2006

UKRAININ POLITICAL MATRIX RELOADED

Political crisis was solved unexpectedly. The president changed his decision to dismiss parliament in the last moment. Then he announced the round table with all parties which were elected to the Verkhovna Rada (parliament). After that the president agreed with appointment of Victor Yanukovich as prime minister. Finally, Yanukovich was voted by parliament for this chair, MPs went for vacation and political situation in this country has stabilised. That was the way used by the Donetsk group to get the power absolutely legally. And this group has started to fulfil all cells of the power matrix at once. Moreover, all conditions to monopolise the power by this group are created. On the other hand, Ukrainian political system shows process of evolution towards the two-party type. Hence it makes probability of revision of the Constitutional reform smaller. Today's losers are president V. Yushchenko, his Our Ukraine as well as Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko (BYUT). The president lost most of his rating and some of his authority. The Donetskites want to see him as a kind of English queen, a helpless ruler who is used by them to legitimate their group in the West, but the president resists that. Our Ukraine is close to a catastrophe point, first of all due to inconsistent president's behaviour. BYUT remains the only serious opposition to the Donetsk group. However political perspectives of Yulia Tymoshenko are uncertain: there are three and a half years till the next presidential elections and four and a half years till the elections to parliament. In its continuation of loading the matrix of state bodies with its representatives, the Donetsk group has done and will keep on further HR expansion in financial, industrial and energy sectors of the central head offices of the executive branch of the power, including state monopolies (so-called the national companies). At the same time, leaders of the Party of Regions treat the president with formal respect - while informally doing everything possible to decline Yushchenko's political influence. Besides, legal base to cut the rest of president's authorities is being prepared. For instance, taking away his right to appoint judges should not be excluded. It is hardly possible to say Yushchenko is ready to restrain his authorities and rating. His speeches during celebrations of Independence Day and 150th anniversary of Ivan Franko prove that he does not want to become a decorative figure in politics. Meantime new government headed by Yanukovich is going to solve economic tasks, first of all to contain gas and other fuel prices low. Yet prime minister's visit to summit of the Eurasian Economic Community in Russia in order to stop these prices growth can be treated as unsuccessful. But in general foreign economic policy of the new government is turning back to the multi-vector doctrine.