MOST LOYAL OF PREMIERS STABBED IN THE BACK

Such an introductory word betrayed Mr. Pustovoitenko's nervousness and was appropriate from neither a technical nor a psychological point of view, for it caused a sharply negative reaction in the audience. However, unofficial backstage information explained away what seemed to be somewhat inadequate in the Premier's behavior: what Mr. Pustovoitenko is in fact afraid of are not the Left-wing parliamentary initiators of governmental resignation but "his own," that is, presidential, forces. It cannot ruled out he knew that Regional Revival, Toiling Ukraine, and part of SDPU(o) have been discussing in earnest the possibility of bringing down the government.

Later Oleksandr Moroz legitimized these rumors: "As recommended by his entourage, the President has surrendered this government. Look, the President's chair is empty, but Mr. Volkov has shown up. If the most vociferous faction, the PSPU, votes for no-confidence, this will mean they have struck a complete deal over there. Mr. Pustovoitenko, you will be dismissed at the hands of Verkhovna Rada, but the decision was not made here..." The Socialist leader added to this that the President had been considering such candidacies for Premier as Biloblotsky, Derkach, and Kinakh.

However, according to The Day's information, at the last minute the pro-Pustovoitenko forces in Leonid Kuchma's entourage stood up to the government in the struggle with its opponents, and the man at the top never issued the command to bring it down. On the other hand, as experience shows, we can judge finally about what happened on Bankova Street only after we have a fait accompli. But not always. The Premier's uncertainty proves that he knows this better than others.

One could say Mr. Pustovoitenko made a publicity report if the latter were not so lackluster. The Communists facetiously referred to it as brilliant and added: what prosperous state have you been telling us about? Our voters and we live in a different country.

The speeches of faction leaders contained nothing unexpected. Natalia Vitrenko said on behalf of PSPU that her faction favored the government's resignation. The Peasant Party's Serhiy Dovhan reported that it was not the right time, and "the resignation will be accepted after October 31 by our candidate Oleksandr Tkachenko." Mykhailo Syrota, whose faction has gathered the most die-hard "toilers" of the Pinchuk/Derkach type, asserted that, from the viewpoint of the workingman, the resignation would be of no use. Viktor Pynzenyk's Reforms came out in favor of no-confidence, while Yuliya Tymoshenko's Motherland was, naturally, against. Hromada favored and both warring Rukh factions opposed changing Cabinets. As was expected, fewer than 200 - 182 to be exact - Deputies voted for the no-confidence initiative. Incidentally, only 6 out of 14 PSPU faction members voted in favor.