Original article in Ukrainian by Viktor Chivukonya, UP
“Andrew, we missed the chance to get it for ten – maybe you can do it for three?” That’s the way BYuT MP Oleksandr Abdulin addressed PRU member Andriy Klyuyev. These two and Oleksandr Buryak burst in laughter. Bingo! What a joke! The figures, Abdulin was talking about, are millions of dollars.
This ‘lobby joke’ vividly characterizes current situation in the parliament. The Party of Regions (PRU) is taking up the running. New Maidan, everybody was talking about, has been cancelled. Yesterday’s rivals are now peacefully sharing committees.
Instead of working out the plan of protest actions Turchynov orders his faction to actively register for unpopular committees – only 2 MPs want to work in the field of health protection while 15 queue up to the Budget Committee.
To safely share minister portfolios PRU needs to expand coalition from 243 to 247 MPs. In such case they will not need Communist parliamentary faction since they have sufficient number of votes (226) even without them.
Feeling that PRU will solicit MPs from BYuT, Tymoshenko addressed her party fellows at the faction sitting: “Guys, change your color now if you want. Do it altogether, not one by one so that we know who is who.”
Tymoshenko failed to start active protest actions planned to be held just a week ago.
Maybe she understood she could not shatter the society when half of the country is on leave.
Maybe Tymoshenko realized that BYuT was not ready for early election since the convincing win of PRU will be even more humiliating for the ‘orange’.
Maybe Tymoshenko knew Yushchenko would not run a risk of dissolving the parliament and calling early election since it will not solve the problem. Besides the majority of Ukrainians do not back up such an idea.
Maybe Tymoshenko lets Our Ukraine Block (NU) completely get mixed with PRU just to accuse them of treachery and become a sole leader of the opposition getting ready for presidential elections.
Maybe Tymoshenko realized the mechanism of dissolving the parliament was just unreal.
(150 Mps need to vacate their seat. BYuT does not have the sufficient number of MPs; they need 30 MPs from Our Ukraine. Moreover, BYuT and Our Ukraine should cancel the entire electoral list 2006, otherwise they will be substituted by those who follow them in this list. If BYuT may dare to do that, Our Ukraine Block will never make such a step.)
But maybe Tymoshenko decided it was better to have Turchynov as the Vice-Speaker than to keep on fighting with remote chances to win.
Sure, they need 226 votes to elect Turchynov. BYuT and Our Ukraine just don’t have that number of votes. The only way out is to enlist the support of coalition. In such case they should stop teasing them with megaphones and protest actions.
Critics reproach Tymoshenko stating insignificance of the Vice-Speaker’s office. The experience of Oleksandr Zinchenko who was Volodymyr Lytvyn’s deputy showed the little influence of this post.
However, everything depends on the personality. Viktor Medvedchuk started his parliamentary career from the office of the Vice-Speaker.
Medvedchuk’s experience is a key-point to understand why Tymoshenko needs this position. This post allows pulling off a ‘velvet revolution’ 2000 when Oleksandr Tkachenko was discharged form the speaker’s office. Maybe someday Turchynov will chair the parliament in Ukrayinsky Dim (alternative place to hold parliamentary sessions) when everyone gets tired of Moroz…
Besides, Vice-Speaker will provide Tymoshenko with a very important and sometimes top secret information concerning backstage games and intrigues of the parliament.
However PRU is not too pleased with Turchynov’s nomination who has been recently abusing the ‘Regions’. PRU may offer BYuT to change their nomination for Mykola Tomenko.
Our Ukraine is in a more difficult situation. According to SPU top crisis manager Mykola Rudkovsky PRU traded committees for Petro Poroshenko and Mykola Martynenko (Finance and Banking Committee, Fuel and Energy Complex Committee respectively) in exchange for gradual joining the coalition by Our Ukraine Block.
Besides, Martynenko and Poroshenko, who were the main propagandists of early election, can now easily give up this idea since they get the desired offices. Whatever you may say, but the head of committee can friendly tap a minister or even a prime minister on the shoulder.
In general the situation with sharing jobs in the committees shows true atmosphere inside the party. To satisfy ambitions of ‘dear friends’ Our Ukraine left Yuriy Yekhanurov out of job. He got offended and went to work in the Committee for Science and Education.
The fact PRU surrendered two ‘hot’ committees means Our Ukraine is beginning to join the coalition. It is easy to guess the goal of negotiations – to make PRU give up the nomination of Yanukovych in exchange for anything they may ask for.
On the other hand Our Ukraine has President Viktor Yushchenko who refuses to bring in Yanukovych’s nomination for parliament’s approval. This play of nerves is becoming more intense with every coming day.
PRU in its turn is not going to surrender. They may offer Viktor Yushchenko to appoint Interior Minister in exchange for Yanukovych’s appointment. On the other hand, in case PRU and Our Ukraine come to agreement the former may consent to the nomination of (we ask impressible people to sit down) Yevhen Chervonenko for Interior Minister.
