Hard work for everyone in VR

After long negotiations in the VR on the agenda for next Tuesday's sitting an agreement has apparently been achieved, satisfying both the "oranges" and 'Regionaly'. Hopefully a vote on the appointment of a prime minister, composition of KabMin, vice- speakers, heads of parliamentary committees and their composition, will take place on that day. This was approved by 274 votes - those of BYuT-NUNS, the Communists, and Lytvyn's bloc. Voting for the PM will now be by a show of hands.

There are rumours that the support of the Communists has been 'bought' by BYuT and Tymoshenko in exchange for the post of MinAgroPolitiki [Ministry of Agrarian Policy] in the KabMin. Tymoshenko also resolutely defended Communist Adam Martynyuk's bid for the post of first VR vice-speaker. 'Gazeta po Kievski' claims Yuliya T now expects Communist votes in support of her premiership bid. [There are 27 Communist deputies in the VR]

Behind-the-scenes negotiations will continue through the next days, but internal problems in the "orange" camp are growing also. There are increasing signs that the President's secretariat is claiming 'dibs' on the more desirable cabinet ministers' chairs in any Tymoshenko KabMin. E.g. Yushchenko fancies the deputy head of his secretariat, Yuriy Prodan as fuel and energy minister, a post Tymoshenko herself held at the turn of the millennium. According to the coalition agreement between the orange parties, this position was earmarked for BYuT.

'Segodnya' suggests next Tuesday could be 'black day #2' for Tymoshenko. The president will be out of the country, officially until the 17th, but could be away having treatment until 26th. His people would probably rather wait for him to return before any further voting takes place. Then there's a lengthy Christmas recess, so everything will be on the back-burner until the beginning of February.

'Segodnya' also talks of internal rifts amongst the oranges, particularly over individual Cabinet posts. But Yushchenko will need the support of BYuT if he is to change to laws on the KabMin, which were recently clarified by the Constitutional Court.

Seems to me that some are tightening up the nuts on the ruling coalition, while others are going around undoing them again. What are the chances that this will stop even if a cabinet is formed on Tuesday?