Virtual politics

BYuT is appealing to President Yushchenko, demanding that he protect the head of the Consitututional Court [CC] Ivan Dombrovskiy from the 'brutal illegal pressure' that is being applied on him by PM Yanukovych and [acting?] VR speaker Oleksandr Moroz. They want to replace him with 'their man', say BYuT.

Dombrovskiy and the CC have the awesome responsibility of making the fateful ruling whether Yushchenko's ukaz to dissolve the Ukrainian parliament was, or was not, constitional.

Some reports say that Dombrovskiy has handed in his resignation and is now in hospital, that his resignation was not accepted by his peers in the 18-seat constitutional court, and even it it were, he would still retain his CC judge status.

Meanwhile Yanukovych declared today that it was the President and his secretariat that were applying pressure on Dobrovskiy. "I was made aware today that pressure is being applied onto the head of the CC. I am aware the result of this is that he will personally submit his resignation in person. [So he's not in hospital] He is a decent person who we trusted. I have already expressed my point of view about pressure on the CC to the president. This is unacceptable. We know that the pressure was from the President's Secretariat."

The President's representative in the CC responded by saying: "There has been no kind of pressure from the Presidential Secretariat or President."

Later a representative of the CC press service denied that Dombrovskiy was in hospital at all, and stated that he is well and at work.

The CC could take 2 months to come to a decision whether Yush's ukaz to dismiss parliament is constitutional. Maybe they will never decide..

PoR VR deputy Voldymyr Sivkoych today announced that the SBU [security services of Ukraine] have received a order to arrest vice prime minister Andriy Klyuyev, as well as other officials, for organizing counter-measures to those taken by Presidential Secretariat and for blocking the working of the Central Election Commission. Sivkovych appeals to all SBU officials to adhere to the law and not to obey illegal orders.

There has been a flurry of other claims, counter-claims and denials on other matters too. In order forstall any 'possible decision by the President to introduce direct Presidential rule and a state of emergency', the VR have resolved to be ready at 15 minutes notice to attend any sitting.

But the head of the President's information service denies any suggestion that the President has prepared an ukaz to introduce a state of emergency.

ATTENTION!

We interrupt this posting to warn you that you have entered into a

zone of what Andrew Wilson calls 'Virtual Politics'.
The veracity of any statement made by any leading Ukrainian

politician or party should, from now on, be treated with

EXTREME SUSPICION,

particularly if made in a grave voice and stern facial expression.

Expect frequent over-flights of 'kachky' [canards].

Luckily most Ukrainians are equipped with efficient bull-s**t filters and are going about their daily business as usual.