Lavrynovych to become Rada speaker if Yanukovych gives up his premier ambitions, political expert Fesenko says

The rapprochement can even lead to a coalition of BYUT and PR, no matter how unbelievable the scenario may seem, he said.

Volodymyr Lytvyn has a trump card in the race for speaker’s chair: he can be a compromise figure in any political configuration.

As there is little chance of creating an official majority, V. Lytvyn can become a new speaker if an informal majority is formed in VR. “If BYUT agrees to create an informal majority and gets the Communists to back Lytvyn, there won’t be a problem mustering 24 needed votes among NUNS members,” he opined.

Ivan Pliushch can become a new speaker, given the support of PR. It seems that he is viewed by the Regions as a compromise figure between the president and PR. However, Pliushch will need the backing of the Communists and at least 24 NUNS members, something he is unlikely to have.