Semerak: BYuT does not hurry up to the elections

Author: Natalia Yartseva

"We'll win at the elections, but we shall not hurry," they say in BYuT. It is illogic, but very emotional. Blocking of the podium "in the name of people" the day before was only one of many arguments prepared by BYuT for difficult and long election campaign.

- Ostap Mykhayliovych, tell us openly, why does BYuT block the podium??

- BYuT delivered a clear initiative: we won't  cramp process of the elections, we shall cramp illogic steps of the authorities of the state concerning destabilization of the economic situation and reducing of preparation of Ukraine for global economic crisis coming to Europe.

- In what way?

- Before the VRU will stop its work and accept laws concerning the elections we have to make decision concerning the amendments to the State Budget 2008 and accept the State Budget 2009. Only after that we can vote the bill on elections etc. situation has been set up when a whole range of local budgets have not money for wages because of absence of amendments to the budget. It must be corrected, while we have money.

Second, if elections take place, the Parliament won't work in plenary mode for half a year. Electioneering process takes about two months, appeal takes another month, forming of Coalition takes a month too and forming of the government takes two months. So, the State Budget won't be passed in due time too. It is crime against the development of economic climate in the country and social safety of the state.

- How long will you block the work of the parliament?

- Till we have put the question on the amendments to the State Budget as the first question. After this the PR and "Our Ukraine" may vote amendments to the electoral legislation.

- Will BYuT vote for amendments of the electoral legislation?

- No. We don't hurry to the elections. Besides, we believe that "Our Ukraine" must work in the format of previous coalition in the VRU of this convocation instead of forming coalition with the PR and negotiating about the early elections.

Let change the law to those who hurry up to the elections. Let the Ukrainian people see that 228 votes were given by the PR and OU for entering on the agenda amendments to the Law on elections. It was not discussed in the Committees.

- Ostap Mykhayliovych, where is logic here? Yu.Tymoshenko tells that she isn't afraid of elections and will win them, and her faction is blocking work of the VRU, covering with populist statements about people.

- It is not populism at all. Budget is violated in 20 regions of Kyiv Oblast, there are no money to pay wages to teachers and doctors after November. Is it normal? Average people will suffer because there is no money previewed in the budget for them. Why? Because the OU and PR decided to participate in the elections...

- Why did you remember about it only the day before dissolution of the VRU?

- We have accepted the amendments to the Budget in July! There was a decision of the Budgetary Committee, the document was introduced to the plenary hall for voting. You must remember, the night before voting for the Budget the President had introduced his version of the Budget...

- And a lot of time had been lost. And no version of the Budget had been accepted.

- Quite right, both versions of the Budget were sent to the re-reading. We have re-discussed them in the Budgetary Committee and certain amendments concerning the agrarian sector, aircraft building, flood loss management were accepted. But there was no complex decision.

- Evidently, it won't be accepted this time too as it is impossible to accept the State Budget in one day.

- That's very bad. The government can't use money. There are clear regulations according to which the government may use funds whish were not distributed by the parliament.

- Ostap Mykhayliovych, when does BYuT stop sabotage?

- we don't hurry up to the elections. I believe that publications of the Decree of the President does not mean that elections will take place on December 7. the President may public another Decree. Everybody remembers that last time there were 4 Decrees. Why not?

And there are many precedents everybody have forgotten about. Such as Law on judicial system accepted by the VRU of the 5^th convocation within the period between the Decrees of the President. there were less than 300 MPs in the VRU and its work was incompetent. It was the only recognized law.

- You participated actively in the "Revolution on granite". How did you celebrated its anniversary this year?

- I gave interviews to the journalists together with Oles Doniy. We shared know-how, drank tea, ate sweets.