Yushchenko, Yanukovich Hash Out Compromise.

President Yushchenko, Regions leader Viktor Yanukovich and Our Ukraine MP faction leader Roman Bezsmertny are aiming to sign a preliminary coalition agreement today grandly titled the “Universal of National Unity”. The three and other top political leaders spent hours yesterday discussing the text, which declares support for the western-oriented policies favored by Yushchenko and includes a commitment to form a “coalition of national unity” which would include the Regions party, Our Ukraine and probably the Socialists. A joint “working group” is going over the controversial details, such as the wording on Nato and plans for further constitutional reforms. At yesterday’s “round table” meeting of top political leaders, Yushchenko, Yanukovich and Bezsmertny made clear they were inclined to sign, the Socialists were ambivalent, the Communists signaled a probable no, and Yulia Tymoshenko ruled her bloc out. Tom Warner: Yanukovich is wisely allowing Yushchenko to surrender with dignity. Although the agreement says nothing on who would be prime minister, clearly it would be Yanukovich, and that is almost everything that matters, as the premier’s constitutional powers are strong and vague declarations on paper are not. However, there is much left to be negotiated before Regions and Our Ukraine can form a coalition, and still some possibility the deal will fall apart. There could be a conflict over Yushchenko’s and Bezsmertny’s demand that the current coalition with the Communists first be dissolved, which would push back Yanukovich’s confirmation as prime minister to mid-August.