This week will show how Tymoshenko will join presidential race – as premier or as sacked premier – Vadym Karasyov

BYT’s recent decision not to press ahead with the appointments of new ministers indicates BYT’s wish to preserve the currently undersized cabinet and not to push its luck too far as the Regions might jump at the opportunity and try to sack Interior Minister Lutsenko or even Premier Tymoshenko and dislodge the coalition.

According to the expert, this week will show in what capacity Yulia Tymosenko will run for president – as a current premier or a sacked premier, as the Regions may try to send her packing. “After this, a true pre-election campaign will set in,” Karasyov claims.

“Tymoshenko has no absolute guarantees that she will make it into the run-offs. To realize this, she will have to defeat Yatseniuk and Yushchenko. Meanwhile, Yanukovych can afford to behave as if he was in the run-offs: his campaigning is less based on ideology and he does not focus on issues unacceptable to West Ukrainian voters.

Commenting on BYT’s proposal to cancel deputy immunity on Oct. 20, Karasyov says it is an empty shell and will soon be forgotten, as all lawmakers, regardless of their party affiliations, do not want to be stripped off their privileges. “They all want to ban the deputy immunity, but it is mere window dressing. Ukrainian politics is full of paradoxes, and one of them is “do what you are loath to do in a way that will crush your opponent,” Vadym Karasyov stresses.