Tymoshenko Back as Prime Minister

In an oral vote held this morning 226 MPs, or the minimum required to form a simply majority, voted in favor of President Viktor Yushenko’s appointment of Yulia Tymoshenko as Prime Minister. Nick Piazza: The third time was the charm for Tymoshenko, who last week saw two other votes fail due to mechanical failure and fire.  The intrigue surrounding the voting process showed just how difficult it could be for the “Orange Coalition,” with its slim two man majority, to get things done in the coming months. However, this point does not seem lost on the new parties of power as most of their representatives have recognized this week it will take a great deal of negotiation to make things to happen and we believe this is a good sign that both sides might be more willing to negotiate and focus on issues that they can agree on. Look for the newly elected PM to move quickly to appoint the new government, but that is likely to be all we see completed before deputies take off for the winter recess. Top issues for the agenda in 2008 will be land law reform, setting the budget, WTO entry and privatization.