Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Toys being thrown in the nursery again..

The Orange coalitionists have confirmed that they will propose Yuliya Tymoshenko for PM, and Petro Poroshenko for parliamentary [VR] speaker. They have decided that voting will take place 'in a packet', i.e. the two positions to be voted for, openly and simultaneously.

Because there are dissenters who could 'go wobbly', particularly amongst the Socialist ranks, an open 'packet' vote is the most likely method of providing sucess. There are serious doubts, however, whether the 'packet vote' is constitutional, even though it has been used in the past. By coincidence today is a national holiday - Constitution Day.

The new VR comprises Party of Regions 186, Communists 21, Socialists 33, BYuT 129, NSNU 81; the Orange majority of 17 was always going to be vulnerable to attack by means fair and foul.

Voting is supposed to be taking place tomorrow, but PR have been staging a 'sit-in' for the last two days, preventing the VR from functioning. They threaten to remain there until the VR is dissolved, and are demanding that the two posts are voted for separately by means of a secret vote. [So increasing the chances of bribed or otherwise 'nobbled*' orange deputies pressing the 'correct' button? For what other purpose would democratically elected representatives demand a secret vote?]

PR are demanding their man Viktor Yanukovych, hardly the most quick-witted or articulate of men, be proposed for the VR speaker's job even though he has been very shy in the VR in recent weeks - other members of his party have been addressing the VR on behalf of his party. He would however, bring to the position, a useful pair of fists.

Leading 'BYuT'ivets', Mykola Tomenko, says a slush fund of $250Million has been set up to ensure Yanukovych is elected VR speaker.

Stories are circulating that 17 Socialists will not vote for Tymoshenko for PM, and 2 don't fancy Poroshenko as VR speaker. Those in the ranks of NSNU who wanted a 'grand coalition from the start could probably be easily be bought off, and, no doubt some in BYuT would even vote for a 'glove puppet' rather than Poroshenko for speaker.

On a lesser note, Tymoshenko has accused PR of turning the VR into a rubbish dump. "Rubbish, bottles, cans, cigarette butts, discarded all over the VR. They should maintain an appropriate level of 'kultura,'" she complained. An hour later PR 'leaderine' Raisa Bohatyrova invited journalists into the VR to demonstrate that Tymoshenko's accusations were groundless, [maybe having gone round with a brush, a mop, and bucket..]

All in all, another fine mess..

*nobble - to drug or otherwise disable an opponent's racehorse before a race. Engish slang]

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The secret vote idea may _not_ necessarily only hide "bought" candidates, but also ones who are opposed to the proposed candidates, but have no desire to be brow-beaten by the own "side." I'm nindful of Tymoshenko's previous proposal that BYut deputies who dared to vote the wrong way would not only be excluded from her party, but -- given her druthers -- kicked out of the Rada entirely. Faced with that kind of internal imtimidation, who needs the PR as an enemy?