Focus on Ukraine, December 8-14, 2008
The parliament once again
failed to agree on candidates for the position of speaker. Ivan
Pliushch (Our Ukraine – People’s Self-defense) and Oleksandr
Lavrynovych are the two candidates being considered for the
position.
Meanwhile,
members of the OU-PSD faction discussed at a meeting with President
Viktor Yushchenko the future steps this parliamentary political
force should take. The president is demanding that the Verkhovna
Rada elect a speaker and backs Ivan Pliushch for this position. As
a reminder, the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc is opposed to this, calling
the candidacy of Pliushch an ultimatum of the president.
Ukraine’s Minister of
Foreign Affairs Volodymyr Ohryzko believes Ukraine can become a
member of NATO without the Membership Action Plan
(MAP).
The minister said that the Annual National NATO
Accession Program and the MAP are one in the same thing. In light
of this, Ohryzko fells that the MAP will no longer be mandatory
should Ukraine execute the annual program.
December 9
Today’s session in the Verkhovna Rada
kicked off with a few
surprises.
Leader of the OU-PSD Vyacheslav Kyrylenko called for holding
talks between his political force and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and
the Lytvyn Bloc concerning the formation of a coalition. Kyrylenko
said that a possible coalition between the YTB and the Party of
Regions, which he believes does not comply with the national
interests of Ukraine, is forcing his faction to hold such
talks.
Further, Kyrylenko
believes that an agreement between political forces on anti-crisis
measures and introduction of open party lists or a return to mixed
electoral system should be the foundation of a coalition
agreement.
Leader of the YTB faction
Ivan Kyrylenko announced the renewal of the old coalition between
the YTB and the OU-PSD and that the Lytvyn Bloc would join this
coalition.
Members of the
YTB said that if a coalition is formed between these three forces,
Volodymyr Lytvyn will become the speaker of the parliament. The
Lytvyn Bloc said it is ready to join this
coalition.
Meanwhile, the OU-PSD said
that in order for the faction to renew mutual relations with its
former allies, the latter must back down from any attempts to amend
the Constitution of Ukraine.
This afternoon the
Ukrainian parliament elected a new speaker of the Verkhovna Rada
and formed a
coalition.
A total of
244 deputies voted in favor of Volodymyr Lytvyn for the position of
speaker. Besides the members of Lytvyn’s party, all members of the
Communist Party, almost all members of the YTB, half of the members
of OU-PSD and three members of the Party of Regions – Vasyl
Hrytsak, Yuchym Zvyahilskiy and Taras Chornovil – voted in favor of
Lytvyn.
The newly elected speaker
of the Ukrainian parliament Volodymyr Lytvyn announced the
formation of a new coalition in the Verkhovna Rada: Lytvyn Bloc,
the YTB and
OU-PSD.
Bear in mind
that a part of the OU-PSD faction announced that the new
parliamentary alliance was fabricated as the leader of OU-PSD
Vyacheslav Kyrylenko did not sign the coalition agreement with the
YTB and the Lytvyn Bloc.
President Viktor
Yushchenko congratulated Volodymyr Lytvyn on his appointment as the
speaker of the
VR.
The head of state said such an experienced and level-headed
politician is capable of blocking the work of the country highest
legislative body.
At the same time,
the president congratulated the Verkhovna Rada on its first step to
normal functioning and called on all deputies to immediately adopt
anti-crisis bills and the national budget for next year.
Member of OU-PSD Ksenya
Lyapina insists that the newly formed parliamentary majority cannot
be called full-fledged until it is officially formed.
Lyapina said that all sides involved
must polish the text in the coalition agreement, which has yet to
be signed by the leader of the faction Vyacheslav Kyrylenko. The
members of the OU-PSD feel the signature of Kyrylenko’s deputy
Borys Tarasiuk on this agreement is invalid.
Premier Yulia Tymoshenko
announced that the government will be reformatted according to the
requirements of the newly elected parliamentary
majority.
She said the
Cabinet of Ministers will form three factions of members in the
coalition, meaning that a redivision of ministerial posts can be
expected.
The Verkhovna Rada has
begun its fight against the economic crisis based on anti-crisis
bills
Members of the
parliament adopted in its first reading a bill on social security,
by virtue of which an increase in the staffing of civil services on
the budget payroll is banned for a year. Only seven bills have been
registered in the parliament.
President Viktor
Yushchenko called on the parliamentarians to focus their efforts
and approve the national budget for next year and a package of
anti-crisis bills by the end of this year.
In a meeting with new VR Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, the
president requested that the VR immediately consider 15 of his
bills, particularly the bill on deputy immunity.
Leader of the Party of
Regions Viktor Yanukovych gave the current government 100 days to
make order in the country.
If the government does not improve the situation
within this set deadline, the Party of Regions will incite people
to hit the streets in protest.
The parliament approved amendments to the budget for 2008. In particular, an additional UAH 6 billion will be allocated to the Pension Fund. Another UAH 1 billion will be directed towards filling the Individual Deposit Guarantee Fund. In addition to that, UAH 3.2 billion will be allocated to Naftogaz Ukrainy to compensate for the difference between buy and sell prices of imported gas.
VR Speaker Volodymyr
Lytvyn announced at a working trip to the Uman region of the
Cherkasy Oblast that he will counteract any scenarios in which
Ukrainians are planning to organize acts of public
protest.
In addition to
that, Lytvyn called for the need to unite all political forces in
order to overcome the crisis in the country.
- May 19, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, May 12 – 18, 2008 - May 26, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, May 19-25, 2008 - June 2, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, May 26-June 1, 2008 - June 9, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, June 2-8, 2008 - June 16, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, June 9-15, 2008 - June 23, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, June 16-22, 2008 - June 30, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, June 23-29, 2008 - July 7, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, June 30-July 6, 2008 - July 14, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, July 7-13, 2008 - July 21, 2008
Focus on Ukraine, July 14-20, 2008
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