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PM rips president for ‘destroying’ deal
Journal Staff Report

KIEV, June 9 – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Tuesday attacked President Viktor Yushchenko for “destroying” a political alliance aimed at approving constitutional amendments that had been secretly agreed upon over the past two weeks.

Tymoshenko has been scrambling to contain political damage caused by revelations that the amendments had called for postponing elections, restricting liberties and the freedom of speech.

“Without the hysteria from the president, we would lead this process to the logical end,” Tymoshenko said at a press conference.

The talks, which called for electing the next president – apparently Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovych - in Parliament and extending duties of incumbent lawmakers – and Tymoshenko - for two years through mid-2014, collapsed Sunday after Yanukovych had suddenly pulled out.

Yushchneko admitted Tuesday he had spoken with Yanukovych “three or four times” by telephone last week urging him to quit the controversial alliance and to run for the presidency at popular vote.

“I picked up the phone and said: Viktor Fedorovych [Yanukovych] you have only one way to come to Ukrainian power – it’s the legitimate way,” Yushchenko said. “When they offer you a gift, such as a free presidency – this is not just political humiliation, this means you stand on the platform of illegal presidential election.”

Besides calling Yanukovych Yushchenko - in a televised address to the nation on Thursday - urged the people to “stand up” and stay “elbow-to-elbow” with the president to prevent the approval of the controversial amendments.

The amendments on Thursday were leaked to the media, causing an explosion of criticism from political groups and journalists, eventually causing the constitutional talks to collapse.

“The most important thing is that we have won,” Yushchenko said. “We became even more proud that the democracy is almighty. This is a victory at a decent price.”

But Tymoshenko disagreed.

“If anybody thinks that maintaining the current constitution is a victory for Ukraine, this is a massive and terrible defeat,” Tymoshenko said.

“The exit from the talks [by Yanukovych] suggests that there is no honor in politics,” Tymoshneko said. “If anybody thinks that Yanukovych has improved and is now thinking about the country… But unfortunately cheating is still there.”

“They think they cheated Tymoshenko,” she said. “But I want to say they have cheated the country by a dirty campaign that had been thrown against a normal [constitutional] negotiation process.” (tl/ez)




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