Ukraine's Government Collapses Amid Rivalry

[Andrew87]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i...q0L7gD937OOMO0

Ukraine's governing coalition collapses
By OLGA BONDARUK – 56 minutes ago

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's pro-Western coalition collapsed Tuesday, paving the way for complicated coalition talks or yet another early parliamentary election.

The nine-month-old alliance composed of parties loyal to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and his 2004 Orange Revolution partner, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, fell apart following months of infighting between the two leaders. They have become fierce rivals ahead of a presidential election scheduled for 2010.

It is the latest setback in the country's four-year-old embrace of democracy, amid growing tensions with Russia following its war with Georgia last month. Ukrainian politicians are split between those condemning the Kremlin and determined to push for membership in NATO, and those weary of antagonizing their giant neighbor.

"I officially announce the termination of the democratic coalition in the Verkhovna Rada," parliament speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk told lawmakers, referring to the Ukrainian legislature. "It is yet another democratic challenge, but I hope that together we will overcome this challenge."

The parliament now has 30 days to form a new coalition; if it fails, a new election will be called. That would be the third parliamentary vote in as many years and another blow to hopes for quick reforms in Ukraine and its integration with the West, which both leaders campaigned for.

So...I guess this means "bye,bye" to Sarkozy's plan of "further integration between the EU and Ukraine".

Who do you think will emerge victorious in the next elections: a pro-west leader or a pro-kremlin one?

[Dr. Croccer]

It's going to be an ass who doesn't know what he wants hopefully. If he's pro-Kremlin, he's going to close imports to the EU, pissing both Russia and the EU off. If he's pro-west, vice versa.

[Portuguese Rebel]

It's going to be an ass who doesn't know what he wants hopefully. If he's pro-Kremlin, he's going to close imports to the EU, pissing both Russia and the EU off. If he's pro-west, vice versa.

If he is pro kremlin it will actually mean very little economically. Only politically will the conection between the Ukraine and the EU become somewhat less warm.

[attilavolciak07]

Who do you think will emerge victorious in the next elections: a pro-west leader or a pro-kremlin one?

Pro-Kremlin. They had this planned, call me Russophobic but they know what to do in case of a situation as such, just as the US has their plan. Ukraine, while powerful, is still deemed to be a puppet of two regimes that have historically hated each other. A majority of Russian Ukrainians are in Crimea, which would be a site of conflict with the Sevastopol port and such. On the other hand, Ukraine knows that the West and Russia couldn't possibly have war with a power close to theirs, if Ukraine was as strong as Burundi, the country would not have existed today, luckily their military scares the Russians and the West, so the only thing we will get out of Ukraine is more tension in a world falling apart.

[CarbEast]

Who do you think will emerge victorious in the next elections: a pro-west leader or a pro-kremlin one?

There are no "pro-kremlin" politics in Ukraine right now, only insanely russophobic, moderately russophobic and rational ones (with exception of communists, but they are only marginal political power).

If he is pro kremlin it will actually mean very little economically. Only politically will the conection between the Ukraine and the EU become somewhat less warm.

Actually it will mean quite a lot for economy of Ukraine if he is *anti-kremlin*. It's fair to say that Russian market is essential for Ukraine export. If new Ukrainian government keeps the same route of confrontation with Russia as they did before, this may end up with pretty nasty cosequences for economy of Ukraine.

[Panzerbear]

evil Putin pulling the strings while eating babies remark in 5....4....3...2...

[Andrew87]

...1

!!!! Putin eats babies!!! Arghhhh

On a serious note: I think it's good that the coalition crashed. For almost a year they were going nowhere with their reforms. Maybe now it's their chance to form a new coalition, or who knows, maybe just one party will get all the votes (hopefuly a stable one this time ) and get some work done.

[Panzerbear]

...1

!!!! Putin eats babies!!! Arghhhh

I knew it .

On a serious note: I think it's good that the coalition crashed. For almost a year they were going nowhere with their reforms. Maybe now it's their chance to form a new coalition, or who knows, maybe just one party will get all the votes (hopefuly a stable one this time ) and get some work done.

are you serious? for almost a year? Ukraine never had a fully functioning govt ever since the Orange revolution. they always clash against each other, to the point that they became an embarassment to themselves. this is not democracy or good politics. this is circus.

[Andrew87]

are you serious? for almost a year? Ukraine never had a fully functioning govt ever since the Orange revolution. they always clash against each other, to the point that they became an embarassment to themselves. this is not democracy or good politics. this is circus.

One can expect that after a "revolution", things won't immediately start functioning the way they should.

Only in the last couple of years things really started to resemble a circus and it became clear that there won't be any peace untill someone surrenders. I mean for God's sake they had third elections in two years. To many intrests, to many politicians trying to keep the original status quo, and to much corruption finally sealed it's faith.

[BlackAkula]

...1

!!!! Putin eats babies!!! Arghhhh

hehe (just to have some image in mind, lol)

[Iscariott]

hehe (just to have some image in mind, lol)

Pfft, photoshop. Putin is way better built than that.

[The Noble Lord]

There should not be long before Russia gets blamed for this.
And for power-cuts that are occurring in Western Ukraine as well.

[bushbush]

so much for that romantic pro-west revolution...people put so much hope in that thing and it blew up in their face.

at the end of the day, concrete policy that suits the need of Ukraine as A WHOLE is the solution, not romantic rhetorics for a part of the country.

[Philos Sophos]

Yeah,Ukraine needs dictatorship,that means a russian puppet,a western pupper is bad...

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

I think the best alternative for Ukraine right now is to stay unaligned. Austria did the same during the Cold War and their fate was much better when in fact Vienna could be a second Berlin, and they possibly part of the European theater of war. Ukraine is way pressed by clashing foreign interests to ever align safely with another country, like Poland did with EU and NATO.

[Pavlik the Rus]

There are no pro-Russian famous politics there.

[Lou337]

Ukraine's government collapses amid rivalry

UKRAINE: UKRAINE'S PRO-WESTERN coalition officially collapsed yesterday, marking a nadir in the fractious relationship between president Viktor Yushchenko and prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, less than four years after they led the Orange Revolution together.
After 10 days of attempts to save the alliance, speaker of parliament Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared it dead and announced the start of a 30-day period in which a new coalition must be formed if Ukraine is to avoid its third election in as many years.

Mr Yushchenko appointed Ms Tymoshenko to her second stint as premier following her party's strong showing in last autumn's elections, but they immediately squabbled over public spending and privatisation plans.
The president accused the prime minister of coveting his job and preparing a bid for the post in elections planned for 2010.
She in turn accused him of undermining her government and blocking its reforms so as to damage her popularity.

The coalition crumbled in the wake of last month's Russian military campaign in Georgia.
As Mr Yushchenko condemned the Kremlin's actions and pushed for Ukrainian membership of Nato, Ms Tymoshenko refused to place all the blame on Moscow and insisted that Kiev be patient in its ambitions to join the military alliance.

The crisis comes at a sensitive time for Ukraine, amid warnings from Mr Yushchenko and western capitals that, following their intervention in Georgia, hawks in the Russian administration may seek to destabilise Ukraine's largely ethnic-Russian region of Crimea.

© 2008 The Irish Times

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...599424461.html

& video from bbc http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7619569.stm

Next up, Belarus & Khazakstan after these messages.

[Heinz Guderian]

Russia wins again. Those guys are on a roll.

[Каие]

Not good for stability in the region, and there is a possibility that both Russia and NATO will seek to exploit the problem further by trying to help install a pro-them government.

[Lou337]

The next 30 days should be interesting as that's how long they have to work things out until mandatory elections take place, which would also make their 2010 elections void.

Edited first post with added video from BBC