The rules are..there are no rules..

Amid the turmoil of the VR morning session today, 233 anti-crisis coalition deputies voted to propose Viktor Yanukovych for PM.

The anti-crisis coalition at the moment comprises 186 PoR parliamentary deputies, 33 Socialists, and 21 Communists, providing them a small overall majority of only 14. This gives the Communists and Socialists great leverage for financial gain.

Assuming there were no turncoats from BYuT or NSNU, 7 of the anti-crisis coalition apparently, did not vote. How one of the procedural votes during the day was achieved is a mystery, because at the time of voting, most of their deputies were in the VR corridors and around the speaker's podium. One of their 'big names', Raisa Bohatyrova directed [piano-players] where to run to press the voting buttons. [Against the rules]

Newly-appointed VR speaker Moroz said during the session, "Earlier, [i.e for the last week and a half before last Thursday], [PoR] deputies blocked the podium, because the reglament [rules] were not being adhered to. Now the reglament is being adhered to the letter..."

BYuT and NSNU claim Moroz and the Socialists 'broke the rules' on formation of coalitions, by dumping on the orange coalition last Thursday, and joining the anti-crisis coalition without giving them 10 days notice, as required, during which time they. theoretically, they could look for other partners.

Abdymok's reports of today's events have put professionally run Ukrainian language sites to shame [Where are you guys?] It looks as if the afternoon session was pretty ugly too.

The capos of PoR, Yanukovych, Kolesnikov, Akhmetov in their smart suits, bouffant hair, and massaged and burnished faces are not used to this messy way of doing business.

They may try resolve these matters in a Donetsk manner. However Kyiv is a long way away from Donetsk.

If they did, this would also suit the 'street-fighters' amonst the oranges, possibly giving Yushchenko a reason to dissolve the VR, and call for fresh elections. The sponsors of all the main parties put big money up front for the March 2006 elections; those from PoR will feel robbed, and who knows what the consequences could be. Yushchenko's own NSNU party could be 'wiped out' in any re-election.

Leaders of the anti-crisis coalition are already accusing the new opposition of leading the country to chaos, which, they claim, could result in civil conflict.

According to Moroz, Yushchenko himself still wants a broad coalition [probably has from the start.] So this may avert nastier scenarios from being realized, but both sides of the conflict know there is a lot at stake, and are 'digging in'.

It is still not clear how many more NSNU and BYuT deputies are prepared to join the anti-crisis coalition, apart from two that have apparently done so - PoR say it could be 40 or more. The treatment Moroz is getting now, and the rowdiness in the VR is probably dissuading some of them from 'flipping over', so they are waiting to see 'kudy viter viye' [which way the wind is blowing]. The actual number will influence how events develop in the weeks to come.

p.s. During the Orange Revolution, President Kuchma 'phoned Putin for advice on what to do when matters became heated. Putin replied, "In general..presidents introduce a state of emergency, or there is a second possibility - you have an elected president [Yanukovych] - you could transfer power."

At that moment, Kuchma made a fantastic statement, "Well how on earth can I hand over power Vladimir Vladimirovich? He's just a Donetsk bandit."
[From Andrew Wilson's 'Ukraine's Orange Revolution'.]