Yanukovich Confirms US Visit As Government Changes Continue

Viktor Yanukovich, prime minister, confirmed yesterday that his Dec. 3-7 visit to the US was going ahead despite a dispute with the foreign minister, Borys Tarasyuk, who tried to have the visit canceled. Yanukovich said he would ask parliament to sack Tarasyuk, who had insisted that Yanukovich should approve a protocol drafted by President Yushchenko describing the purpose of the US visit. Yushchenko instead approved a protocol drafted by Yanukovich. Also, parliament yesterday dismissed Yury Pavlenko from the post of minister of youth, family and sport, who resigned in solidarity with his party, Our Ukraine; the head of the parliamentary commission investigating alleged corruption by the interior minister, Yury Lutsenko, said he could be sacked today; and Yury Polyachenko, the health minister from Our Ukraine, announced he was staying at his job and breaking with the party. Tom Warner: The threat to sack Lutsenko is most important, and it looks like Regions is close to getting the majority it needs to sack him. Yanukovich is likely to negotiate with Yushchenko over Tarasyuk, who could be sacked by parliament but would stay on as acting minister as long as Yushchenko supports him. The dispute over Yanukovich’s visit stems from the vagueness of the constitution, which says the president controls foreign policy but the government answers to parliament.