Tymoshenko to be Sacked?

[Nonson]

It is being rumored that Leonid Kuchma is
considering a request by Prosecutor-General Mykhaylo
Potebenko to sack Deputy Premier Yuliya Tymoshenko because of the criminal charges brought against her.


Potebenko is claiming that Tymoshenko's dismissal will prevent her from using her government post to influence the investigation into her wrong-doings.

Kuchma's spokesman, Oleksandr Martynenko, said that
Kuchma will decide Tymoshenko's fate "shortly."


Tymoshenko commented that Kuchma's compliance with Potebenko's request will mean a victory of "Ukraine's shadow (economy) circles," against which she claims having launched an efficient campaign.

Nonson
1.18.01

[Irena]

They say that Tymoshenko is a "man". But, I think that Tymoshenko is a real woman. Only a woman could come on (in spite of obstacles) and act so recklessly. She served fathfully Lazarenko, made a lot of muddy money. She can leave Ukraine with this money and answer only before God for them. But such persons are very vain, they look foward activity. And she fought her way forward to Governement.
There she put out her way gas' competitors. But Yulia is a very alone woman. Nobody will support her. Everibody (people, oligarchies,president...) hates her. Plus the good-for-nothing husband, hand and scanty party and other people who was fedding behind her back.
In short I think that they'll fire her and she'll try to create an image of a martyr. Our people love sufferer ones.

[Nonson]

Irena,

Here is a news article about Tymoshenko that you might like to comment on.





Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko


In the latest development surrounding Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, whose husband, Oleksandr, was arrested on charges of theft of state property last month, prosecutors on Sept. 1 accused the company once led by Tymoshenko of siphoning abroad more than $1.1 billion.

Deputy Prosecutor General Mykola Obikhod said accused United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU) of transferring that sum abroad in 1996-97, precisely when Tymoshenko headed the firm.

Tymoshenko, who has vehemently denied similar allegations in the past, struck back the next day.
In an interview with Zerkalo Nedeli weekly, excerpts from which are published below, Tymoshenko again contended the case against her husband was politically motivated revenge for her reforms in the energy sector and an attempt to force her out of the government.

Q: Yulia Volodymyrivna [Tymoshenko], what can you say about the latest developments around you and your family?

A: Frankly speaking, it's hard - because of all the things happening to my family and people around me. The whole thing began from the very day when I started consistently destroying everything incompatible with a civilized country. I know in detail the shadow sector of the economy: When I was a businesswoman, I realized that not a single company has a future. Those who are in favor today, will be in disfavor tomorrow: Until we have civilized rules of the game, no one can be certain about tomorrow. This is exactly why I left business - that is a fact - and tried to use my knowledge of the shadow sector and my knowledge of the industry in order to restore civilized order. As soon as I began doing that, I immediately started feeling enormous pressure and receiving all kinds of warnings.

Q: What kind of warnings?

A: They said they would destroy everything related to me and leave scorched earth. But it doesn't make any sense for me to stop now, or otherwise it is not clear why I took this post in the first place. It doesn't make sense trying to do some sort of deal here.

I can say firmly now that however hard it was, however strong was the confrontation, I led this policy practically alone (and I think this was quite obvious).

Nevertheless, I have managed to achieve quite a lot. I can say now that there is practically no shadow sector in the fuel and energy industry. This means that as much as Hr 5 billion a year have been removed from the shadow sector. But I have received absolutely no support from the supreme authorities or big business. It turned out that restoring order, which they have been always talking about, is not only unnecessary to them: It is even harmful. People have to pay for things; people have to bear responsibility; people are losing huge money which they used to receive; people are losing total control in some areas. It turned out that conducting any reforms in the country in order to restore order damages someone's global interests, and these interests hamper reforms in every possible area.

The second burden is the losses Ukraine bears now. These are global economic losses which result from actions of some officials. But officials come and go, whereas losses for Ukraine are already pre-programmed for many decades ahead.

Q: Who exactly do you mean?

A: I already named them before. [Yevhen] Marchuk [secretary of the National Security and Defence Council], for instance, is one of those who is supposed to ensure Ukraine's national security. He is extremely biased in his attitude toward all the changes in the fuel and energy sector. It is obvious from all of his actions, including falsifications. For example, I have recently seen an article in a newspaper close to him. There is a photo of nuclear power plant personnel in the article: The picture itself was taken at a Russian plant, but the comment on it says that arrears in wages to personnel have reached two months - whereas we have paid everything to the last kopek!

This person and others like him are taking concrete steps which practically ruin these or other spheres of Ukraine's economic influence - the spheres where Ukraine could become the leader. Let us take a look, for example, at the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline project. The pipeline is already completed and soon it can start yielding profits. But now they create some artificial superstructures, the Ukrtrans company, etc. There is no need to do that any longer, the pipeline should just be utilized.

Let us now take a look at the recent statement by the Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. One of the Kyiv newspapers described [Anatoly] Kinakh [the president of the union] as "the rising star of Ukrainian politics." This person has once been deputy prime minister, and he led the [energy] sector to a complete collapse by transferring it to mutual settlement schemes and introducing all sorts of surrogate payments. But now he wants to be a judge, he says we should bring back the old promissory notes and other settlement schemes, since the energy sector cannot survive without them.

Q: Does Ukraine have any chance to get the Turkmen contract?

A: I don't know how things will develop in Turkmenistan. Vladimir Putin will soon travel there. If Russia signs a 30-year contract on purchasing 50 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas annually, Ukraine will be left on the sidelines in all the issues of controlling its energy market and energy supply sources.

Q: What do you think caused President Kuchma's anger after your trip to Ashkhabad?

A: I cannot explain a lot of things. Maybe the president of the country has more information than I do.

But it hurts me when I see Ukraine losing opportunities, possibly, for many decades ahead. If we strengthen our relations with Russia in electricity supply to Ukraine, the next step would be the Unifed Energy Systems company [Russian electricity giant] receiving a bridge for exporting its electricity to countries outside the CIS. This means, someone wants to build a bridge through our territory and export electricity, while Ukraine will sit and observe it helplessly.

Q: What about gas transit and the prospects of conceding part of the gas transportation system?

A: I am absolutely confident that the Ukrainian gas transportation system is the key strategic object of the economy. The two projects - the Turkmen project and the project of efficient utilization of our gas transportation system - perfectly complement each other. During my time in the Cabinet of Ministers we have completed a technical and economic expert assessment of a project on the construction of a gas pipeline across the Black Sea to Ukraine. This project would protect Ukraine once and for all from any reduction in gas transit through its territory and ensure another reliable source of gas supplies to our country.

Q: But the project requires political support from potential buyers of Turkmen gas. As well as huge amounts of money.

A: The first and most important thing is that Ukraine needs this gas. The state budget is one of the largest gas buyers in Ukraine, and we should develop our state policy proceeding from that. Second, Europe has always been interested in diversified gas projects. We have held preliminary presentations of these projects at three international forums and received support. In is important now that Ukraine should seek support and promote its project. During my recent trip to Ashkhabad the Turkmen side did not reject these proposals.

While Ukraine is struggling in its closed environment, in its constant domestic conflicts, the world is moving forward, building things, integrating, all the countries are searching for their niche and getting hold of it. Meanwhile, Ukraine is busy squabbling, trying to distribute some corrupt profits.

Q: So, you are trying to say that the president does not want to hear about this or he is not satisfied with this?

A: The president hears what he is told by the people who surround him, and they do not always want an objective evaluation of the situation. Meanwhile I am most concerned with the purposes of those people.

Q: Do you feel the support of Prime Minister [Viktor] Yushchenko in this situation?

A: I do not see any difference between my views and those of the prime minister. We have always had the same vision on what needs to be done in the fuel and energy complex.


Nonson
1.18.01

[LippyChick]

There is possibility a case of deflection tactics from Kuchma. Now is definitely an opportune time to transfer some of the heat to another party.
It also gives Kuchma the opportunity to weaken those whose popularity threatens him.

LippyChick

[Nonson]

LippyChick,

There has been suggestions to that effect in some of the news articles I read. But its near impossible to determine whether or nor they are credible. Right now Ukraine politics is a madhouse of machinations.

Nonson
1.19.01

[Irena]

"I do not see any difference between my views and those of the prime minister. We have always had the same vision on what needs to be done in the fuel and energy complex".

I just wonder how she uses Ushtshenko. Yes... She twisted his brain as a woman!

[Stephen_Bailey]

Yes. I think MS Tymoshenko ought to be sacked - and prosecuted too. Problem is, who has the authority to prosecute????? We have the saying in Britain "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." I mean, she's only one of a number of people with (I think) very dirty hands and some of her severest critics are no better.

P.S. Speaking about 'dodgy' politicians. Did anyone else see A.Lukashenko playing ice-hockey on tv last week. AAaarrrgghh!!!!!!!

S.B.