Tymoshenko Teams Up With Yanukovich To Pass Laws Weakening Presidential Powers

At the Rada’s afternoon session the Party of Regions along with the smaller parties in its coalition and the Yulia Tymoshenko Block (BYT) voted together to overturn Yushchenko’s veto on a law concerning the powers of the Cabinet that will strengthen the powers of the Prime Minister and weaken those of the President.  The veto was overturned in conjunction with the passing of another law concerning the opposition. According to the constitution, Yushchenko now has ten days to sign the bill into law or watch it signed into law by the Rada Speaker. The presidential secretariat has said Yushchenko will not sign the laws and will ask the constitutional court to examine the constitutionality of the Cabinet law.

Nick Piazza:  As was the case a year ago when Tymoshenko voted with Regions to sack Yushchenko’s appointed Prime Minister, BYT has put the president and his party in a nasty spot. The new Cabinet law bans the president from putting the same candidate forward for the two posts he names in the government (Foreign & Defense Ministers) should they fail to win the support of the Rada, and if he doesn’t put a candidate forward within 15 days of the dismissal or rejection of the heads of these ministries, the law stipulates that the Cabinet can then put its nomination directly to the Rada for a vote. The former version of the law gave the power to name these two positions only to the president. The law also allows the Cabinet to appoint all deputy ministers in the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, the law concerning the opposition, which passed the first reading and was concocted several months ago by BYT leaves no question why the block chose to side with Yushchenko’s foes. The law stipulates that all opposition parties must be unified in one block with a common program and forbids opposition deputies or parties from voting in conjunction with the Rada majority. This is likely to leave the President’s party, Our Ukraine, which has in the past voted on both sides of the fence, with three choices: become part of Tymoshenko’s block, join Yanukovich or split. Additionally, the law gives the “official” opposition the position of Rada Vice Speaker, chairmanship of 12 of the Rada’s committees and the deputy chairman seats on the Rada’s remaining 12 committees. The law also divides the Rada’s seven seats on the 15 member National Bank board between the majority (three seats) and the opposition (four). Before these seats were divided between all parties.

Unless there was a minor protocol error Yushchenko’s constitutional court appeal looks like it’s in trouble as none of the laws appear to be in conflict with the constitution. From a political standpoint this looks something like the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, with the sworn enemies, Tymoshenko and Yanukovich agreeing to strengthen their own powers at the expense of Yushchenko and essentially attempting to set the ground work for a two party system in Ukraine.