Ukraine government collapses ahead of no-confidence vote

THE RULING coalition of Ukraine’s prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko has collapsed ahead of today’s no-confidence vote in her government, handing another victory to new president Viktor Yanukovich in their bitter battle for power.

Speaker of parliament Volodymyr Lytvyn announced the dissolution of the governing alliance after Ms Tymoshenko failed to provide enough MPs’ signatures to prove she still commanded a majority in the chamber.

The defection of several MPs from smaller coalition parties was the latest blow to Ms Tymoshenko, some three weeks after she narrowly lost a presidential election run-off to Mr Yanukovich, whom she accused of rigging the vote.

“This coalition did not come up with enough votes . . . I therefore announce the termination of this coalition’s activity,” said Mr Lytvyn, another erstwhile ally of Ms Tymoshenko who has drifted away following her election defeat.

Ms Tymoshenko accused Mr Lytvyn of “illegally ruining the democratic coalition” and paving the way for the “anti-Ukrainian dictatorship” of Mr Yanukovich, who is close to the Kremlin and maintains a power base in largely Russian-speaking eastern and southern Ukraine.

“This was the last barricade worth defending if we wanted to protect our independence, sovereignty, strength and the European development of our country,” said Ms Tymoshenko, who helped lead the 2004 Orange Revolution protests sparked by Mr Yanukovich’s use of fraud in that year’s election.

“A certain number of events can already be characterised and analysed: fabricated presidential elections; today’s fabricated destruction of the coalition; and in the coming days I think we will see the fabricated creation of a coalition contrary to the constitution and laws of Ukraine,” Ms Tymoshenko said.

She is expected to lose today’s no-confidence vote in parliament, opening the way for Mr Yanukovich’s Regions Party to form a new alliance and appoint a new prime minister.

Ms Tymoshenko could remain in power until a new government is installed, but she suggested yesterday that she might resign straight away, so that “all responsibilities will immediately be laid on Yanukovich”. That could throw the country of 46 million people into more chaos following months of infighting and campaigning that have hampered Ukraine’s efforts to escape a deep recession.

The parties in parliament have 30 days to form the new coalition and 60 days to form a new government. If they fail, Mr Yanukovich could call a snap general election.