Snap Election Called in Ukraine!!!

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Ukraine's political parties have failed to meet the deadline to create a new parliamentary coalition after the previous one ceased to exist a month ago. So President Viktor Yushchenko can now dissolve it and call a new general election.

The pro-presidential Our Ukraine party left the coalition with its former ‘orange’ partner, the Bloc of Yulia Timoshenko, on September 3.

The Ukrainian constitution specifies a 30-day deadline for the formation of a new coalition, and Yushchenko is promising to sign the order burying the parliament on schedule.

Some politicians argue the dissolution can only come after October 16, which marks a month after the ‘orange alliance’ officially collapsed. Others, however, say this can happen as early as October 3 because this date is exactly 30 days since Our Ukraine announced it was leaving the coalition.

So there’s a high probability that a yet another election will be called. If this happens, Ukrainians will be going to the polling stations for the fourth time in less than four years.

It’s been a tough time for President Yushchenko, who, amid political turmoil, faces allegations of illegal arms trading to Georgia prior to the conflict in South Ossetia. These allegations came when a document believed to be an agreement to sell weapons to Georgia was made public on the Internet. If evidence is found, a criminal case might be launched against the president.

Source: Russia Today

 

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Snap election called in Ukraine​

Relations have soured between the 2004 Orange Revolution allies

President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine has dissolved parliament weeks after the collapse of the country's ruling pro-Western coalition.

Mr Yushchenko, who is visiting Italy, announced Ukraine's third general election in less than three years on television, in a pre-recorded speech.

He accused Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko of wrecking the government through her "thirst for power".

A Tymoshenko ally accused Mr Yushchenko of violating the constitution.

Ms Tymoshenko and Mr Yushchenko were allies during the 2004 "Orange Revolution" which swept pro-Western forces to power after a discredited presidential election.

Mr Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party pulled out of the coalition on 3 September after the Tymoshenko Bloc sided with the pro-Moscow opposition Party of Regions to pass several laws Mr Yushchenko saw as a threat to his presidential powers.

Many analysts believe the prime minister will stand for president in 2010.

'Ruined by ambition'

The president did not set a date for the new election but, under the constitution, it is meant to be held within two months of parliament being dissolved.

"I am convinced, deeply convinced that the democratic coalition was ruined by one thing alone - human ambition," he said in his five-minute speech.

"The ambition of one person. Thirst for power, different values, personal interests taking precedence over national interests."

In an apparent reference to Russian influence, Mr Yushchenko also talked of "external threats".

"In a time of potential external threats, a non-Ukrainian scenario was launched - spineless and, in fact, hostile," he said.

"We see another threat, a tendency brought from abroad, an attempt to break the national and democratic forces. This is a nail which is deliberately being hammered into our body."

The Tymoshenko Bloc, President Yushchenko said, had become "the hostage of its own leaders who would sacrifice everything - language, security, [Ukraine's] European prospects".

'Unconstitutional'

In his speech, he said that the coalition had collapsed "de jure" on 2 September although the speaker of the parliament, Arseny Yatsenyuk, only declared the coalition officially dissolved on 16 September.

Under the constitution, parties have 30 days to form a new government from the date of its predecessor falling.

Andrei Portnov, deputy chief of the Tymoshenko Bloc in parliament, condemned the president's decision as "unconstitutional and senseless".

"What happened today was 100% provoked by the president, who is the one standing behind the coalition's collapse," he said.

"We will not vote for any bill legalising these anti-constitutional acts of the president."

Viktor Yanukovych, leader of the Party of Regions, described the dissolution of parliament as the "death knell" for Ukraine's current leadership, and said his party was ready fight an early election.