NEW VERKHOVNA RADA: CARCASS TRAITORS BANISHMENT, FIGHTS AND NEW OLD PRIME MINISTER
Verkhovna Rada has decided on its leaders and elected Mykola Azarov as Prime Minister. But even with these decisions, it is already clear that the current parliament cannot be considered tame. The Party of Regions has shown that from now on "playing the piano" (button pushing by deputies for multiple colleagues) will not work that easy.
On the first day of its work of the new parliament, it became clear that everyone will have fun: the Regions accustomed to easy life and the opposition as well as ordinary Ukrainians. Producers and writers of various talk shows must have been going green with jealousy watching the events. Yesterday's session of Parliament in terms of intrigue and action made other entertainment products of Ukrainian TV bleak.
If You See a Traitor - Kick His Butt
The first day of the newly elected parliament started with a demonstrative banishment of "carcasses" Oleksandr and Andrii Tabalovs from the session hall. They were literally thrown out of the door to by the representatives of Svoboda who were booming with energy that morning. The Tabalovs gained unexpected popularity, however, only in a negative context. Tabalov Sr. was trying to defend himself, but it turned out unconvincing, to say the least. "We have not seen anything yet. Now we will study the situation, we are here first time," he told the reporters. His son was a little more talkative: "I have not joined any faction yet. And as to joining Batkivschyna faction - that's an interesting question. "
Public humiliation which the Tabalovs went through must awaken the survival instinct of other potential "carcasses". The opposition has demonstrated what happens to those who break the promise and make a deal with the Party of Regions.
"What happened with the Tabalovs is my personal responsibility for the fact that people who swear on the Bible, swear on their family in the end betray you," said Yatsenyuk.
Somebody Ordered a Fight?
During a break representatives of Svoboda cut down several sections of the fence around Rada. Svoboda deputy Ruslan Koshulynskyy said: "Last night was Andrii's Saint Day - a religious holiday, and given the fact that we always celebrate it, this is a gift to Andrii Illenko" (on this holiday according to popular tradition, homes where girls live removed their gates.) Koshulynskyy informed that they are not taking the fence and if they put them back on "it is not hard to take them down again," he said.
After this Svoboda encountered an unexpected problem - they were not allowed into the parliament building. As a result of clashes with Berkut special forces the deputies broke down the door, a metal detector and broke into the session hall.
"We were not allowed to our workplace," said deputy Myroshnychenko. "We had to use force. You understand that now at 4 p.m. a crucial voting can take place and I have the impression that this was done on purpose."
The temporary presidium could not answer the opposition's question of who called the special forces to the parliament. Later in the afternoon the tension had reached its peak, which resulted in the first serious clash in Rada of VII convocation. In response to the explicit violation of regulations by the Regions opposition blocked the podium, and the fight broke out. In particular, Party of Regions deputy Tedeiev remembered his wrestling past and tried to handle Viacheslav Kyrylenko. Yes, the first day was unproductive but entertaining.
Escalation of Conflict and Speaker Rybak
The second session of the Verkhovna Rada of VII convocation quickly began to develop in accordance with the last night's script. Regions deputies in their characteristic manner voted for themselves and the other guy. It seemed that there were no sgns of trouble. However, the opposition began to teach the Regions to vote in person. A serious fight broke out in the presidium and podium. The biggest news was when odious Regions deputy Vadym Kolesnichenko kicked the opposition's Oleg Medunytsia when he fell. Oleksandra Kuzhel emotionally said that for such things you need to hang the guilty ones by the balls. At the same time, Svoboda's Ihor Myroshnychenko boasted to the journalists that the opposition kicked Tedeiev's butt for the first time.
A little later Kolesnichenko provoked another fight, saying there are people in parliament who cannot read in Ukrainian. It's not clear who was it addressed to (Kolesnichenko spoke after Vitali Klitschko), but Svoboda took it close to the heart for some reason. As a result - another, third fight in two days. However, in the end, the parliament managed to get to work.
Censor.NET's source a few days ago stated that the head of the parliament will be one of the founders of the Party of Regions Volodymyr Rybak. In the end, his candidacy was voted for by 250 deputies. Slightly fewer votes - 241 - were given for the First Vice Speaker - Communist and former head of Customs Ihor Kaletnik. Svoboda's Ruslan Koshulynskyy was elected Vice-Speaker from the opposition with 305 votes . Also former head of the Cabinet Mykola Azarov returned to the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine supported by Regions, Communists, and 12 independent deputies.
By the way, Azarov in his speech once again "pleased" the audience and viewers with his brilliant "Galician accent." (Azarov is known for not being able to master Ukrainian) In response to this Iryna Farion (radical nationalist from Svoboda) said that the only people who cannot learn the language are politically biased people and mentally retarded ones. Azarov responded in his "brilliant Azarov dialect": "I agree improve Ukrainian with you".
Surprise for Party of Regions
We can be certain in saying with confidence that there will be a large number of physical conflicts in the current parliament. Active position and determination of the three opposition factions have become a very unpleasant surprise for the Party of Regions. If, before the first day the Regions had reason to believe that the new parliament, due to plurality candidates and "carcass" traitors will be rather manageable, the events show the fallacy of such notion. There is no doubt that solving problems with force does not make the parliament look better but a deputy's got to do what a deputy's got to do under these tough conditions. The Party of Regions has shown that from now on "playing the piano" (button pushing by deputies for multiple colleagues) will not work that easy.
