Double dealing opportunists in the VR..

At a press conference today Oleksandr Moroz, the new VR speaker who 'betrayed' his orange colleagues last Thursday, gave a brief and candid explanation why he chose to 'rat' on them.

He reminded journalists that a memorandum had been prepared, between NSNU, BYuT & Socialists, even before the 26th March elections. Once the votes were counted and NSNU realized, to their horror, that they were in third place, well behind their orange BYuT partners, they officially revoked the memorandum.

After difficult discussions lasting several weeks, it was agreed that as NSNU was represented in the orange coalition by the President, and Tymoshenko was claiming the PM's chair, then the Socialists would claim the top position in the VR.

NSNU delayed, putting forward ideas that the coalition needed to be created in a 'broader' format, and started negotiating with Yanukovych's PoR about the creation of this broad coalition, which was to include PoR. Their plans almost came to fruition, but thanks to the determined efforts of a few people from BYuT, a decision was made, nevertheless, to go with the democratic coalition of the three orange parties.

Lots of top NSNU people had demanded a grand coalition from the very beginning. The controversial figure of Petro Poroshenko was nominated for VR speaker by NSNU purely with the aim of causing splits, or to get Tymoshenko to withdraw her claim for the PM's position - Moroz claims he spoke about this frequently with Yekhanurov and Bezsmertnyi.

His impression was that NSNU envisaged an orange coalition that was to exist for a few months only, then it was to be brought down, and a new, broad coalition with election victors PoR constructed in its place. Everyone knew that the candidature of Petro Poroshenko was unrealistic.

So it seems then, according to Moroz, he and the Socialists merely 'switched horses' and teamed up with PoR, before NSNU had the chance to do so. Had he delayed, he could have found himself 'cut-out' of any deals further down the line, and in the opposition wilderness alongside Tymoshenko and BYuT.

Nothing to do with ideology, political aims, keeping one's word, or morality then..

Tomorrow all of the boys and girls are back in the VR. We will see who still has the stomach for a fight. Will BYuT stage a sit-in, just as PoR had done in the days before last Thursday? How many NSNU people will join them? How many BYuT'ivtsi will stay loyal? Could possibly get nasty..Moroz will be the main target for abuse..

NSNU's council have just decided to strive for early re-elections too, something BYuT had already declared was their aim. When their representative was asked if NSNU would go with one election list together with BYuT, he replied this would depend on the results of negotiations with BYuT. Considering the calamity their dithering has caused over the last three months, they have some nerve..

Meanwhile Kinakh and Yekhanurov from NSNU have been conducting talks with Moroz and PoR leaders. A Socialist spokesman said, 'They came to give themselves up as 'prisoners of war'. And PoR are saying they have almost 300 deputies' votes 'in the bag'.

Now BYuT claim Yushchenko may be inclined to dissolve parliament..

So, it's not all over yet for the oranges..