Ukraine's new President Viktor Yushchenko has two new problems, now that he has completed the long perilous road to victory. First on the list is Viktor Yanukovich’s plans to take the same complaints that Yushchenko suceeded with to the Ukrainian Supreme Court, now that the final count is in. The second one might be more difficult, the choice of prime minister.
We, in Canada who are used to receiving our election results within an hour of the polls closing may find the slow moving process a little hard to fathom, but, we've had more experience. The Ukrainian Central Election Commission came up with their decision on Monday, January 10, 2005 late at night. However, the official decision, said the Ukrainian Supreme Court, will not be given until Yanukovich has exhausted all his appeals. The parliament started debating Yushchenko's inauguration on January 13.
The front runner for the position of prime minister, and most prominent candidate is former Assistant PM, Yuliya Tymoshenko who has been campaigning vigorously for the position, and is a strong right winger. The other is Oleksandr Moroz, a left winger who joined with Yushchenko to oppose the corrupt Leonid Kuchma/Yanukovich bloc.
Even though Tymoshenko worked hard for Yushchenko, organizing the demonstrations in front of the presidential palace, rousing the crowds, wisdom has it that Moroz will do more to keep the left in the fold, for a stronger united Ukraine instead of driving the divisions between right and left further apart.
Tymoshenko started her career in 1994 as an economist, taking control of the energy company and becoming one of Ukraine's most wealthy people, before she even spoke Ukrainian. She then gained assistance from Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, who later had many problems with corruption. Lazarenko finally ended up in the U.S. where he was charged with, yes, corruption.
When Leonid Kuchma took over the reins of power (as a centre/right supporter of joining EU and NATO, until he himself became embroiled in corruption, then becoming pro Russian) he went after Tymoshenko's energy empire. Kuchma won, and Tymochenko ended up in jail for a few weeks.
After that, in 1999, Tymoshenko became seriously involved in politics, becoming fluent in Ukrainian, braiding her hair in folk tradition, later likening herself to Joan of Arc. She became assisstant prime minister to Yushchenko's prime minister. She is still accused of having secreted around a billion dollars out west in the care of Lazarenko.
One of Yushchenko's platforms was to reduce the power of the office of president, which means that Tymoshenko could become the most powerful person in the Ukraine. She might even make Maggie Thatcher seem meek by comparison.
Good luck, President Yushchenko.
A greater headache than expected?
Archived Articles | 14 Jan 2005 | Adu RaudkiviEWR
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