Vladimir Litvin becomes speaker of Ukrainian parliament

According to ForUm 226 deputies have voted for packet of candidacies for the Supreme Rada leadership, proposed by United Ukraine and Socialist-Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) factions. These data were reported by calculating commission of the Supreme Rada, May 28. The mentioned-above packet includes candidacies of Vladimir Litvin’s (United Ukraine) for the Supreme Rada speaker, Gennady Vasilyev (United Ukraine) for first vice-speaker, and Alexanr Zinchenko (SDPU) for first speaker. As Vladimir Litvin came to the tribune to have his first speech as speaker, representatives of four factions (Our Ukraine, Yulia Timoshenko’s bloc, Socialist Party, and Communist Party of Ukraine) left the hall. As a fact, results of the election were changed: March 31, the electorate preferred Our Ukraine, Yulia Timoshenko’s bloc, and Socialist Party of Ukraine, while now they are left without leading posts in the parliament. SPU leader, Alexandr Moroz called this parliament election “Pyrrhic victory of the power.” Now, the opposition tries to clear up who of them has voted for For United Ukraine and Socialist Democratic Party of Ukraine – that are 6 representatives of Our Ukraine and two communists. The names of the “betrayers” from the Communist Party are known: Mikhail Potebenko and Leonid Grach, while the faction has not confirmed them officially. As for Our Ukraine, Viktor Yuschenko said that the betrayers would be excluded from the party.

Andrei Lubensky PRAVDA.Ru Ukraine

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/05/28/41883.html