Ukraine's former PM breaks with president

Sacked Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Friday she was breaking her alliance with President Viktor Yushchenko and would go to next year's parliamentary elections with her own independent party.

"Today we are definitely two different teams and these two teams will go their separate ways," Tymoshenko told a television talk show on Friday evening. "I and Viktor Andriyovych (Yushchenko) will go to the elections in our separate ways."

Yushchenko sacked Tymoshenko's seven-month old government on Thursday, saying cabinet members and other top aides had lost their "team spirit."

During the television show, Tymoshenko said that she accepts her dismissal, but feels that it has undermined the solidarity between her and the president and ruined the future of their alliance and the country.

She said that now she no longer considers herself part of Yushchenko's team, and would run in the coming parliamentary elections on a separate and very powerful political platform.

She also expressed confidence in her team to win the coming elections, saying she wishes to come back to office to work in the new government formed after the elections.

"I think the results of our team will be very, very good," she said in the television program.

She said she would refuse any post in acting prime minister Yury Yekhanurov's cabinet.

Tymoshenko blamed the circle around Yushchenko for her government's dismissal and the breakup of their cooperation, especially the former chief of the Security and Defense Council Petro Poroshenko, who was sacked for suspected corruption charges.

"I am sure it is not the president, it is his team," Tymoshenko said.

Tymoshenko said Yushchenko was compelled to fire her to dilute the passive influence brought about by the corruption scandals of some of his closest aides.

The 44-year-old Tymoshenko, a talented orator who had contributed greatly to Yushchenko's election victory during last year's general election, is a powerful political force in Ukraine, and their split poses a major threat to Yushchenko ahead of the

parliamentary elections.

Ukraine's constitutional changes, due to take effect on Jan. 1, 2006, will transfer many presidential powers to parliament.

Yushchenko and his allies will need to score a decisive victory during the March 2006 elections in order to continue their policies.

Source: Xinhua