On Sunday’s night in Ukraine a political crisis that almost turned out to a conflict of coercive structures has been resolved. Midnight negotiations between Victor Yushchenko, Victor Yanukovich, Speaker of Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Oleksandr Moroz and leader of the opposition Yulia Timoshenko and other Ukrainian politicians lasted over nine hours.
In the upshot opponents arranged about date of pre-term elections. They named each other partners and publicly shaked hands. “We can say that the political crisis in Ukraine is over. We met compromise decision. We are to provide pre-term elections on September, 30” - Yushchenko said.
It should be reminded that Yushchenko has issued an edict about dissolution of Rada twice, but could not overcome resistance of the ruling coalition. In the end Yanukovich stopped resisting but then they could not agree about date of elections. The premier insisted on holding elections not earlier than in October. President wanted elections to be held as soon as possible, in May or June.
According to the understanding Rada is to gather twice more, in Tuesday and Wednesday. The Parliament has to enter several amendments to the election law, to pass laws that are required for entry of Ukraine into the World Trade Organisation and legalize those acts that have been accepted since the Yushchenko’s edict about dissolution of Rada (these laws are not still in force).
After that Rada will be dissolved, but not by presidential edict but because, according to the agreement, all deputies from the pro-presidential party “Our Ukraine” and from the Block of Julia Timoshenko (151 persons) will hand back their mandates and as it is a third of deputies, the Parliament will become powerless. The president wanted to dissolve the Rada with another motivation: after many deputies from “Our Ukraine” had crossed in the Yanukovich’s coalition, Yushchenko accused deputies of violation of principles of forming of the parliamentary coalition.
“Our main principle during the crisis was striving to amount such conditions under that elections in our country could be held on legal ground. Today we have found at last this decision.” - Yanukovich said.
But political scientists claim that the equilibrium, that has been so hardly established, could be disturbed by deputies, as just they play the decisive role in settlement of the crisis.
“There is a risk that fractions will turn out to be not quite disciplined and will not just vote mechanically. It is more possible, that there will be submitted several issues that will complicate the meeting of the Parliament. One should expect that both from the Social Party and from the Party of Regions”, - an independent Ukrainian analyst Oleksander Dergachev said to Reuters.
Vladimir Fesenko, the head of the Center of Political Research ‘Penta’, shares this opinion. “There are certain risks of disruption of voting on some laws if, for example, the situation with the Prosecutor General of conflict between the President and the Premier become aggravated”.
Just in all fraction of the Parliament there are groups that influence on results of voting. Analysts say, that drafts of election law, law on deputy’s status and changes in election budget have been beforehand approved but drafts of laws on the WTO and acts having been accepted after the edict on dissolution can cause a conflict.
But now political adversaries celebrate common victory. In Sunday Yushchenko, Yanukovich and Moroz marked the peace with joint watching of the Ukrainian Cup Final between Dinamo Kiev and Shakhtar Donetsk. Dinamo has won.
At the same time election campaign has begun. On the meeting where thousands people had Yanukovich assailed the opposition and promised to receive a majority vote. “We must overthrow adventurers who are tormenting our country. You know their faces and families. We will win. Our people can’t be forced to the knees.” - declared Yanukovich. In his turn Moroz is convinced that the winner will be not only the Party of Regions but members of coalition that joined it, i.e. Social Party and Communists.
One should remind that a day before Kiev prepared for practically for war. The matter could be a presidential edict on discharge of the Prosecutor General Svyatoslav Piskun, being Yanukovich’s associate. The Prosecutor General’s Office was guarded by Berkut troopers (riot police loyal to Yanukovich). State guardian and Yushchenko’s advocates opposed them.
In Friday Yushchenko issued an edict that all internal forces are subordinated personally to him and 4000 troopers were sent to Kiev. But the majority of the forces were banned under Kiev by the Government Auto Inspection.
In the Prosecutor General’s Office it is said that on Saturday night there would be an assault. Alpha police units, governed by the president, were in battle readiness, and prepared to dislodge Berkut from the general Prosecutor’s Office. But nothing of the kind has happened. In Sunday Berkut was called off from Kiev.
