Interfax-Ukraine Ex-Ukrainian premier and current opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko has said that lawmakers are being offered a bribe of $5 million each in order to join the ruling pro-governmental coalition.
“Isolated recreants have currently left our ranks. They, by using the authority of our team, converted it into their dubious achievements, either financial or professional,” she said in an interview with the Korrespondent magazine, which was published on Friday.
Tymoshenko said if BYuT members had not been enticed into the coalition, this circumstance would have had to be invented.
“This is natural selection. Can you imagine that our MPs, many of whom have not seen $50,000 in their life, are currently being offered $5 million? Young professionals are being offered high-ranking posts, but 150 people remain in our team, and they are ready to resist,” she said.
“And even if historical parallels are drawn, then Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver, figuratively speaking, by a twelfth of the faction, but we, mere mortal and sinful people, have a significantly higher figure,” Tymoshenko said.
Evidence Ms Tymoshenko? Once again, wild accusations and not evidence!
The accusation today by Ms Tymoshenko coinsides with another quote from one of the senior people in the opposition coalition which states……..
“They have complete power, more than Kuchma. For business people in parliament, they don’t have to show cash to get them to switch sides,” Yevhen Korniychuk, deputy justice minister under Tymoshenko and the leader of the Social Democratic Party, a party in Tymoshenko’s former coalition, said.
So which is it? They are paid $5 million to change sides…….or there is no need to to pay MPs to change sides?
Surely one of these two top coalition people is right and the other is wrong. They can’t both be right.
The question then goes to credability of the claims. The individual claiming there is no need to offer cash for MPs to change sides…….is a serving MP with no overtly infamous or inflamitary historical statements in their history.
The person claiming $5 million is being paid to MPs to change sides is not an MP or person of any political power.
Who has recently made wild accusations about voting fraud when they lost, despite international monitors and all nations recongising the vote free and fair? Who failed to provide any evidence of voting fraud substantially in favour of their competitor? Who ordered all their faction political people to resign from local government stating they cannot govern and be in opposition at the same time? Who is consistantly claiming the advice from the IMF, World Bank, League of Financial Development and EBRD are flawed and their fiscal and economic policy is better………despite failing to produce a budget for 2010 when they were in power and obliged to do so? Who refuses to recognise President and Parliament despite the interntional recognition of those people and bodies? Who insists the gas deal in good when President Yushenko, President Yanukovych, Prime Minister Azarov, Deputy Prime Minister Tigipko, Cabinet and Presidential Administration all insists it is terrible? Who is stating that gas prices must not rise contrary to IMF and World Bank advice? Who wants to change to tax system to one they drew up last year mid way through the tax cycle when the World Bank, League of Financial Development and the current administration have stated a new tax code they have developed together is better implimented on 1st January 2011 at the beginning of the Ukrainian Tax Year?
That is before we ask why has Yatseniuk not joined a coalition under Ms Tymoshenko? Why is it anticipated that Yatseniuk will make major progress in 2012 relating to the number of MPs at the expense of BYuT?
The answer as most obvious at present, is credibility. The more wild, unsubstantiated, inaccurate, unevidenced, personal, alienating (domestically and internationally), irrational statements made, the speedier the demise of the BYuT and Ms Tymoshenko as a political entities.
Ms Tymoshenko, STOP! Take a deep breath and think about what you are doing to yourself and those in your party.
Not everything those in power will do is wrong. If you want to make headlines chose your battles wisely.
Accusing your own MPs, currently still with you, who may one day defect to the coalition of being corrupt does you no favours. Accusing the opposition of buying your MPs does you no favours. If they are corrupt, then they will have done very well out of corruption during your term in office over the past 5 years. That is an inference that will be drawn by many people. Therefore the implication is that your government was no less corrupt than the claims you make against the current one.
If you need a reason for the defecting MPs, claim ideological differences……but not that your party is full of corrupt MPs which you have employed for the past 5 years in power.
Being in opposition is not a sprint but a marathon and it pays to choose your battles wisely in order to maximise political effectiveness and media coverage. It does not help the cause to run off at the mouth every single day making claims you cannot or will not provide evidence for. People will simply stop listening to you and will listen to Yatseniuk as a credible opposition instead.
How can you expect people or MPs to follow you if you say nothing supported by fact in either the court or the media?
Opposition is not about automatically saying “No” when those in power say “Yes” or the other way around. It is not about making wild accusations without evidence. Opposition is based on political ideology and the steady and level headed scrutiny of those in power. If they are right, you either agree or say nothing. If they are misrepresenting a position and manipulating facts or statistics then this is your bread and butter of opposition.
It is hard work, it invloves not only stating things are not as they seem over an issue but also providing your alternative and stating why it is better. It does not command the headlines you are used to…….but you are now in opposition (not even a MP) and not running the country……that is democracy……that is life in politics.
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