Baloha resignation could be time bomb..

Having sensationally resigned, how much kompromat has Baloha taken out of the president's secretariat? According to Vasyl Baziv, [remember him? - he was one of those who sneered about Yushchenko's poisoning in 2004] Baloha could blow the whistle on the president.

Baloha claims Yushchenko: "has no moral right to run for president again." So if Yushchenko does so, will Baloha 'reveal all the dirt'?

Meanwhile, there are major divisions looming in PoR between the Donetskiites and the Luhanskiites [Dons and Lugs]..

Update: According to 'ProUA', "Ex-head of president's secretariat to drown Party of Region's leader's rivals in kompromat..." "Backstabber" Baloha is not wasting any time then..

Will Frankfurters forward film evidence?

423 VR deputies have today overwhelmingly voted to recommend the Cabinet of Ministers temporarily suspends Minister of Internal Affairs Yuriy Lutsenko pending a parliamentary investigation of last week's melee involving the minister at Frankfurt airport. [See previous blogs] PM Tymoshenko says she will follow the VR's recommendation and suspend Lutsenko.

Lutsenko's press secretary Inna Kysil, commenting on the events surrounding the boss's behaviour at the airport airport today said: "We really want video recordings from the airport security system to appear [in the hands of] Ukrainian journalists - in this way all the 'i's will be dotted and 't's crossed. Then there will be fewer questions for the minister, and less manipulation by politicians. But we have not recieved an answer to our requests for transfer of this video."

I mentioned the importance of video evidence in last Thursday's blog.

Lutsenko to survive?

Last week's fracas at Frankfurt airport involving Minister of the Interior Yuriy Lutsenko has been picked up by some the world's press.

Naturally, the opposition is taking full advantage of the situation to destablise an already-wobbly government, but Lutsenko would probably survive any motion in the Verkhovna Rada to sack him - a cynic would say this was reason he offered his resignation in the first place...

German authorities have furnished the Ukrainian consulate in Frankfurt with a report of the incident. According to a German spokesman, "We are talking not only of resistance to law enforcement officials, but of dangerous bodily harm and offence to dignity." [The German police involved will no doubt claim compensation for damages, like this British police mechanic, who received £500,000 for a cut finger.. ]

Apparently Lutsenko's 19-year old son, around whom the incident was centred, has recently endured medical procedures to treat thyroid cancer, and undertook a chemotherapy programme in Austria, allegedly [and curiously] paid for by PoR deputy Andriy Klyuev.

It is quite possible, and understandable, that having seen his son being roughly treated by German officials, Lutsenko overreacted. There may be some sympathy for him amongst his Ukrainian colleagues - a PoR deputy recently complained of prejudicial and coarse treatment by German airport officials in Berlin. And Vitaliy Klychko was involved in a spot of bother at Frankfurt airport in March - he has now commenced legal proceedings in this matter. Ukrainians have suffered bad experiences at the hands of Germans in uniforms in the past...maybe one of those at Frankfurt was called Adolf...

Lutsenko's drinking adds another twist to political uncertainty

Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Lutsenko's and his son's drunken behaviour at Frankfurt airport could have serious political consequences. Lutsenko is leader of the 'NS' or Narodnya Samooborona' part of NUNS. Ominously, his people are already saying nothing happened in Frankfurt, and that the "incident"was nothing but dirty tricks by the opposition.

If his parliamentary Nasha Ukraina and BYuT partners decide support PoR's call to sack him he could bring down the whole flimsy ruling coalition.

p.s. The NS website grandly declares that the party's principles are:

1. Do not steal and don't allow others to steal
2. Do not lie, and don't allow others to lie..
3. Do not take or give bribes.
4. Do not be afraid to fight for your rights.
5. Love Ukraine.

Surveillance videos from the German airport should prove if Lutsenko is adhering to them..

Yushchenko to fade away?

Following president Yushchenko's appeal, Ukraine's Consitutional Court today decided that there are no legal grounds for him to disband Verkhovna Rada. He had claimed the current cabinet was not legally in power, because it had not resigned after the parliamentary coalition had been reshuffled.

The CC Chief Justice Andry Stryzhak, at a press conference, said that only the ruling coalition in parliament has the authority to form a new cabinet and appoint a new premier.

Everybody knows Yushchenko's term in office is drawing to a close. He and his associates are going the way of the Chesire Cat in this clip from 'Alice in Wonderland'. People will be looking to the future - it unlikely many decisions will go his way now on.