Recently we have not seen our President at all. Of course, he has been on various junkets, giving our medals, and in general at work. But, honestly speaking, Leonid Kuchma has been silent on the country’s main problems: strikes, electing a parliamentary Speaker, and the financial crisis in Russia. Meanwhile, according to Interfax Ukraine, he has announced his desire to run for reelection in 1999.
This happened, it turns out, in faraway Bonn. “I do not intend to leave the field of battle without a fight... Giving up would simply be a crime,” President Kuchma said. In the context of what has been said earlier, what “field of battle” or “fight” he has in mind is simply beyond comprehension. The President on his own has removed himself day-to-day political life. Perhaps he has been actively taking part in a behind the scenes struggle? That would be even worse.
Further on it gets even more interesting. “My opponents are representatives of the leftist camp, and in my opinion, they have made the wrong choice,” he said in an interview with Der Spiegel. His statement makes it absolutely clear that in the upcoming campaign he wants to present himself to the country and the world as the presidential reformer fighting orthodox Communists. In other worlds, save me or all is lost! Much has already been said about this, but in my view the best argument is that President Kuchma has done everything to undo everything Premier Kuchma did. Who’s fighting who?






