- The inaguration will take place in the Parliament on 13 January!
- In the meantime, Yushchenko is skiing in western Ukraine and drawing up lists of new government figures. The figure I've seen quoted for the number of bureaucrats being replaced is 2,000. Hopefully many activists will get the chance to put their ideas into practice.
- I reported last week that one bigshot in Yanukovuch's Party of the Regions, Nikolai Azarov, was hedging about whether or not to oppose Yushchenko. It now turns out that along with hundreds of thousands of other people, Azarov came to Independence Square to show support for Yushchenko. But there's more about Azaroz. . .
He's now a cooperating witness in the General Prosecutor and SBU Directorate K investigation into the Yanukovych Cabinet and the National Bank. It's not hard to imagine that this investigation might have been a cause in Transport Minister Kirpa's recent fatal bout of lead poisoning.
- As many as 200 members of the old regime have applied for diplomatic passports in the wake of Yushchenko's victory. It's estimated that former Kuchma cronies seek to flee with as much as 1 billion dollars in creatively acquired loot.
- President Kuchma said in his New Year's speech (which everyone watches in lieu of a big, descending apple)that in 2005 there would be a new, democratically-elected president, and that the people should support him. No names were mentioned, but I'm sure Yanukovuch's people weren't happy to hear the old devil giving even tacit support to Yushchenko. They already see Kuchma as a turncoat.
Posted by Discoshaman at janvier 2, 2005 11:27 PM | TrackBack
I am a bit saddened and joyed that different members of the political field are coming to stand behind Yushchenko--whatever their motives might be. It is good to know that this may pave the way for for some reconciliation between the Yanukovych and Yushchenko camps, however, it shows the enormous task that Yushchenko will face as the next President of Ukraine in fighting rampant and wide-spread government corruption.
As for those officials applying for diplomatic passports--they should be arrested. Such actions on their parts only prove their guilt. They have abused the Ukrainian people to long to get away with it.
Anyway, what can I say? Ukraine is not for the meek. Ukrainians are not meek; they are a proud people with a troubled history. They are survivors and deserve far better than they have fared.
I pray Yushchenko will live up to the mandate the Ukrainian people have given him.
Ok, I'm done. =] Love your blog and am going to put a link to it on mine. Keep up the great work.
Posted by: Henry at janvier 3, 2005 01:51 AMIt is possible that Yanukovuch,Kuchma and their cronies were involved with Saddam and his UN Oil from Food Scandal. Some of 21 Billion missing out of the UN Oil For Food Program may have gone their way.
Posted by: ordi at janvier 3, 2005 09:33 AMordi-
The Russian Orthodox Church and Putin's Russia were big recipients, but Ukraine isn't likely to be implicated. President Kuchma was reeling from the Gongadze murder and the revelations of possible arms sales to Iraq, and so he supported the Iraq war as a way of trying to distract from these things. The US, to their credit, never abandoned a commitment to human rights in Ukraine despite this.
Henry-
Thanks so much! :-) I'll definitely send a permalink your way as well. . .
As far as old Kuchma cronies making nice to Yushchenko, I think it'll be a situation like in Iraq or in any power change situation -- you can't completely eliminate everyone in government, or you'll end up with chaos. So a sort of triage needs to happen, where the bad guys get kicked out, and some of the more moderately bad are brought to heel.
Posted by: Discoshaman at janvier 3, 2005 11:28 AM