Yush going wobbly?

Viktor Hayduk, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council says, "The president's ukaz [to dismiss the VR] could be paused [pryzupynenyi], not countermanded [vidmineniy], but paused, which would provide a possibility, sufficient for political forces, to come to the election process."

President Yushchenko has told journalists he is prepared to discuss a possible later date for the snap election.

PM Yanukovych is also suggesting that Yushchenko pauses the enforcement [diya] of his ukaz, according to which early elections are scheduled to take place on the 27th of May.

Secretary general of Council of Europe Terry Davis has heard rumours of postoned elections too - something he says he supports.

He offered to help solve the current crisis if asked by the protagonists, but noted: " Ukraine should solve this problem itself, indeed the functioning of democracy and courts - these questions should be resolved in Ukraine ".

There may be a whiff of a deal here. Look out Yulka - Yu and Ya have shafted you many times before...

It will be Yush who will be seen as having backed down..

BBC carry an item on this too.


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'Ukraina Moloda' [pro-Yush] run a story in today's issue entitled: 'Hundreds of millions for 'Regiony' - the government coalition is seriously preparing for elections: 700 million hryven' stolen from the state treasury already.'

'UM' claim to have documents revealing a scam devised by Minister of Finances Mykola Azarov to skim off funds, perhaps for funding party election expenses.

Prior to importing goods, businesses have been able to deposit money in a client account with a commercial bank for settlement of import duties and VAT, in order to expedite passage of their goods through customs at the country's borders. This function has been taken over by the state treasury. If for any reason goods do not enter the country, the money can be reimbursed to the business enterprise concerned.

'UM' has documents revealing that on 30th March about 700 million hryven [~$140million] was paid to the state treasury by state stock company Naftohaz Ukrainy. On the 2nd April, the day the president issued his decree, the deputy head of the state treasury wrote a letter to the customs service saying, ' receipts to the special state budget VAT fund are not envisaged," and ordered the 'return' of this money to Naftohaz's account. The money has gone into a 'Bermuda triangle', UM claims.

The article says that without the goodwill of Azarov finding out where this money has gone now will be impossible.

LEvko says the sums of money involved, and the backgrounds of the people put in place at the prosecutor-general's office and at law enforcement agencies since last March's VR elections means that such matters will not be properly investigated. All but a few leading players in Ukrainian politics do not have the shadow of corruption on their backs. This is the tragedy of Ukraine, and maybe explains why compromise is so difficult.