Ukraine Today - An Independent Political Review

Recent public opinion poll confirms what has been known for some time that both Viktor Yanukovych (20.7%) and Yulia Tymoshenko (17.9%) are front runners and most likely candidates to face off in a final elections for Ukraine's President Both of the main contenders do not have 50% or more of the vote but they are the two highest polling candidates and as such they will be the only candidates left standing for the second run-off ballot. All other election hopefuls lag far behind the two poll leaders and would not be in the race. Incumbent President, Viktor Yushchenko, is polling less then 4% is not expected to be re-elected to office. Elections for the President are due to be held by the end of next year.

Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine's Prime Minister has expressed concern that Ukraine's President, Victor Yushchenko is preparing plans to declare a State of emergency and install Martial law in order to prolong his term of Office. Effectually installing an authoritative dictatorship over Ukraine. The concerns expressed by Yulia Tymoshenko reflect warnings given by other Ukrainian Politicians. Taras Chornovil earlier this year exposed a plot by the Office of the President along similar lines. Tymoshenko noted that the Ukrainian Constitution envisages cancellation of all elections if the emergency rule is introduced in the country. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said she wants to stop the process and prevent Viktor Yushchenko from installing a dictatorship in what would be seen as an act of desperation to prolong his term of office as President. Presidential elections are due to he held by the end of December 2009. Viktor Yushchenko had unsuccessfully tried to dismiss Ukraine's P

A recent opinion poll published in Kyiv Post shows that only 6 percent of those surveyed trusted Ukraine's president, Viktor Yushchenko, who had the highest level of distrust (34.1%) of all politicians listed in the survey&nbsp Name Trust   Distrust Viktor Yushenko 6.0% 34.1% Yulia Tymoshenko 21.2% 22.8% Victor Yanukovych 22.2% 20.4% Volodymyr Lytvyn 16.1% 5.5% Arseniy Yatsenyuk 16.7% 5.1% Viktor Baloha 0.2% 14.6% Petro Symonenko 11.8% 14.2% 31.8 percent does not trust anyone, 6.2% found it difficult to respond, and 11.5 percent does not know who to trust. The poll was held on Dec. 7-20. A total of 2,000 respondents took part in the poll.

The leader of the opposition in the Ukrainian parliament, Viktor Yanukovych, has indicated that the opposition will force a fresh election in Spring 2009. Under the terms of Ukraine's constitution the opposition have the right to force fresh elections of their choosing. In 2007 the opposition lead by Yulia Tymoshenko resigned on mass forcing fresh parliamentary elections to be held. Viktor Yanukovych has also called for the position of the President to be elected at simultaneous polls . "If we speak about the elections, both the parliamentary and presidential elections should be held simultaneously," he said in an interview with the Inter TV channel on Sunday night. Victor Yushchenko, Ukraine's President, has refuted the notion of holding simultaneous elections. Yushchenko speaking in an interview on Ukrainian Television "Inter TV" said that the presidential campaign begins actually in half a year and presidential and parliamentary elections should not be h

Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine's Prime Minister has called on Ukraine's President, Viktor Yushchenko, to resign . The latest salvo comes as Ukraine's President, former head to the National Bank, faces allegations of involvement in a conspiracy to undermine the value of Ukraine's currency. The prime minister demanded the resignation of Mr Yushchenko, and named Dmytro Firtash, the billionaire and Gazprom partner in the supply of natural gas to Ukraine and Europe, as a co-conspirator in the alleged currency speculation. “I believe the president of this country, who works according to the [principle] that whatever is worse for the country is better for me, who makes money out of the misery of people, must step down,” Tymoshenko said. The latest attack escalates sharply a long-running political feud between Yulia Tymoshenko and Viktor Yushchenko at a time when the country‘s economy is struggling. Ukraine's currency is currently trading at a record low of 9 hryvnya to one US

After months of indecision and political instability Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's embattled president, has back down on the threat of a snap poll. The announcement published in the Ukrainian media ( UNIAN ) comes after the decision of his party "Our Ukraine - Peoples Self-Defence (NUNS)" decided, against the president's will, to reform a governing coalition with bloc Yulia Tymoshenko and bloc Lytvyn. The president had called a snap election last October following the announced withdrawal of NUNS from the coalition in September. The president has been under pressure to cancel the election which up until yesterday he was actively pursuing. The reformation of a governing coalition and pressure from within the President's faction has forced a change of view. The announcement of the decision to cancel the election and move against the parliament is welcomed as Ukraine faces a serve financial crisis in the wake of the world economic recession. A fresh election and the p

The Ukrainian currency (the hryvnia/grivna) has increased value against the US dollar . Yesterday the hryvnia dropped to a all time low of 10-10.5 . Earlier today it was selling at 8.5-9.0 to the US dollar. Less then six months ago the Ukrainan hryvnia was trading around 4.85 to the US dollar After years of robust economic growth, Ukraine has sunk into a deep recession, pressured by a drastic fall in the exports of steel, the core of the economy. A lack of confidence in the banking system, coupled with constant political turmoil under President Viktor Yushchenko has spurred a sharp devaluation in the national currency The collapse in the value of the local currency has prompted allegations of insider trading and speculative involvement by Ukraine's National Bank and the Office of the president Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko, has indicated that she will call on international organizations to investigate into laundering illegally acquired money if the central bank of U

Kyiv: Kyiv Post Editorial by Alina Pastukhova President lost control of his faction in parliament, a portentous development as more of his allies are fleeing his camp to back Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko lost control of his faction in parliament, a portentous development as more of his allies are fleeing his camp to back Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Also, two upcoming leaders started new political movements in a country that already has 159 officially registered political parties. Bucking their nominal leader, Yushchenko’s parliamentary faction Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense signed a formal coalition agreement with Tymoshenko’s and Rada Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn’s factions on Dec. 16. After several days of intrigues, 37 out of 72 Our Ukraine members joined the coalition, forming a coalition of 213 deputies – still short of the 226 majority. The signing of a new coalition deal caused a bitter split in the faction and resignation of its

In a surprise attack on Ukraine's democratic process Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's beleaguered President, is seeking revenge on those members of his party that supported the reformation of the so called democratic coalition. Ukraine needs more then anything political stability to help weather the worst of the current economic crisis. Instead of helping to restore stability,Victor Yushchenko is trying to pull it apart. Ukraine has suffered political instability since the forced reelection of Ukraine's Parliament in September 2007 elections. Victor Yushchenko and members of his staff pulled out of the governing coalition in September this year with the President seeking to call another round of Ukraine's parliamentary ballot. The destabilisation of Ukraine's political governance has taken its toll on Ukraine's economy with Ukraine suffering from the global financial crisis more then any other country in the region. Ukraine's currency has been devalued and is no

Our Ukraine - Peoples Self Defence (NUNS) have signed the agreement with Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko and Bloc Lytvyn to reform a Governing Coalition and in the process has sidelined Victor Yushchenko and his head of staff Viktor Baloha. The decision to reunite the factions was opposed by Ukraine's President who continued to advocate the Parliament's dismissal. Had fresh parliamentary election been held,based on current public opinion polls the presidents party Our Ukraine would have been decimated and ran the risk of losing representation in the new parliament. By reforming the coalition NUNS hopes to provide stability and remain in a position of infulgence as opposed to being sidelined on the side benches. The Party has struck out in opposition and declared independence from its former leader and President of Ukraine, Victor Yushchenko. There is wide speculation that NUNS no longer believe that Yushchenko or his secretariat are acting in the countries best interest. Yushchenko had

Kyiv Post have reported that the Our Ukraine and People's Self Defence faction have formally decided to re-form a governing coalition with Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko and Bloc Lytvyn to the desperate cries of dissatisfaction from supporters of Ukraine's embattled President Victor Yushchenko. The decision of the President's faction is a clear sign that Yushchenko's policies of division and undermining of Ukraine's Democratic government have taken their toll. Had Ukraine been forced to another round of Parliamentary elections Our Ukraine, who had slumped in public opinion polls to below 4%, ran the risk of losing representation in the new parliament. The determination of the faction to support a realignment with Ukraine's governing party promoted the resignation of the leader of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc faction, Viacheslav Kyrylenko, and his deputy Roman Zvarych. Both had played a crucial role in undermining the government's success. Roman Zva

After months of political instability and division the on again off again coalition is back on. Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko has reunited with Our Ukraine People's Self Defence and Bloc Lytvyn. KyivPost In what can only be seen as a back down by Ukraine's beleaguered President, Victor Yushchenko and his fledgling party Our Ukraine. Back in September 2008 The President's faction withdraw from the governing coalition which sparked another round of cat and tail constitutional political crisis. Yushchenko tried to dismiss the parliament but was unable to get his way. Fresh elections were seen as a disaster for Our Ukraine who were languishing in the polls and if forced to face a new election ran the serious risk of being ousted from office. The President made a serious blunder and no one within his party and beyond supported his actions. Not the least members of Ukraine's Parliament who continued to support confidence in the Tymoshenko govenment. To add to Yushchenko's trouble