Regions Party Claims Justice, Culture Ministries, Moves on Interior Ministry

Parliament yesterday approved Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich’s proposal to replace two ministers from Our Ukraine with two of his allies who held the posts in his previous Cabinet in 2002-2004. Olexander Lavrynovych replaced Roman Zvarych as justice minister and Yury Bohutsky replaced Ihor Likhovy as culture minister. President Viktor Yushchenko protested the move, saying it would complicate his efforts to convince Our Ukraine to join the governing coalition. Today, parliament adopted a resolution recommending that the Cabinet suspend the Interior Minister, Socialist Yury Lutsenko, for two months while parliament investigates corruption allegations made recently in a pro-Regions newspaper. The vote was supported by the Regions and Communist parties and 23 Yulia Tymoshenko bloc MPs, including some of her closest allies. Tom Warner: This is the first stage of the Cabinet reshuffle that we have been expecting for several weeks already. The interior ministry is by far the most important. Regions party hawks are eager to claim it, but the Socialist party’s position is also strong. Lavrynovych’s move to the justice ministry was widely predicted, as he was already leading the Cabinet’s efforts to legally secure its independence from the president. By acting now rather than waiting on Yushchenko and Our Ukraine to sort out the party’s leadership struggle, Yanukovich is making plain to Yushchenko that even if he can sway part of Our Ukraine to join the coalition, any such smaller pro-Yushchenko faction would have to accept a smaller Cabinet quota. Another two Our Ukraine ministers (health and youth, family and sport) and the vacant emergencies ministry (initially allocated to Our Ukraine) are also in play, but they are likely to be kept by Yushchenko allies.