Tymoshenko Burns Bridges and Allies

On Saturday the general program of the National Salvation Forum (NSF) was confirmed. On the proposal of Socialist leader and NSF council member Oleksandr Moroz a procedure has been begun for the organizational and juridical preparation of a referendum on the early removal of the incumbent president. The author of this idea, Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) leader and former Vice Premier Yuliya Tymoshenko, demanded at the NSF meet that a referendum is the only way to remove the president, reports Korrespondent.net. Yet, it seems that the Constitution of Ukraine says nothing about removing the president of Ukraine on the basis of the results of a referendum.

However, the NSF has defined its immediate goals: 1) the removal of incumbent President Leonid Kuchma as a person who “bears personal responsibility” for creating and consolidating the current political system, 2) liquidation of the political power of clan/oligarchic groupings, and 3) the removal and punishment of those who are directly responsible for current crimes. In addition, the NSF plans to offer amendments to the Constitution to rearrange power among the triad of the president, parliament, and cabinet. The NSF also considers it necessary to repudiate international agreements of the last decade, which infringe upon the laws and national interests of Ukraine.

It is characteristic that this is the first time not a word was mentioned about dialogue with the authorities. It is hardly a coincidence that the activation of the NSF happened to be concurrent with the return of Yuliya Tymoshenko. It is not difficult to assume that it is precisely she who is attempting to play the role of a covert but dazzling leader of the opposition by placing special accent on her persecution by the authorities and only recently being freed. And not at all to the great delight of the other “saviors.” It seems far from accidental that the representatives of the Right have recently distanced themselves from Ms. Tymoshenko, hinting that her leadership is unacceptable. Nor does it seem a coincidence that the For Truth Committee press stated that the committee had not given the NSF any authority to coordinate the opposition movement. True, some time later NSF press secretary Oleksandr Kryvenko told The Day that the organization is just in the process of being set up, but it already has a glitch in adopting decisions, which will be reversed in the next few days.

The NSF states that, when democratic elections of the president and parliament take place and a government of national reconciliation formed, the entity will dissolve itself. Simultaneously, a clear, understandable program aimed at constructive goals, able to attract cooperation, not confrontation, and unite different social forces is still not in sight. And it looks like this is one of the main problems.