février 01, 2005
Ukraine Update -- 1 Feb
Randomness:
- Tomorrow I'm going to post the Top 5 responses on the caption contest. There were just too many to choose from, so I'll have you all vote on them. :-)
- The view from our balcony on the 15th floor. Our neighborhood is mainly sand and giant Soviet ant farms. I'd never appreciated spring's greening until I came to Ukraine. Your eyes just drink in the grass at Shevchenko Park when the snow melts away.
Yulia's Nomination:
- Lytvyn, the Parliamentary Speaker, says they'll vote on the nomination on Thursday. Yulia will also present her program of government activity at that time. Lytvyn, a Centrist, estimates that Yulia has about a 25-vote margin for error right now.
- In an unexpected move, the leader of the "United Ukraine" party announced that his people intend to support Yulia.
- The "Will of the People" party is meeting with her on Tuesday to discuss their support. I think they'll end up backing her. Kinakh, the faction leader, has already said he's ready to work in Yulia's government.
- The incredible shrinking Moroz is now saying that his people might settle for four ministries, including Transport,Education and Industrial Policy. Oh, and one-sixth of all government appointments.
- Poroshenko, whose Solidarnost Party has made noises about not backing Yulia despite their alliance, says the final decision about 100% support for her will only come after a meeting with her. He thinks the crux of the discussion is whether or not she'll remain leader of her political party while PM.
- Petro Symonenko and the Communists haven't yet decided about Yulia's nomination. They despise her, so I'm not sure what calculations are behind the delay. Interestingly, Symonenko is predicting Yulia will be confirmed with a solid 260-270 votes.
Other News:
- In more good anti-oligarch news, talk is that Yushchenko's government may review two other major corrupt privatizations -- the Petrovskiy Metallurgical Plant and the Ukkrudproma privatization. Both of these belong to Akhmetov, Yanukovych's patron and Ukraine's richest man.
- Symonenko, the Communist Party leader, wants the Parliament to rethink the wage and lifestyle compensation it's giving to President Kuchma. I think Kuchma SHOULD be given compensation for the work he did as president -- free hots and a cot at the closest MVD prison.
- Yushchenko's mother, 86 year old Varvara Tymofeevna, died yesterday. Poor thing.
Posted by Discoshaman at février 1, 2005 01:55 AM | TrackBack