Word: yanukovych
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...most Western eyes, the political comeback of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych would seem to be a major setback for the celebrated Orange Revolution that brought President Viktor Yuschchenko to power in late 2004. It was the Russian-backed Yanukovych, leader of the eastern-leaning Party of the Regions (PR), who helped trigger the peaceful democratic uprising after initially winning a rigged Presidential election...
...thanks to his own political makeover and the internal squabbles of Yushchenko's once triumphant coalition, Yanukovych came Friday afternoon to the Supreme Rada, Ukraine?s National Legislature, to be confirmed as Ukraine?s new Premier - and, as a result of recent reforms, actually take over many of the Presidential powers of his onetime nemesis, Yushchenko. The flamboyant Yuliya Tymoshenko, Yuschchenko's own onetime revolutionary partner and prime minister and now leader of the parliament's Byut faction, decried ?the sellout of the Orange Revolution" and pledged "stiff opposition? to the hatching coalition government of Yanukovych's PR faction...
...contrary to what some people might claim, the political intrigue that led to Yanukovych's reemergence is as much a part of democracy as fair elections, or for that matter, separation of powers. In the March parliamentary elections, Yanukovych?s PR won 32% of the vote fair and square. The Orange forces, badly split since Tymoshenko lost her Premiership last September in a feud with the OU, tried to re-build their winning coalition, along with the Socialst party, but Tymoshenko?s categorical condition was the Premiership...
...Instead, in a sudden about-face, the Socialists formed a Coalition with the PR and the Communists. That left Yushchenko with the legal option of nominating the Coalition Leader Yanukovych, however distasteful to him, for Premier, or disbanding the Rada, which risked aggravating the nation?s already yawning split. With suspense growing - and with two pre-taped TV addresses to the nation, one proclaiming the Rada disbanded, the other one announcing the ?Two-Viktors-One-Country? conciliatory formula - Yushchenko chose the last-minute compromise...
...With the Orange coalition in tatters, the rifts are now being played out at the ballot box, where Tymoshenko's eponymous party came in second behind Yanukovych. The new parliament turns out to be as split as society is - which, among many other things, is a proof of an honest and fair election. Since no single party, including the big winner Yanukovych, has the majority, a coalition government, with all the accompanying horse trading and compromises, will likely be formed...