Former rivals of Orange Revolution heroine Tymoshenko look to her as possible ally

[Perun]

http://www.kyivpost.com/top/23167/

Former rivals of Orange Revolution heroine Tymoshenko look to her as possible ally

Sep 12 2005, 11:30


(AP) - Ukrainian opposition parties linked to the Orange Revolution's chief enemies are starting to look to former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko as a possible partner after the breakup of her political union with President Viktor Yushchenko.

"There are no eternal enemies and allies in politics, common interests are the main issue," Ihor Shurma, one of the leaders of the opposition Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (United), told the Associated Press on Sept. 11.

Yushchenko on Sept. 8 sacked Tymoshenko's government, along with Petro Poroshenko, the powerful chief of the Security and Defense Council.

He said the dismissals were prompted by infighting between rival government clans, which erupted last week into sharp allegations of corruption leveled at Poroshenko and some other close presidential aides.
Tymoshenko, the firebrand Orange Revolution leader, quickly signaled that she was moving into opposition to her former comrade-in-arms Yushchenko. Tymoshenko said she would lead the party under her name as a completely separate political force from the president.

Shurma, whose party is headed by former President Leonid Kuchma's one-time chief of staff, Viktor Medvedchuk, said his party and Tymoshenko's could start negotiating about a possible coalition ahead of March parliamentary elections.

The March elections are seen as key to cementing the democratic gains of the Orange Revolution mass protests. Changes in the law also envisage that the new parliament will yield far greater powers.

The SDPU's lawmaker Nestor Shufrich, who called Tymoshenko "a new orange opposition," said a union would be possible if corruption allegations against Yushchenko's government were proven.

While addressing Ukrainians during an emotional political talk-show appearance Sept. 9, Tymoshenko clutched in her hands two ribbons - one orange, which was Yushchenko's campaign color, and blue, the campaign color of his rival, losing presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych.

She told viewers that she would start carrying both with her, saying "I want us to combine the best we have in both our colors" - a possible hint at her willingness to cooperate with her former political opponents.

For his part, Yanukovych didn't rule out cooperation with his former foe. "There is nothing impossible in politics," he said.

But Tymoshenko allies said that Ukraine's current weak opposition needs the firebrand of last year's protests more than she needs them. Her allies called the overtures to Tymoshenko an attempt by some parties to find a strong ally ahead of the election to help them win seats.

"We can have common issues to discuss, but we are different political forces with different ideologies," said Valeriy Chechkov, who speaks on behalf of Tymoshenko's parliamentary faction.

Political analyst Mykhaylo Pohrebinsky also believes that such a coalition is "unlikely but theoretically possible."

"The situation today is extremely ill-defined. Now everything depends on the new government, who will join it, if parliament supports it," Pohrebinsky said.

Yushchenko named Yuriy Yekhanurov, a little-known technocrat apparently with no strong political ambitions, as a new prime minister. Yekhanurov has pledged to put professionalism above party loyalties when choosing his team. He said that his main goal is to bolster the economy, which has slowed after years of strong growth.

[Nestor]

The Russian opposition is alot of bark but no bite. Tymoshenko will form an opposition and the Yanychary will be left on the sidelines.