PRESIDENT HIMSELF STIMULATES RED REVENGE

Kuchma’s latest trouble Kuchma was caused by that same ever-loyal PDP, the leader of which not only refused to establish parliament republic, but turned out to be the protegee of Verkhovna Rada’s Socialist Speaker, Oleksandr Moroz.

Perhaps the President wants to slander the nation's pride, Kyiv Dynamo along with Social Democratic Party of Ukraine, despite the fact that its leader Leonid Kravchuk was vindicated in court. Or is it time to remind the Rukh leader Viacheslav Chornovil of a few things, although he is likely to have nothing more to do with Dendi.

Nobody knows for sure, what the President wanted to say. The Constitutional Court does not know either and continues to delay its decision on election law. At the same time it does not quell rumors of the possible radical decision to overturn the law calling for elections based on party lists. The President and the Constitutional Court might be waiting for some reaction by campaigners to such rumors. But the reaction is clear: Premier Pustovoitenko and 16 other PDP leaders prefer the party list to running in majoritarian districts, as do Social Democrats Kravchuk and Marchuk. Such a decision by the Constitutional Court could force even the President's most loyal supporters to desert him. Obviously, a full return to the majoritarian district election system would benefit the radical Communists and position the President as the lonely fighter against revenge of the Reds. There is also another party which would not lose anything in this case, Hromada! And PDP should consider the possibility that President Kuchma might be a Lazarenko man.

In ostensibly fighting party structures, the President is trying to make it clear for the Constitutional Court that with its help he wants to cancel the elections and impose direct Presidential rule. A week ago, when Kuchma changed the chief commander of National Guard, this scenario was most dangerous and most possible, considering Yalta case, where law enforcement agencies had to fulfill unconstitutional decisions.

But the session of the Coordination Council for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption, where the President did not make any general conclusion after criticizing them and awarded First Deputy Premier Durdynets the rank of army general, makes us think of something else.

There is an impression, that the President no longer controls the ministries with coercive capabilities but that they control him. In any case, the joint announcement by law enforcement organizations of their total neutrality feels different now, after the session, than a few weeks ago, when this seemed to be just words. Besides, new National Guard commander Oleksandr Chapovsky announced last Tuesday, that in case the Parliament and the President issue contradictory orders, Guard will act according to Constitution of Ukraine.

The President might be able to find some loyal forces to dismiss the parliament, but they would certainly not be able to repair the Ukrainian economy. At least to feed the huge number of those with coercive capabilities whose support would be indispensable to a lonely Presidential dictator.