Ukraine was plunged into fresh political turmoil yesterday when its pro-Western Government collapsed, amid recriminations over Russia’s invasion of Georgia.

President Yushchenko accused Russia of trying to destabilise the country after the collapse of the coalition Government between his party, Our Ukraine, and the faction headed by the Prime Minister, Yuliya Tymoshenko. “I will not be an idealist who says that there are not intentions to cause internal instability in this or that region of Ukraine. Without a doubt, such scenarios exist,” Mr Yushchenko said. “For some of our partners instability in Ukraine is like bread with butter.”

He insisted that Russia would not succeed in doing to Ukraine what it had done in Georgia. “Will they repeat the scenario? For sure, no,” he said.

Tensions have soared over Ukraine’s region of Crimea, where Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has its base in Sevastopol. Mr Yushchenko insists that the fleet must leave when a lease agreement expires in 2017.

Some Moscow politicians, however, have urged the Kremlin to lay claim to Crimea, which has a strongly pro-Russian population. There are fears that Russia is stirring separatism by handing out passports to residents in a carbon copy of its actions in Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The Speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, dissolved the coalition formally yesterday, ending hopes that the two sides could patch up their differences after Our Ukraine pulled out ten days ago. He said the parties had 30 days to build a new majority in parliament or face elections, only a year after Ukraine last went to the polls. “I would not call this an apocalypse. It is a challenge for democracy, but I hope we will overcome this challenge together,” he said.

The crisis has exposed deep fissures within the pro-Western forces who came to power after the 2004 revolution, as the rival leaders jockey for an advantage before presidential elections expected late next year. The divisions could open the way for the pro-Russian Party of Regions, led by their bitter rival Viktor Yanukovych, to return to power and tilt Ukraine towards Moscow once again.

The split in the Orange alliance comes at a time of heightened concern in the European Union and Nato that Ukraine, a country of 47 million people, could be the next target of Russian interference. Last month’s war in Georgia sparked a sharp increase in tensions after aides to Mr Yushchenko accused Mrs Tymoshenko of “high treason” for not condemning the Kremlin. Mr Yushchenko openly backed Georgia and infuriated Moscow by limiting the movement of the Black Sea Fleet during the conflict.

Mr Yushchenko then accused Mrs Tymoshenko of a “political and constitutional coup d’etat” after her party sided with the Party of Regions to vote through restrictions on presidential powers. The leader of Our Ukraine in parliament described the alliance as a “pro-Kremlin majority”.

Mrs Tymoshenko rejected the allegations and blamed the President for “destroying” the coalition to damage her chances of succeeding him. She will continue as Prime Minister while she seeks to build a fresh majority in the 450-seat parliament, though she has previously ruled out a coalition with the Party of Regions. She will have to resign if a new majority is not in place by the middle of October.

Ukraine would then face its third parliamentary election in two years, extending the political crisis that has paralysed the country’s drive to seek membership of Nato and the EU. Nato countries will decide whether to offer Ukraine a Membership Action Plan in December.

Russia is opposed bitterly to Ukraine’s Nato aspirations. Europe and the US fear that the Kremlin may try to stir up antiWestern sentiment during the elections.

Beyond the ballot

Oct 31, 2004
Ukraine elections are tainted by allegations that the secrecy of ballots was often violated and voters were intimidated. Yushchenko supporters claim that fraud deprived him of three million votes

Nov 21, 2004
Second round of elections. Mr Yanukovych is declared the winner but there are claims that the results have been rigged

Nov 23
Thousands take to streets of Kiev in protest

Dec 26
Revote is held, with Mr Yushchenko emerging victorious

Jan 10, 2005
Election officials officially declare Mr Yushchenko the winner

Oct 15, 2007
Yuliya Tymoshenko, from Bloc Tymoshenko, and Mr Yushchenko, from Our Ukraine, form a coalition after the latter suffers a fall in popularity

Sources: Times archive, AFP, Council on Foreign Relations

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