Yuliya Tymoshenko today accused the ruling coalition of earmarking $120m to buy-off opposition deputies in order that they do not tear up their VR mandates.
If a sufficient number of BYuT and NU opposition deputies do not follow their party leaders' orders to give up their mandates, Yushchenko will not be able to call for fresh elections on September 30th, as agreed with Yanukovych early Sunday morning.
The VR cannot constitutionally function if less than 2/3 of deputies, i.e. 300 deputies hold a mandate.
When asked by journalists, both Tymoshenko, and NU head Vyacheslav Kyrylenko claimed they do have sufficient declarations signed by their respective deputies to exceed the 151 figure, but LEvko thought their replies did not ring absolutely true.
As usual, Tymoshenko did not provide a shred of evidence for her assertion that: "Today they have issued $120m from their budget, which is being offered to those deputies who have written a declaration on giving up their mandate, in order they take them back."
A gloating PoR deputy, Vasyl Hrytsak teased, "If they ask us kindly, then we will help them and find 30 - 40 PoR so that they [the opposition] go from parliament. If they don't want to work, but don't have the 151 votes, we will find them these votes. I know why they have a problem: a place on the BYuT list cost $5-7m, but this was for five years...Some deputies are demanding a refund, and only then will they leave the fraction."
LEvko suspects there is some arm-twisting going on right now..
Could all turn out to be a 'pshik'..
elmer here.
ReplyDeleteExplain, please, the comment that "a place on the BYuT list cost $5-7 million, but this was for five years..."
I think it would be a good idea to spell this out for people.