An appeal to the Orange Revolution’s paymaster: Ukraine’s president writes in the Washington Post

Titled “Building a Democracy: The Orange Revolution lives on in Ukraine,” the piece appears at a point of deep crisis for the Yushchenko administration.

Less than two years after assuming office, Yushchenko is widely hated for presiding over a corrupt administration that has implemented “free market” policies, compounded by rising food and fuel prices that are making life ever harder for Ukrainians. Meanwhile, a tiny group of oligarchs continues to enrich themselves.

In Independence Square, which in 2004 was the focal point of the mass demonstrations that Yushchenko utilised to gain the presidency, almost no evidence of the Orange Revolution was to be found during the anniversary apart from some “Orange” merchandise on sale to tourists. Festivities in the square were cancelled and pictures of Yushchenko taken down due to opposition from rival factions of the former Orange movement and the lack of popular support for the president.

Stymied by the parliamentary success of his rivals and unable to push through his unpopular commitment to join NATO, the Ukrainian president is clearly concerned for his political survival and hopes to maintain support for his weakened and discredited presidency among his principal backers in the Washington establishment.

Rival suitors for Washington’s favour

The article was made more timely by the fact that Viktor Yanukovich, Yushchenko’s rival for the presidency in 2004 and the current prime minister of Ukraine, started a four-day visit to Washington on Sunday. The visit, during which Yanukovich meets with leading administration personnel including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Vice President Dick Cheney, is intended to win US support for the prime minister and his Party of the Regions, which is seen in Washington as being too close to Russia.

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http://wsws.org/articles/2006/dec2006/ukra-d07.shtml