Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Analysis: Ukrainian president calls snap elections amid political, financial turmoil









Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko speaks during his televised address in Kiev Oct. 8, 2008.





Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko speaks during his televised address in Kiev Oct. 8, 2008. (Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
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KIEV, Oct. 9 (Chinese media) -- Ukrainian President Viktor

Yushchenko on Wednesday dissolved parliament and called an early election amid

mounting political chaos at home and threat from the spreading international

financial crisis.

"In accordance with the Constitution I announce the

dissolution of the sixth parliament and call an early vote," he said in a

televised address to the nation after lawmakers missed a deadline to form a new

coalition government. He later set Dec. 7 as the date for elections.

Yushchenko's "Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense" bloc

withdrew from the nine-month-old coalition with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko

on Sept. 3 after the latter joined with the opposition Party of Regions in a

parliamentary vote to adopt a series of law which strip the president of some

powers.

Under Ukraine's constitution, the president can

dissolve the parliament if a new governing coalition is not formed within 30

days after the previous one collapses.

Wednesday's announcement came as the often prickly

relationship between Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, the two former allies, were sent

into a nose-dive driven by their divergence on domestic and foreign policies.

The two were strong allies in the 2004 presidential

election and 2007 parliamentary votes, but they have long been at odds on how to

tackle the country's rampant inflation, sell state assets and spend budgets.

On foreign policy, Yushchenko is seeking closer ties

with the European Union and NATO, while the prime minister favors balanced ties

with Russia.

Trading of accusations between the two has also

escalated, with Yushchenko accusing Tymoshenko of "selling out" Ukraine to

others and adding that her bad management has resulted in the country's slow

economic growth and caused inflation to soar.

"I am deeply convinced that the democratic coalition

was ruined by one thing -- the ambition of one person and her greed for power.

There were no economic reforms, just social populism, which lead to inflation

and declines in living standards," Yushchenko said in Wednesday's televised

address.

Tymoshenko, on the other hand, has accused the

president of orchestrating the collapse of the coalition in his bid to get rid

of potential rivals and win the presidential election scheduled for 2010. Both

are seen as likely rivals in the 2010 race, and Tymoshenko is far ahead of

Yushchenko in recent opinion polls.

The December vote will be the third parliamentary

election in three years and is almost certain to mark the end of the efforts to

maintain the troubled Yushchenko-Tymoshenko alliance.

Yushchenko's announcement has caused further worries

about the country's economy which is facing a difficult situation amid the

spreading of the international financial crisis.

Inflation hit 16.1 percent in the first nine months

of this year. The country's currency has seen large devaluations in recent

weeks. The real estate market has been plunged into a downturn. Falling prices

of steel, Ukraine's top export item, have led to the shutdown of most iron and

steel plants. Lack of liquidity has troubled banks.

Recently polls showed that a snap election would not

produce a clear victory for any party. The Tymoshenko-led coalition got a

support rate of just 23.3 percent, the Regional Party led by Viktor Yanukovich

netted some 20.6 percent, while Yushchenko's party, 7.1 percent.

Thus, no political stability nor economic prosperity

is likely to be in the offing after the elections, analysts said.

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