RADA OUTLOOK: POSITIONING FOR PRESIDENTIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KYIV 000924 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/28/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR UP SUBJECT: RADA OUTLOOK: POSITIONING FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS REF: A. KYIV 816 ¶B. KYIV 814 ¶C. KYIV 694 Classified By: Charge James Pettit for reasons 1.4(b,d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) After a week's recess, the Rada will start its next plenary on June 2 amidst continued rumors that PM Tymoshenko's BYuT faction and opposition Party of Regions (Regions) are close to forming a coalition. A BYuT-Regions coalition would have more than the 300 MPs necessary to enact constitutional changes. Interior Minister Lutsenko's job appears to be safe as the uproar over his reported confrontation with German police at Frankfurt airport dies down. Defense Minister Yekhanurov and other Presidential allies in the government are in Tymoshenko's sights -- she has held fire over concerns that quick action to remove them could destabilize the existing coalition. Electoral politics may threaten the Sea Breeze military exercise, and will continue to influence the Rada's activities through the end of the session in July. End Summary. BYUT AND REGIONS: WILL THEY OR WON'T THEY? -------------- ¶2. (C) In a television interview on May 24, Regions head Viktor Yanukovych said that BYuT and Regions continued to negotiate a possible deal to create a broad coalition in the Rada and change the constitution (REF C). He reversed himself on May 28, however, saying that "no talks are being held." In a change from his earlier opposition to such a pairing, on May 27 Rada Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said that "a broader coalition should exist" in the Rada. Regions MP Nestor Shufrych gave the coalition a 75% chance of succeeding, up from the 50% chance that Regions contacts gave previously. ¶3. (C) BYuT MP Valeriy Pysarenko told us that the only sticking point was a fundamental lack of trust between Regions and BYuT leadership. He said that the closer the two sides get to an agreement, the more they distrust the intentions of the other side. A broad coalition would be especially dangerous for Tymoshenko, said Pysarenko, as her rating would take a big hit -- Yanukovych would be better able to absorb any negative fallout within his base of support. On May 28, a contact told us that Tymoshenko had ordered BYuT MP Igor Hryniv to return early from a Rada delegation trip to Norway, increasing speculation that a deal with Regions was close to being finalized. 
 ¶4. (SBU) President Yushchenko has threatened to call a national constitutional referendum to head off any potential constitutional changes that BYuT and Regions could attempt in the Rada, saying that a union of the two political groups "could endanger democracy and the country's independence." MP Vyacheslav Kyrylenko, the leader of the remaining pro-Yushchenko "For Ukraine" group within OU-PSD, said that his group would "disrupt" talks between BYuT and Regions on constitutional amendments, but did not say how they would go about doing so. SEA BREEZE AT RISK -------------- ¶5. (C) The Rada twice failed to consider the annual bill authorizing foreign military units to enter Ukrainian territory to participate in training exercises. Rada contacts told us that the issue of foreign military exercises was especially sensitive in the run up to the presidential elections. BYuT contacts said, however, that after the May 19 failed attempt to get the legislation on the agenda, Tymoshenko urged BYuT MPs to unanimously support the measure. BYuT MP Serhiy Sobolev told us that Speaker Lytvyn's support for the measure was in doubt, as he was trying to take the middle ground between Regions' Russia-leaning positions and the Orange camps' western-leaning positions ahead of the elections. ¶6. (C) On May 22, the Rada failed again to include the legislation on the agenda, holding an unanticipated vote with no discussion. Only 133 MPs voted to support consideration of the measure, including 65 BYuT MPs (out of 156.) Surprisingly, 19 out of 20 Lytvyn bloc MPs supported the measure, with only Lytvyn failing to vote. Anatoliy Hrytsenko, OU-PSD MP and Chairman of the National Security and Defense Committee, said that, because the Rada failed to act, it was "pretty clear" that the land portion of Sea Breeze would be canceled. KYIV 00000924 002 OF 003 ¶7. (C) BYuT MP Andriy Portnov told us that the May 22 vote was almost meaningless, as the PM was in Libya, the Rada was half full, and "everyone knows" that little is accomplished in the Rada on Fridays. Portnov said that the Rada would likely take up the issue again in the next plenary week. He cautioned that passage was not guaranteed, although BYuT's votes "would be there." ¶8. (C) Charge raised Sea Breeze with Deputy PM Nemyria May ¶28. Nemyria took our concerns on board and said he would immediately convey them to the PM. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DATE -------------- ¶9. (C) The Rada has yet to set a date for the presidential election after the Constitutional Court on May 13 declared that the October 25 election date was unconstitutional (REF A). Pro-coalition OU-PSD MP Hennadiy Moskal submitted a Rada resolution setting the election date on November 22. Portnov dismissed Moskal's resolution, saying it had no support. He said that BYuT would likely follow the logic of the CC's decision and support a January 17, 2010 election date. Regions MP Hanna Herman told us that Regions would also support a January 2010 election, and pro-coalition OU-PSD MP Kyrylo Kulikov questioned why the issue was still being discussed as the CC decision "made clear" that the Rada needs to set the election for January 17, 2010 and move on. LUTSENKO, YEKHANUROV AND POSSIBLE CABINET RE-SHUFFLE -------------- -------------- ¶10. (C) On May 27, the CabMin announced that it had concluded its investigation into Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko's incident at the Frankfurt airport and had asked him to resume his duties at the Ministry (REF B). There has been no sustained public outcry for his ouster, and Regions has backed off from its demands that Lutsenko be sacked. Rada contacts told us that Tymoshenko was loathe to remove Lutsenko, an ally who runs the nation's police force and is dependent on her for his political future, as she would be unlikely to find the votes to confirm a new Interior Minister who would be as loyal. ¶11. (C) Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov is now in Tymoshenko's sights after an internal government investigation led to allegations that the Ministry significantly overpaid for food supplies and did not follow proper procedure when decommissioning and disposing of military land. Yushchenko and Yekhanurov have accused Tymoshenko of using the investigation to continue her "political attacks" on Yushchenko allies. Pro-Yushchenko OU-PSD MP Liliya Hryhorovych told us that the efforts to oust Yekhanurov is but another step in Tymoshenko's plan to remove all "Our Ukraine" ministers from their posts. ¶12. (C) BYuT MP Serhiy Mishchenko told us that they had the votes for Yekhanurov's ouster -- the Communists would support it -- but that Tymoshenko was waiting to solidify support for the move within the pro-coalition OU-PSD MPs. BYuT would like to avoid the problems the coalition had after former Foreign Minister Ohryzko's ouster in March. MP Pysarenko told us that removing Yekhanurov would satisfy two BYuT goals. It would show voters that when corruption is uncovered BYuT takes action and "cleans house," while also politically "cleaning house" of Yushchenko allies. ¶13. (C) BYuT MPs have also tabled a resolution to remove Vice Prime Minister Ivan Vasyunyk, a Yushchenko ally who is heading up Ukraine's Euro 2012 preparations, and have told us that the Minister of Justice and possibly other Yushchenko allies in the cabinet are on the chopping block as well. While the Communists would likely join the coalition in voting the Ministers out, Pysarenko told us that the coalition does not yet have the votes to put new ministers in place. Comment -------------- ¶14. (C) The Rada is working under the shadow of upcoming presidential elections. Electoral politics will influence the Rada's activities through the end of the session in July, including regarding the Sea Breeze exercise. The chatter about a potential BYuT-Regions coalition and constitutional changes has reached a crescendo once again. Whether the two sides can overcome their mutual distrust and unite is still very much in doubt. A hobbled Presidential Secretariat, regrouping under the leadership of new Chief of Staff Vira Ulyanchenko, would unlikely be able to do much to stop BYuT KYIV 00000924 003 OF 003 and Regions if they press forward with a coalition. PETTIT