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Volkov Quietly Warns Tkachenko

29 May, 00:00

Oleksandr Volkov
Head of the initiative group in charge of collecting signatures for Leonid Kuchma, People's Deputy Oleksandr Volkov thinks that Verkhovna Rada Speaker Oleksandr Tkachenko will stay out of the presidential race. "I have known him for a long time and expect him to be wise. He has lived to be 60, and I have never seen him take an incautious step, and should he take such an incautious step, he would risk a great deal," Mr. Volkov told Interfax-Ukraine.

Mr. Volkov also expressed the opinion that the Speaker is unlikely to become President. "I know the alignment of forces in this camp," said he, noting that the electorate already has been presented three candidates. "Mr. Tkachenko would greatly risk the seat of which he is so proud. He could lose that post." In his opinion, two contenders are 100% able to collect 1 million signatures: Leonid Kuchma and Petro Symonenko. "Also capable of collecting signatures are Oleksandr Moroz, Natalia Vitrenko, Hennady Udovenko, and perhaps Yevhen Marchuk. The others, in my opinion have no chance," he noted.

INCIDENTALLY

Oleksandr Tkachenko
Parliament Speaker Oleksandr Tkachenko "does not take seriously Oleksandr Volkov's statement." In his opinion, the statement was uncalled for.

"In order to give such interviews, one must ask just who Oleksandr Volkov is," he said, adding that "Volkov is Volkov and nothing more." Mr. Tkachenko stated that on the morning of May 25 he telephoned Mr. Volkov and asked, "Who do you think you are to use such a threatening tone?"

Simultaneously the Speaker announced that he had never had occasion to exchange ideas with People's Deputy Volkov and for this reason the latter cannot possibly know "what our party thinks," reports UNIAN

Newspaper output №:

№20, (1999)

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