The Peak of Confusion

The major battle unleashed Tuesday morning served as evidence of both statements. And the thing is not only that Mr. Pustovoitenko seems as convinced as ever that the “the economy has reached a stabilization trajectory,” let alone the world economic crisis (irrelevant and immaterial under the circumstances), but also that neither the Premier’s report nor the crisis as such seemed to interest anyone in the audience. Cloakroom talk focused on immediately pressing realities: the alignment of forces and who benefits and how from the situation that has developed.

Some held that the Cabinet would not be retired simply because the President needed its retirement and would then blame Parliament for all further fiascoes, accusing the legislature of causing the Cabinet crisis.

Others believed that the President did not need the Cabinet’s retirement, not yet, and that the time would be ripe in February-March, after the country survives what looks to be the hardest winter ever. Mr. Kuchma would then promptly order the Cabinet disbanded and the new government would have a credit of confidence from the populace which would last until the next spring, election time: green grass, the sun getting warmer by the day, people taking trips to their dachas, tending their little kitchen gardens – the general atmosphere of nature’s revival would play its positive tranquilizing role.

Still others summed up the votes and came up with a fifty-fifty return, trying to figure out which way the President would tip the scales. Some NDP members regarded his absence in Parliament on that particular occasion as a sign the Cabinet would be ousted: ТitХs his government, the least he could do was turn up and support it by his very presence, but he didnХt and this is a meaningful gesture.У Other versions have it that Mr. Kuchma, after learning about the maneuvering by some of those controlling political holding companies, promised to have them extradited if things red were augmented by their green or agrarian counterparts.

Incidentally, Stolichnye novosti came out with a telling front page photo of Premier Pustovoitenko and a quote from his Cabinet speech October 12: ТOne is horrified watching the avalanche of the world financial crisis advance on Ukraine.У This excerpt is used as a caption and on top of the picture is inscribed in block letters: ТHe finally got it.У This understatement can be interpreted two ways: (a) the political holding companies are openly challenging the President and (b) at press time the editors felt sure that the Chief Executive was giving the Premier up. If the former is the case, one has to wait to see who will be the first ordered out of Ukraine. If the latter, the old routine will hold true: the last to speak to the President will get his way.

Mr. Tkachenko was quick on the uptake, combining the issues of the Cabinet report and responsibility, backed by 296 votes. In other words, assuming that the President sincerely backs the Speaker and the latter feels the same about the government, then everything has been carefully planned and the roll-call vote would end in Mr. PustovoitenkoХs favor.

That is precisely what happened. A no confidence vote was supported by 203 PeopleХs Deputies. Does one have to make political inferences about how Ukraine has escaped yet another political crisis or that the Cabinet turned out the proverbial elusive Joe whom nobody could catch because nobody wanted to? The opposition is being let loose on the people with a clean conscience presenting the voteХs result. The government, now with proven Presidential backing, is entering a cold and hungry winter, assuming Тfull responsibilityУ for all the mess (Mr. Tkachenko among other things admitted that that corn and sugar beets have not been harvested). In a word, everything remains as it was, which was probably what the parliamentary hearings on the Cabinet issue were all about.