Ukraine PM to step down as 'Orange' coalition falls short
Source: Agencies |
March 3, 2010, Wednesday
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UKRAINE Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's pro-Western "Orange" coalition dissolved yesterday, losing its majority in parliament and paving the way for the country's new president to consolidate his power.
The development means Tymoshenko will soon be ousted and spells the final repudiation of the Orange Revolution she helped lead in 2004.
President Viktor Yanukovych defeated Tymoshenko in last month's presidential vote, but she has been a thorn in his side ever since, refusing to resign and challenging the results.
Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn told the parliament the ruling Orange coalition hasn't proved it still had majority support in the 450-seat chamber.
"This coalition did not come up with enough votes ... I therefore announce the termination of this coalition's activity," the speaker told the parliament.
Ukraine's political parties must now form a new majority coalition and are most likely to group around Yanukovych's Party of Regions.
Yanukovych says that if no majority can be reached he will disband parliament and call snap elections.
The Orange coalition, formed in December 2008, was loosely centered around the political ideals of the Orange Revolution, a series of massive street protests in 2004 led by former President Viktor Yushchenko and Tymoshenko.
Those protests against vote fraud resulted in the Supreme Court overturning Yanukovych's rigged election victory in 2004, and Yushchenko, who wanted closer integration with the West, won in a revote. Tymoshenko became the prime minister.
But their constant quarreling and inability to deliver on promises of European integration and economic growth fueled Yanukovych's comeback, and he defeated Tymoshenko in a February 7 runoff ballot by 3.5 percentage points.
Tymoshenko has refused to concede defeat, but the failure of her coalition will likely force her into an opposition role in parliament, analysts said.
"The dissolution of the coalition makes Tymoshenko's ouster inevitable," said Viktor Nebozhenko, a political analyst in Kiev. "The Orange forces have been defeated on every front."
The development means Tymoshenko will soon be ousted and spells the final repudiation of the Orange Revolution she helped lead in 2004.
President Viktor Yanukovych defeated Tymoshenko in last month's presidential vote, but she has been a thorn in his side ever since, refusing to resign and challenging the results.
Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn told the parliament the ruling Orange coalition hasn't proved it still had majority support in the 450-seat chamber.
"This coalition did not come up with enough votes ... I therefore announce the termination of this coalition's activity," the speaker told the parliament.
Ukraine's political parties must now form a new majority coalition and are most likely to group around Yanukovych's Party of Regions.
Yanukovych says that if no majority can be reached he will disband parliament and call snap elections.
The Orange coalition, formed in December 2008, was loosely centered around the political ideals of the Orange Revolution, a series of massive street protests in 2004 led by former President Viktor Yushchenko and Tymoshenko.
Those protests against vote fraud resulted in the Supreme Court overturning Yanukovych's rigged election victory in 2004, and Yushchenko, who wanted closer integration with the West, won in a revote. Tymoshenko became the prime minister.
But their constant quarreling and inability to deliver on promises of European integration and economic growth fueled Yanukovych's comeback, and he defeated Tymoshenko in a February 7 runoff ballot by 3.5 percentage points.
Tymoshenko has refused to concede defeat, but the failure of her coalition will likely force her into an opposition role in parliament, analysts said.
"The dissolution of the coalition makes Tymoshenko's ouster inevitable," said Viktor Nebozhenko, a political analyst in Kiev. "The Orange forces have been defeated on every front."
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