Ukraine Today - An Independent Political Review

All Headlines on the Subject "Parliamentary elections and governmental crisis in Ukraine": 10/19/2006 Ukraine's prime minister: "Orange" ministers will be replaced by members of coalition 10/19/2006 President Yushchenko surrenders Our Ukraine ministers 10/11/2006 There is no final decision on "orange" ministers yet (Ukraine) 10/02/2006 Our Ukraine faction leader: "Orange" ministers may well leave the government 09/19/2006 Does NATO membership guarantee independence and security to Ukraine? Report by Georgy Kryuchkov 09/13/2006 Ukraine's ruling coalition replenished with Timoshenko's bloc MPs 09/05/2006 Yulia Timoshenko questions legitimacy of Ukrainian government 09/05/2006 Poll: Yanukovich's rate has come up with total popularity of Yushchenko-Timoshenko's duet 08/30/2006 MP Iosif Vinsky: Ukrainian Socialist Party turns into lackey of Donetsk clan 08/14/2006 Mastermind of blasts can be either inside or outside the country: In...

Survey: 73.4% of Ukrainians support the idea of referendum on Ukraine's entry into NATO Read it in Russian Source: Regnum Sept 9-17 2006 the Center for Sociological Studies "Sofia" asked 2,010 people all over Ukraine, in the Crimea, Kiev and Sevastopol (a total of 128 settlements) about their attitude to the prospect of Ukraine's entry into NATO. They in the center have told REGNUM that 47.1% say that Ukraine should integrate with Russia and the CIS, 24.2% that Ukraine should rely on its own resources and should strengthen its independence and 20.5% that Ukraine should integrate into the West. The people have turned out to have a differentiated notion of the "West": when saying "partner for cooperation" most of them mean Europe (the EU), and much fewer – the US. This circumstance explains the difference in their attitudes to the prospects of European and North-Atlantic integration. 55.8% support EU integration, while over 2/3 (68.8%) say that Ukra...

Ukraine needs a strong opposition if it is to hold the new Government to account. The offer by Yulia Timoshenko for Our Ukraine to join the opposition was a good tactical move as it shows up Our Ukraine for what they are. Meanwhile Our Ukraine continues to hold out hope that it might join the governing coalition. Negotiations are proceeding as Our Ukraine's 10 day deadline approaches. "It is better to be a dog inside and well feed then a dog stuck out in the cold. Pavlov's dog continues to bark at the door hoping to be let inside." Our Ukraine bloc has no intention to team up with Timoshenko Source: ITAR-TASS September 22, 2006 KIEV, September 22 (Itar-Tass) -- The just-created inter-factional opposition association in the Ukrainian parliament has incorporated only part of the Yulia Timoshenko faction and two Socialists. "There is not a single deputy from the Our Ukraine faction," a member of Our Ukraine faction, Boris Bespaly, said after Yulia Timoshenko c...

In what is shaping up to be another hot spot. The residents of Moldova's Transdnestr region Sunday votes overwhelming for succession and independence from Moldova. Whilst the World Government's refuse to recognise the ballot the fact still remains that a large section of Moldova's population does not wish to remain under Moldovan rule. The President of Ukraine also has rejected the referendum as being valid. There is no quick solution to this problem. Ukraine also faces the potential of separatist movements building momentum if divisions are not resolved. The election of Party of Region's Viktor Yanakovich as Prime Minister has dampened for the time being calls for Ukraine to divide into a lose federation of autonomous republics. Crimea is already an autonomous republic and there and those that recommend the creation of additional autonomous regions. The Hungarian community on Western Ukraine, carved off from Hungary as party of the divisions following the collapse of t...

Office of the President under review. Ukraine's Communist Party propose to abolition of the post of President. Whilst the communist party, which represent less then 5% of Ukraine, proposal is unlikely to receive the necessary support and the statutory majority required to abolish the President's position the issue surrounding the role and function of the office of president will continue to be under review. Ukraine is now a parliamentary democracy. Government is no longer by presidential decree but the responsibility of the elected parliamentary representatives. This is a positive step in Ukraine's democratic evolution. Whilst supporters of the currently president would like to see the president have absolute power. I am sure supporters of the president would be the first to call for reform if someone else other then their nominee held the post of president. Presidents come and presidents go. Constitutional reform should be based on particular outcomes. Any changes to the ...

Viktor Yushchenko, having lost public support and the parliamentary election, under pressure from his masters now finds the need to speak out and criticize the newly formed government for not agreeing his policies. (For-ua.com September 16, 2006) copy below. In making his comments Victor Yushchenko also insisted that "the formation of a parliamentary coalition should be faster". Where was the Viktor Yushchenko during the negotiations for the formation of an Orange coalition. Instead of constantly travelling abroad he should have been in Ukraine providing assistance and direction to his own party and their team of negotiators. The delays caused by Our Ukraine not supporting Yulia Tymoshenko and the Socialist Party, their persistent undermining of the formation of an "Orange" governing coalition did not go unnoticed. Yulia Tymoshenko and Olexander Moroz both had cause to publicly call on the President as leader of Our Ukraine to bring them to the table and honour the ...

The BBC continues to display an inherent bias in its reporting on Ukraine. Prior to the "Orange revolution I recall reports from the Kyiv office that the then Ukrainian Government were scrambling broadcast of the BBC in order to prevent access to news. What was strange about this report is that I was watching the BBC at the time of these allegations and had been watching the BBC for the preceding three days as I worked from home. I was in Ukraine at the time. Ukraine's President, Viktor Yushchenko, statement that Ukraine's Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych's belief that public opinion opposed the move was "wrong" certainly must be questioned. Public polling has shown consistently that a majority of Ukrainians do not support or are opposed to Ukraine joining NATO. Ukraine's membership of NATO featured prominently during the march 2006 election campaign with most parties and candidates opposed to Ukraine joining NATO. Even amongst supporters of Our Ukraine ...