The sessions of the Ukrainian Verkhovnaya Rada look like a skit at present. As soon as they begin, the deputies from opposition run to the platform and block it, after which the speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk has to announce a break.  

Journalists rushing to the lobby to get explanations only can see opposition members there. The “orange” deputies (Yushchenko’s supporters) have been told not to walk out during breaks after a Timoshenko’s supporter promised to a Yushchenko’s supporter “to carry your president feet first”. That conversation was published in a newspaper.    

The conflict Yushchenko-Timoshenko is no secret for anyone. The president has been criticizing the government during the whole last year and he has been abolishing all its regulations. Privatization of the large enterprises is especially disliked by the president. He realizes that Timoshenko will just give out the gained money to people which would increase her rating again. And the president wants it to fall, for example, due to inflation rate that is going to exceed the promised by Timoshenko 10%. This is why Yushchenko has promised to “chain” the opposition and not allow Timoshenko to resign till winter time where problems with gas supplies would stop her being so popular.    

It’s going to be easy to counteract this plan in case the Timoshenko’s bloc unites with Regions Party of Yanukovich. Then they would have enough votes to make changes in the Constitution. Speaking in Strasbourg at the PACE meeting on 16 March, Timoshenko explained what kind of change she wants. “It’s necessary to make Ukraine a traditional parliamentary republic, as it is characteristic of the Europeans countries”. That means Yulia does not want to wait till the presidential elections of 2010. She intends to head the country now in her capacity of the Prime Minister.    

Her talks with Yanukovich are going on successfully. The supporters of the latter speak about it in the lobby and also make official statements. Timoshenko’s followers, on the contrary, are prohibited to talk to the press. The whole faction is told to stall for time and propose difficult questions to be put on the agenda, which would provoke the opposition for blocking the parliamentary platform.  

The Donetsk billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, who is the main sponsor of Yanukovich, is the weak link in that game. He has disliked Timoshenko since pre-revolutionary times, as she took away his two large enterprises – a steel producing Krivorozhstal was taken in 2005 and an energy Dneproenergo has been taken now. 

Feeling that Yulia has taken the bit between her teeth and that the upshot may be close, the Ukrainian president is trying to get support from Akhmetov. On Thursday visiting the new stadium in Donetsk Yushchenko suddenly took the billionaire in his car and drove it by himself in unknown direction. No one saw them next three hours.