After a repeat vote Yuriy Yekhanurov has been confirmed in the office of prime minister. He received strong support from President Viktor Yushchenko, who again chose to be present during the parliamentary vote. The former Dnipropetrovsk governor polled 289 votes. The outcome, which exceeded all expectations, was made possible by the pro-Yanukovych Regions of Ukraine faction. Some may see this as a sensation, but in Ukrainian politics it is something of a rule that yesterday’s “enemies” become “friends” today. Intense consultations had been taking place on Bankova St. since the early morning. The two Viktors, two former presidential candidates, first had a heated discussion and then quietly signed an agreement on friendship and co-operation. “This is sort of an extended version of the declaration signed earlier with the parliamentary factions,” Vasyl Horbal of the RU faction told The Day. He says that the document calls for no concrete commitments, “being rather a declaration of intent.” Horbal declined to disclose who suggested the deal, but added, “As far as I know, first there was a call from Bankova St. (the president’s office — Ed.).”
Although talks were in full swing by the time parliament began its session, it was suspenseful until the last minute. “Compromise” was the key word in the president’s speech. In all probability, Yushchenko was very much aware that both sides should make concessions, and “each side must draw conclusions from what has happened.” The head of state signed a string of decrees purportedly aimed at stabilizing the situation. In particular, the Ukrainian leader drastically revised the structure and reduced the number of his personal staff, abolished the office of the president’s first assistant, and trimmed the National Security and Defense Council’s powers, the very ones that he expanded less than half a year ago. From now on, the prerogative to propose candidates for top posts in the field of domestic security and the judiciary, as well as to decide who merits military awards, again belongs to the president’s staff. The parliamentarians welcomed the news with thunderous applause.
“I am urging you for the second time in these two days to vote for this country’s stability. We must bury the hatchet and, if possible, forget where this spot is. If a political force wants stability in the country, it should make its position clear as far as the formation of the cabinet is concerned,” the president said. Next on the agenda is “the adoption of a well-balanced budget.” “Show courage and wisdom, I count on you,” the president said disarmingly at the end of his speech. As a result, Yekhanurov even obtained votes from seven BYuT faction members, three from Bohdan Hubsky’s United Ukraine, and from almost all the independent deputies. This, together with the RU’s votes, was quite enough to make the audience burst into applause long before the electronic display board flashed the final result. Only the Social Democrats and the Communists did not flinch. Experts believe that they, in alliance with a part of BYuT, will form the core of the parliamentary opposition. “We are consistent in our actions. We do not personally oppose Yushchenko or Yekhanurov, but we think that the system of government in this country should be urgently done away with. To start with, we must speed up implementation of the constitutional reform,” said Ihor Shurma. “It is not so polite to comment on my colleagues’ actions, I will not go so far as to call them traitors, but I don’t think they are fully aware of what they have done,” Mykhailo Dobkin added. RU deputies themselves deny that they cast their votes in exchange for offices in the coalition government. “The document was signed by two leaders, one of the country and the other of the opposition. They speak about constructive cooperation, not about dropping their fundamental principles. We are still part of the opposition and on principle we are not going to bargain for offices,” Ihor Shkyria emphasized.
Incidentally, what is RU going to do with Messrs. Boiko and Matviyenkov, who were expelled from the faction last Tuesday for supporting Yekhanurov? Will these deputies still be considered violators of party discipline or the vanguard of the faction?
As for the question of portfolios, soon after being confirmed in office, Yekhanurov told the media that he would announce all his cabinet appointments next week in Dnipropetrovsk. By all accounts, Ukrainians are in for a lot of surprises. “At least a third of the ministers have nothing to do with public politics,” the new prime minister noted.
