Blue &Yellow: Politics and Economics in Ukraine

Two related articles from DT about the accusations levelled by the presidential secretariat on Tymoshenko. The third concerns the size of the presidential secretariat. I add it only because it points out how absurd it is that Ukraine has a secretariat with over 600 people working in it. First summarizes (in Ukrainian) the results of a poll asking respondents whether they believe she made a deal with Russia ahead of the next elections in return for keeping quiet on the Georgian crisis. 52.7% said it was election related conflict. between the two sides, Yushchenko and Tymoshenko. Only 10.4% believe the accusations.

The second article by Yulia Mostovaya discusses the accusations levelled by the secretariat. Mostovaya notes that ,

conversations between Ukrainian and Russian leaders, the lasting tradition has been to promise everything and to do nothing, or next to nothing. In fact, this was the main reason for the souring of relations between the two countries. Ukrainian leaders could never follow suit of their Kazakh counterparts who have always been firm in advancing their national interests, vocal in defining the “negotiation margin” and consistent in implementing the reached agreements.

Mostovaya presents a few reasons why Tymoshenko would want a deal, one reason being that,

a gas price that, in her opinion, should not rise more than by 25%-30% and exceed USD 230, given that the transit tariff remains unchanged (a tentative agreement thereon was reached before her vacation)

The accusations appear to be part of a black PR to discredit the PM before the presidential elections,

First, the Secretariat people are sure that the case of high treason is a long-term project that will, eventually, ruin Tymoshenko’s ratings. Viktor Yushchenko has to deactivate or weaken Tymoshenko as a primary presidential candidate.

Most probably, his spin doctors are planning to portray the head of state as a leader of anti-Russian forces and public opinion. In fact, they will be using a method of splitting the nation, akin to that applied by Yanukovych’s consultants in 2004

One interesting comment concerns the apparent weak oversight and control that the president has over his own secretariat

According to our sources in the Secretariat, Yushchenko did not know the contents of half of the censuring letters sent to Tymoshenko on his behalf. The scandal with the presidential decree on appointing Mykola Shvest governor of Dnipropetrovsk oblast, with a facsimile of the President’s signature was also most indicative of the situation in the Secretariat. The most recent in this chain of absurdities was the appointment of the Chief of Odessa Oblast SBU Division, of which SBU Chief Nalyvaichenko learnt from the Internet.