UKRAINIAN RADA SPEAKER YATSENYUK OUSTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L KYIV 002242

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINIAN RADA SPEAKER YATSENYUK OUSTED

Classified By: Ambassador William Taylor for reasons 1.4 (b,d).

SUMMARY
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1. (C) Rada speaker Yatsenyuk was ousted during a fractious
parliamentary session on November 12, which included two
legally questionable votes and a physical confrontation
between MPs. The Party of Regions, Lytvyn Bloc, Communist
party and a handful of Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense bloc
MPs joined forces to alter Rada procedural rules and remove
Yatsenyuk. A scuffle occurred between Party of Regions and
Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc MPs when the latter tried to shut down
the Rada's electronic voting system to prevent the vote
against Yatsenyuk. Speculation in the Rada is rife over the
end goal of removing Yatsenyuk, but it is clear that most MPs
are not privy to the decisions being made by their party
leaders. END SUMMARY.


QUESTIONABLE VOTES AND A SCUFFLE
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2. (U) After a routine morning recess on November 12, Deputy
Speaker and Party of Regions MP Oleksandr Lavrynovych called
a snap vote on suspending Rada Speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk for
two plenary sessions for alleged procedural violations during
the October 31 vote on anti-crisis/IMF legislation. The
suspension resolution was not included on the Rada agenda as
required by parliamentary rules. 231 MPs voted to suspend
Yatsenyuk, including 175 from Party of Regions (Regions),27
from the Communist Party, 20 from the Lytvyn Bloc, 8 MPs from
Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense (OU-PSD),and 1 from the
Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc (BYuT).


3. (U) After Yatsenyuk's suspension, BYuT MPs tried to stop
any further voting in the Rada by occupying and shutting down
the electronic voting system. Regions MPs, led by Nestor
Shufrych, broke down two doors and pushed out the BYuT MPs
occupying the voting control system. After a short recess to
reboot the voting system, MPs then voted to change the Rada's
rules on removing Yatsenyuk. The new procedure allowed a
vote using electronic voting cards rather than secret paper
ballots specified in Rada regulations that require deputies
to be present to vote. A vote the previous evening using the
required paper ballots failed because while many Regions MPs
voting cards were registered in the chamber, they were not
personally present to pick up their ballots. In the
subsequent vote using the electronic voting cards, all of
Regions, Communist, and Lytvyn Bloc MPs voted along with 10
OU-PSD and 1 BYuT MP to remove Yatsenyuk as speaker. The
session ended without a vote on Yatsenyuk's replacement,
although Regions told the press that they will nominate
Lavrynovych to fill the Speaker's chair. Former Rada Speaker
and MP Volodomyr Lytvyn and OU-PSD MP Ivan Plyush are also
being mentioned as possible successors.


SPECULATION, BUT DEPUTIES IN THE DARK
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4. (C) Rumors about the true reason for Yatsenyuk's ouster
and what, if any, role President Yushchenko played are rife
in the Rada corridors. Many MPs were willing to share with
us their theories of why Yatsenyuk was dismissed, but none
claimed to know the definite reasons for his removal. BYuT
MPs Andrei Shkil and Valeri Pisarenko told us that they
believe Yatsenyuk's removal had Yushchenko's blessing and is
a prelude to either a new push for early elections or a
legally questionable coalition between some part of OU-PSD,
Regions and Lytvyn Bloc. Regions MPs Yuriy Miroshnochenko
and Volodomyr Makayenko told us that this is the beginning of
an attempt to form a coalition between a Regions and OU-PSD.
OU-PSD MP Kyrylo Kuliko and BYuT MP Konstantin Bondarayev
speculated to us that Yushchenko pushed Yatsenyuk's dismissal
in an attempt to weaken any authority not controlled by the
President. Regions MP Bondarenko countered the speculation
over possible coalition building or early elections, telling
us that Yatsenyuk's removal was because he altered an
amendment to the anti-crisis/IMF legislation from the version
voted on by the Rada. Despite the willingness of MPs to
share their theories, Makayenko told us that Regions MPs were
not informed why they should vote for Yatsenyuk's ouster, but
all fell in line because none wanted to jeopardize their
chance of being included on the party list if a new election
is called.


COMMENT
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5. (C) While the end goal of Yatsenyuk's dismissal is
unclear, his removal further destabilizes the political
situation in Kyiv. Yatsenyuk was an effective Speaker. His
absence will allow more maneuverability for those in the Rada
wanting to either push through legislation facilitating early
elections or the creation of a legally questionable coalition
between some part of OU-PSD, Regions and Lytvyn.


6. (U) Visit Embassy Kyiv's classified website:
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev.
TAYLOR