A recurrent internal political crisis in Ukrain reached its climax. Ukranian President Viktor Yushchenko after consultations with the factions’ leaders signed a decree late Monday night. He took a radical decision to dissolve the Supreme Rada (Verkhovnaya Rada) and hold new parliamentary elections on May 27. Explaining his decision Yushchenko repeated what he had said earlier. In particular, that forming of a coalition by joining individual deputies and not by factions was illegitimate; that illegitimate decision-makings of coalition including the law on Cabinet of Ministers cut off President’s credentials.
It’s to remind, that the political crisis in Ukrain burst out after a majority of 11 Rada deputies defected from oppositional factions – pro-presidential bloc “Our Ukrain” (Nasha Ukraina) and Julya Tymoshenko bloc - to coalition on March 23d. The very intention of Viktor Yanukovych’s supporters to create a constitutional majority of 300 deputies in such a way entailed the political conflict, the analysts say.
Yulya Tymoshenko - the ideologist of the Rada dismissal was happy. The bloc on behalf of her name spread the following statement: “I’m happy that President fulfilled his constitutional duty”. Tymoshenko declared also that she did not exclude an attempt to “change the constitutional system in Ukraine by violent acts”. Timoshenko is just the one who recons on the Prime Minister post again.
Deputies of “coalition of national unity” and Ministers in their turn, called Yushchenko’s decree illegal and declared that they were not going to implement it. In particular, the Minister of Justice Alexander Lavrinovych declared that president had acted unconstitutionally. He (Yushchenko) is mistaken and we are obliged to help the President to get out of this situation, Viktor Yanukovych said at the Session of Cabmin (Cabinet of Ministers). He noticed that, the members of Government should “make every effort to localize this situation and to resolve it through compromise with President and coalition”. It was agreed that Yanukovych would make an appeal to the Ukranian people on Tuesday.
The parliamentary majority in the Supreme Rada headed by Yanukovych claimed the cancellation of Yushchenko’s decree. The respective letter to President will be send by Rada’s Speaker Alexander Moroz. 262 deputies with 226 needed voted for this decision.
The deputies of coalition directed the introduction of illegality of Yushchenko’ Decreee to the Constitutional Court on Tuesday morning. They also intend to sue in one of the local regional courts on Tuesday.
It’s remarkable that President’s decree was published on Tuesday only in the edition “Official Messenger of President”. This edition has been lately restored and allows President to promulgate the decrees without waiting any consent of parliamentary “Golos Ukrainy” and governmental “Uryadovy Kurier” . These editions were issued on Tuesday without the text of the decree.
There was a scuffle between supporters of Yulia Tymoshenko and those of the Party of Regions (Partiya regionov) on Maidan on Tuesday night. Two columns of 500 citizens in overall moved in the morning under the flags of the Party of Legions and the Socialist party from the railway station in the direction of Kreshchatik. The supporters of a parliamentary majority place at the same time their pickets near the building of the Supreme Rada. Several thousand people including the inhabitants of a tent camp in Mariinsky Park and the arrivals from regions gathered there on Tuesday morning. The inhabitants of the tent camp began to form columns to take part in the rally near the Government building.
What’s next?
At present there are several variants of what it will be next. One of the variants is the impugnment of the President’s Decree in the Constitutional committee, which has already been put into effect. But the pronouncement of the verdict will require months. One more variant is related to rather radical statements sounding the day before in the Party of regions. If president dissolves the Parliament, the coalition will press for simultaneous elections to the Supreme Rada and a Referendum on NATO joining.
Some analysts ask already themselves if the rivals will decide to resort to force: the militia is under Premier’s control and the army under the President’s. However, the attempt of compromise is not excluded.
It is significant, that the Party of regions should not fear the new elections, as it has more chances to win comparing with the Socialists. In this case the sides will possibly agree on new elections, which will have as a result the forming of two blocs: the one uniting supporters of Yushchenko, the other comprising a majority supporting Janukovych.
In general, due to such situation Viktor Yushchenko was not able to arrive in Moscow to take part in the sitting of the intergovernmental Russia-Ukrain Commission at the presidential level. Yushchenko talked on the phone with Vladimir Putin and apologized for his “impossibility” to come to Moscow.
