Yatseniuk Resigns, Tymoshenko Refuses
In accordance with a clause in the agreement of Ukraine’s recently failed democratic coalition, Verkhovna Rada Speaker Arseniy Yatseniuk resigned his post today. The coalition agreement between the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (BYuT) and Our Ukraine People’s Self Defense Bloc (OU-PSD) specifies that both the parliamentary speaker and prime minister are required to step down if the coalition collapses.
Yatseniuk stated that if new elections were scheduled, he would form his own party. Former Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said this is Yatseniuk’s first step towards an independent political career.
At a Wednesday press conference, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said she would not resign. Tymoshenko stated, “The coalition has not collapsed ... We are not a flock of sheep who jump into the abyss just because one sheep has done so.” Tymoshenko added that the government will continue to work for a “long time” despite the “not very nice political events” that have occurred.
I don’t know how Tymoshenko personally defines a collapse of a coalition, but you would think that if one of two participating groups leaves the alliance and the speaker of parliament formally announces the end of the coalition two weeks later, the coalition has indeed collapsed.
This is an interesting move by Tymoshenko. People could view her refusal to resign as caring so much about the country that she will not allow the government to stop work while either a new election takes place or a new coalition is formed.
However, by not resigning, Tymoshenko could also be seen as someone who is power-hungry and does not honor her own agreements. This would make it difficult for BYuT to secure a new majority coalition agreement, whether in the next 30 days or after a new election.
In line with my previous comment, details have emerged about the rumored deal between BYuT and the Party of Regions that has failed to materialize. Apparently, Viktor Yanukovych, leader of the Party of Regions, was to be appointed Speaker of Parliament while Tymoshenko would remain as Prime Minister. In 2010, Yanukovych would be elected President while Tymoshenko would remain in the prime minister’s post.
Powerful members of the Party of Regions opposed the deal, saying that as the larger group in Parliament, their leader should become the Prime Minister (Party of Regions holds 175 seats, BYuT has 156 seats). The two parties also have failed to reach common ground regarding future presidential powers, a problem for Tymoshenko’s desire for constitutional reform.
Yatseniuk stated that if new elections were scheduled, he would form his own party. Former Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said this is Yatseniuk’s first step towards an independent political career.
At a Wednesday press conference, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said she would not resign. Tymoshenko stated, “The coalition has not collapsed ... We are not a flock of sheep who jump into the abyss just because one sheep has done so.” Tymoshenko added that the government will continue to work for a “long time” despite the “not very nice political events” that have occurred.
I don’t know how Tymoshenko personally defines a collapse of a coalition, but you would think that if one of two participating groups leaves the alliance and the speaker of parliament formally announces the end of the coalition two weeks later, the coalition has indeed collapsed.
This is an interesting move by Tymoshenko. People could view her refusal to resign as caring so much about the country that she will not allow the government to stop work while either a new election takes place or a new coalition is formed.
However, by not resigning, Tymoshenko could also be seen as someone who is power-hungry and does not honor her own agreements. This would make it difficult for BYuT to secure a new majority coalition agreement, whether in the next 30 days or after a new election.
In line with my previous comment, details have emerged about the rumored deal between BYuT and the Party of Regions that has failed to materialize. Apparently, Viktor Yanukovych, leader of the Party of Regions, was to be appointed Speaker of Parliament while Tymoshenko would remain as Prime Minister. In 2010, Yanukovych would be elected President while Tymoshenko would remain in the prime minister’s post.
Powerful members of the Party of Regions opposed the deal, saying that as the larger group in Parliament, their leader should become the Prime Minister (Party of Regions holds 175 seats, BYuT has 156 seats). The two parties also have failed to reach common ground regarding future presidential powers, a problem for Tymoshenko’s desire for constitutional reform.
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