Unforeseen finale to Coalition formation?

Today President Yushchenko was in Holland on an official visit - he enjoys trips abroad where receptions are friendly. Meanwhile, back at home, the Ukrainian Parliament [VR] announced another adjournment , this time to 14th June. Our Ukraine, BYuT, and SPU voted together to carry the motion, by the thinnest of majorities - 227 out of 435 deputies present.

The President, at a press conference in the Hague advised the parties trying to form the democratic coalition, to consider results of the March 26th elections when discussing allocation of government posts, which has been the main obstacle so far and main reason for delay in forming a coalition. “This would be the best way to show they respect the will of the people, as well as the best principle to share posts in the government and parliament..I think this principle has been disregarded.” Yushchenko often makes rather vague and verbose comments such as these, but maybe it's as close as he will get to saying he would agree to Tymoshenko being PM.

He had a meeting the day before with the top players forming the democratic coalition - Yuriy Yekhanurov, Roman Bezsmertny, Yulia Tymoshenko and Oleksandr Moroz, and they "managed to bridge many of differences,” he added.

Interesting piece in 'Ukr Pravda' today which says the main stumbling block preventing formation of the democratic coalition seems to be the Socialists' demands that their leader Oleksandr Moroz be appointed VR speaker.

His party are 'digging in' for this nomination - but NSNU insist on a 'counterweight' to Yuliya T for this position.' Moroz apparently is under great pressure from his party to demand the speaker's job [his last chance to achieve a high position in government]. They are telling Moroz they are indifferent in which coalition he is to gain this position ..

Article ends, "The feeling arises, that the dragging out of the process may lead to an unforeseen finale. As everyone is aware, the closure of the VR session greatly insulted the Party of Regions, who again remain outside of the process. It cannot be excluded that PR & the Communists, who are already arranging a meeting of deputies under the name of 'Stability in Ukraine', are organizing a transfer of parliament to the 'Ukrainskyi Dim'. Then there will be two alternatives: either PR will agitate or 'buy-off' a few deputies for their own majority, and form the govt. they want, or President Yushchenko, in order to avoid a velvet revolution in parliament, will have to cobble together a broad coalition with all of the predicted consequences."

It is absolutely obvious that results of the March 26th elections should be considered - now, even the President has said it.

Note: The new VR comprises PR 186, Communists 21, Socialists 33, BYuT 129, NSNU 81 Putting PR & KPU together provides 207 votes - 19 short of an absolute majority. If some of the Socialists were tempted or 'bought off,' some BYuT deputies would probably cross over too.

The 'Stability in Ukraine' group is a new inter-fractional group with 37 deputies from all five policial forces entering parliament, at the moment. According to Anatoliy Kinakh, the members are highly qualified leaders of top enterprises. Kinakh says that it is not an alternative to VR majority..."[but that] its work will be directed, so that on the basis of constructive co-operation with the president, coalition govt, to form rules of game for development of the economy."