Yuriy Lutsenko: new government’s bargaining over Kyiv

Leader of the People’s Self-Defense civic movement Yuriy Lutsenko doesn’t rule out that threats by President Viktor Yanukovych and the head of his government to dismiss Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky are political bargaining.

"I get the impression that they’re bargaining for political and financial support and many other things," Yuriy Lutsenko said on Channel 5.

He also believes that former President Viktor Yushchenko should have dismissed Leonid Chernovetsky. "For me Yushchenko stopped being a political leader after he proposed that I enter a coalition with Chernovetsky, but categorically refused to dismiss him after I and all our colleagues demanded this. Clearly, Yanukovych is scaring Chernovetsky by saying that he will do this," he added.

Yuriy Lutsenko is also against giving Leonid Chernovetsky three months to fix the situation. "Were the past three years not enough? Is there anyone who doesn’t have enough evidence of how Chernovetsky has been robbing Kyiv under the guise of a holy man? Mykola Azarov was right about what he said about corruption and disorder, and the mess with the number of deputies, although, by the way, there are no fewer deputies in Azarov’s government than in Chernovetsky’s. From my point of view, after this statement he should have dismissed him for a simple reason: in connection with the election of a new president, the mayor’s authority is terminated. End of story. Who needs another three months?"

"If this is just a way to delay time to teach Chernovetsky a lesson and win his electorate, then I’m afraid this is how it will all end and it will be a shame that we lost the chance to protect Ukraine from such theft," Yuriy Lutsenko said.