulia V. Tymoshenko,
whom the president has accused of orchestrating a power grab at the
expense of Ukraine's national interests. 

"I am convinced, deeply convinced, that the democratic coalition was
destroyed by one thing - the ambition of one person," Mr. Yushchenko
said in a television address broadcast on Wednesday during which he
announced the dissolution of Parliament. "The Yulia Tymoshenko bloc has
become the hostage of its leaders, who are willing to sacrifice
everything: our language, security and our European prospects." 

Ms. Tymoshenko, who recently sided with Ukraine's opposition to pass
measures limiting the president's powers, is considering whether to
contest Mr. Yushchenko's decision in Ukraine's Constitutional Court, a
spokeswoman for the prime minister said. Her supporters have called for
mass protests. 

Some analysts have suggested that Mr. Yushchenko's decision to call
elections was an attempt to undermine Ms. Tymoshenko ahead of
presidential elections scheduled for January 2010.

"For Yushchenko to win a second term as president, his main task is to
eliminate Tymoshenko," said Mikhail B. Pogrebinsky, director of the Kiev
Center for Political and Conflict Studies.

He said the competition between the prime minister and the unpopular
president was "complicating the stable development" of Ukraine.

Ms. Tymoshenko has increasingly presented herself as a centrist
politician able to bridge the stark divide between pro-Western forces
and those who want to maintain close ties to Russia. 

She recently traveled to Moscow for talks with Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin of Russia on energy cooperation, a meeting that was almost
thwarted when Mr. Yushchenko requisitioned the prime minister's plane
after his was said to have suffered a technical malfunction. 

Ms. Tymoshenko's overtures to Russia have prompted criticism from Mr.
Yushchenko's supporters that she has been co-opted by the Kremlin,
although, according to Mr. Pogrebinsky, she will rely heavily on her
pro-Western supporters in the December parliamentary election which he
said her bloc is likely to win.

Meanwhile, the continuing political turmoil in Ukraine could jeopardize
Mr. Yushchenko's bid to join NATO, a move that is far from popular among
Ukrainians and many European NATO members, but strongly supported by the
United States. 

Speaking in Macedonia on Wednesday, Robert M. Gates, the United States
defense secretary, reaffirmed Washington's support for Ukraine's NATO
ambitions despite the political instability and said the United States
would work with any new coalition that emerges. 

Financial Times

Yushchenko calls snap elections

By Roman Olearchyk and Stefan Wagstyl in Kiev

Published: October 9 2008 05:18 

Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko dissolved parliament on Wednesday
and called snap elections despite fears that weeks of campaigning and
post-electoral manoeuvering could hamper the country's response to the
global financial crisis.

The likely December vote will be Kiev's third parliamentary election in
three years and will almost certainly mark the end of efforts to
maintain the troubled Yushchenko-Tymoshenko alliance.

Mr Yushchenko might instead seek a partnership with the opposition
Regions party led by his Orange Revolution rival Viktor Yanukovich. Even
though the Russia-friendly Mr Yanukovich opposes Mr Yushchenko's push
for Nato, the two men may be able to work together better than Mr
Yushchenko and Ms Tymoshenko.

The Yushchenko-Tymoshenko rivalry stems from their presidential
ambitions with Ms Tymoshenko expected to challenge Mr Yushchenko for the
presidency late next year.

In a televised address late Wednesday, Mr Yushchenko warned of the
dangers his foe posed for Ukraine and insisted his decision was
motivated to preserve the "balance of power" and "national interests" of
the country.

But the timing of his move comes amid currency jitters and liquidity
fears in Ukraine's bank sector. Business people are worried that the
squabbling political elite will be unable to effectively grapple with
the economic woes facing the country.

Falling prices on steel, Ukraine's top export, and a widening currency
account deficit have weakened the currency in recent weeks.

On Wednesday, the central bank imposed its own management at the
country's sixth largest bank. The move came one week after the central
bank saved Prominvestbank with a $1bn bailout as it struggled to cope
with a run on deposits. The bank's troubles are rooted in a shareholder
conflict, but the incident has many of Ukraine's other banks, which have
been cut off from external financing, concerned that panic could spread,
triggering deeper troubles.

Mr Yushchenko's bitter rivalry with Ms Tymoshenko sank to new lows in
August during the Georgia war. The president accused Ms Tymoshenko of
being soft on Moscow in refusing to condemn Russia of aggression. Ms
Tymoshenko has denied the accusations saying she fully supports Georgia
and the position of the European Union on the conflict.

Polls show that a snap election would not produce a clear victory for
any party. Ms Tymoshenko and Mr Yanukovich lead in opinion polls with
just over 20 per cent support each. Mr Yushchenko's allies trail with
below 10 per cent.

Wall Street Journal

World News: Yushchenko Calls Vote, Seals Coalition's Collapse 

By Andrew Osborn 

9 October 2008

A12

MOSCOW -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko called a parliamentary
election, killing efforts to revive the country's fractured pro-Western
coalition and making it less likely it will join the NATO military
alliance anytime soon.

His decision came just over a month after the coalition collapsed over
personal and policy differences between Mr. Yushchenko and Prime
Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Russia's war against Georgia in August
deepened that rift, exposing differences between the two erstwhile
allies when it came to dealing with the Kremlin.

Ms. Tymoshenko had called on Mr. Yushchenko to work to revive the
coalition but his decision to dissolve the parliament late Wednesday
paved the way for an early election and closed the door on any hope of
reconciliation.

Analysts say the parliamentary election, the third in as many years,
could lead to a more pro-Russian government since polls show that the
Kremlin-friendly Party of the Regions is well placed to emerge as the
victor. If it goes on to successfully stitch together a new coalition,
its leader, Viktor Yanukovych, would become prime minister.

Mr. Yanukovych, like the majority of Ukrainians, is opposed to
membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"If Yanukovych is prime minister there's absolutely no chance of Ukraine
joining NATO or of accelerating its progress toward NATO," said Geoffrey
Smith, a Kiev-based independent political analyst.

NATO countries are due to meet in December to discuss granting Ukraine
and Georgia membership action plans, a prerequisite to membership. The
Ukrainian election is also likely to be held in December, and analysts
say NATO countries are likely to use the lack of a stable government as
another excuse to delay a decision already fraught with difficulty.
Russia has said it is dead set against either Ukraine or Georgia joining
the alliance.

In recent months, Russia has appeared to warm to Ms. Tymoshenko, in
contrast to just a few years ago when it threatened to arrest her as
part of a fraud investigation. Russian state TV has started covering her
press conferences live and she met Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the
Kremlin last week to start negotiating next year's prices for Russian
gas. She resisted calls to condemn Russia's response to Georgia in
August, angering Mr. Yushchenko.

Conversely, Mr. Yushchenko has come in for sharper criticism from
Kremlin officials, who have blasted Ukraine's sale of offensive weapons
to Georgia. At the time of the war, he was outspoken in support of
Georgia and in his condemnation of Russia.

The two onetime allies are likely to be rivals in another election, a
presidential vote in 2010. But while Ms. Tymoshenko's popularity ratings
remain relatively high, Mr. Yushchenko's have sunk to low single digits.
Analysts say his decision to call an election is a gamble that an even
more fractious government will emerge, allowing him to play the role of
a strong president.

Mr. Yushchenko accused Ms. Tymoshenko of sabotaging the coalition, a
charge she has leveled at him, too.

"I am convinced, deeply convinced that the democratic coalition was
ruined by one thing alone -- human ambition. The ambition of one
person," he said in his address, shown on television while he was making
a visit to Italy.

The election comes as Ukraine struggles to weather the global downturn.
Its 12-year-old currency, the hryvnia, has slumped to a low against the
dollar while its stock market has shed 70% of its value this year. 

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

October 09, 2008 

Yushchenko Sets Snap Elections After Dissolving Ukrainian Parliament 

KYIV (RFE/RL) -- Ukrainians will be heading to the polls for the third
time in three years, after President Viktor Yushchenko dissolved
parliament and called for snap elections on December 7.

The decision is just the latest move in a years-long dispute between
Yushchenko and his onetime Orange Revolution ally, Yulia Tymoshenko -- a
dispute that's drawing criticism from politicians and ordinary citizens
alike. 

Ukrainians listening to Yushchenko's nationally televised address on
October 8 announcing his decision could be forgiven for experiencing a
sensation of deja vu.

"In accordance with the constitution of Ukraine, I hereby declare the
Verkhovna Rada's sixth convocation to be suspended and call an early
parliamentary election," he said.

The president's explanation of his decision was also familiar: a failure
to find common ground with his coalition partner and former ally, Yulia
Tymoshenko. 

'Ruined By A Single Thing'

In an apparent reference to Tymoshenko -- his partner in the 2004 Orange
Revolution that ushered in Ukraine's first pro-Western government since
the collapse of the Soviet Union -- Yushchenko said personal ambitions
were to blame for the latest coalition collapse.

"The democratic coalition, I'm deeply convinced, was ruined by a single
thing -- the human ambition of a single person, the greed for power,
differences in values and the dominance of personal interests over
national ones," he said.

Yushchenko's decision came after party leaders reportedly failed to
strike an agreement on maintaining the so-called "Orange" parliament
coalition grouping the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (BYuT) and Yushchenko's Our
Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc (NUNS). 

The coalition collapsed on September 3 after Tymoshenko's bloc switched
allegiances to vote with the opposition in passing a bill weakening the
presidential role and strengthening the government's executive powers. 

Yushchenko's move to formally dissolve parliament and set snap elections
for December 7 has met with sharp criticism from political opponents. 

Ivan Kyrylenko, the head of BYuT's parliamentary faction, told RFE/RL's
Ukrainian Service his bloc is "categorically against elections," saying
the process would paralyze the country.

"Two months of the electoral process. Two months of reviewing and
counting votes. A month to form a coalition. Two months to form a
government. That's seven months that the country will be dealing with
this 'coalition process,' " Kyrylenko said. 

Protracted Struggle

December 7 will mark the third time Ukrainians have voted in
parliamentary elections since the Orange Revolution. After a vote in
March 2006, early elections were called in September 2007 after another
protracted struggle between the president and parliament. 

In addition to frequent trips to the ballot box, Ukrainians have also
become accustomed to regular changes in the prime ministerial post.
Tymoshenko has twice served as premier since 2005, but pro-Russian
stalwart Viktor Yanukovych and Yushchenko ally Yuriy Yekhanurov have
also spent time in the post. 

The dizzying array of prime ministers, combined with the days and months
lost to partisan infighting, have dampened the enthusiasm that many
Ukrainians felt for the political process after the Orange Revolution. 

Natalya, a pensioner in the capital, Kyiv, told Reuters news agency she
would skip the December elections.

"I won't go to vote. How many times can you go?" she said. "It's all
pointless. We have elections, but there's no improvement, no results. I
would say they've destroyed our country." 

Many of the political squabbles center on the continued question of
Ukraine's divided alliances between East and the West. 

At the time of the September coalition collapse, for example, Yushchenko
had accused Tymoshenko of abandoning pro-Western allies like Georgia in
favor of closer ties with Moscow. 

Jockeying For Power

Meanwhile, Yushchenko himself has had little success in moving the
country closer to his stated goals of NATO and EU integration. 

Much of the continued fighting is seen as jockeying for power ahead of
the country's presidential elections, which are just over a year away.
Yushchenko, Tymoshenko, and Yanukovych are all seen as likely candidates
in what would be a fiercely fought contest. 

In such an environment, the frustration of some Ukrainian voters is easy
to understand. Still, at least one Kyiv resident said he would vote in
the parliamentary vote -- and that Tymoshenko's bloc would have his
support.

"Of course, I will go to vote." he said. "We have to. And I will vote
for Yulia. She's the only person, the only politician who is doing
anything for the people."

 

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