Yanukovich Aims For Prime Minister.

The Socialist party and its leader Olexander Moroz threw themselves almost irrevocably into the Blue camp late on Friday, greatly strengthening the position of the pro-Russian Regions party and its leader Viktor Yanukovich. The Socialists’ parliamentary faction took part in a joint meeting with the Regions and Communist factions where the three factions declared their intent to form a new majority coalition and nominate Yanukovich as prime minister. The parties said Our Ukraine was welcome to join the coalition if it wanted, but Yanukovich’s nomination would not be withdrawn. Showing off his self-confidence, Yanukovich told a Regions congress on Saturday that he would change Ukraine’s foreign policy, especially towards Russia. President Viktor Yushchenko has been sending out very mixed messages: on Friday he said he could appoint the coalition’s nominee for prime minister even if the coalition’s policies contradicted his own, but on Saturday he said he would not allow any change in the country’s pro-western direction, and he said on both occasions that he could dissolve parliament if it failed to form a cabinet by the constitutional deadline (July 24). Yushchenko’s chief of staff, Oleg Rybachuk, said Yushchenko has the right to reject the coalition’s nominee for prime minister. Tom Warner: A new game of brinksmanship has begun in which Yanukovich and Yushchenko both believe they have the upper hand and neither are ready to give ground. Yanukovich has less to fear from new elections than Yushchenko, whose party has been disgraced in the eyes of its voters. But Yanukovich is not eager to be in opposition to the president, as that would make it difficult for him to accomplish anything. We think Yanukovich is likely to eventually compromise by withdrawing his nomination and dropping the Communists from the coalition. That would allow a conservative wing of Our Ukraine, led by Anatoly Kinakh and Yuri Yekhanurov and including from 15 to 30 Our Ukraine MPs, to join the coalition and secure a majority. However, early elections are almost equally likely.