Yushchenko stripped of power by parliament

The Guardian (UK) ^ | Tuesday January 16, 2007 | Luke Harding in Moscow

[Gondring]

· 'Lame duck' Ukraine president plans to appeal · Former orange revolution ally votes with opposition

The man who led Ukraine's orange revolution two years ago has been transformed into a lame-duck president following a humiliating parliamentary vote that effectively strips him of all powers.

Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's opposition leader turned president, no longer has the power to veto the choice of prime minister or foreign minister.

Lawyers for President Yushchenko said yesterday that they were preparing to appeal, describing the move as "unconstitutional".

However, Mr Yushchenko appears to be the big loser in Ukraine's latest constitutional battle, which has paralysed the country over the past year because of vicious internal power struggles.

The president lost his responsibilities after his ally-turned-rival Yulia Timoshenko decided to vote with the party of Ukraine's pro-Russian prime minister, Viktor Yanukovich.

[...]

However, last August the president was forced to appoint Mr Yanukovich as prime minister after his own allies, incuding Ms Timoshenko, failed to form a government.

Mr Yushchenko and Ms Timoshenko had fallen out spectacularly a few months earlier, each accusing the other of corruption.

[...]

Yesterday one of Ms Timoshenko's closest advisers shrugged off the suggestion that she had betrayed the orange revolution by siding with Mr Yanukovich, her former enemy.

[Gondring]

Wow! Yulia is one tough lady... payback to Yushchenko, but not good that Yanukovich and his Party of Regions gets more power, IMHO.

Still, I'd rather have her show up on TV every night than Hillary!

[Gondring]

ping

I suppose getting stripped of power is better than when he was poisoned...

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

More bad news from the newly reconstructing USSR.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

How many Louis Vuitton handbags did Putin promise her?