Ukrainiana

Tymo Falls Short of One Vote Due to 'Technical Error' and/or Sabotage; Rada Takes Break

MP Oleksandr Omelchenko, NUNS, who is the former mayor of Kyiv, reportedly failed to use his voting card. During the vote on a re-vote, which resulted in the same number — 225, against the required 226 — Speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk had his voting card snatched from him by MP Vladyslav Lukyanov, PRU.

This member of the Party of Regions is known for discounting the Orange Coalition's chances by comparing them to the possibility of the Earth's collision with a large meteorite.

The Rada has adjourned until 5 p.m. Kyiv time, as required by the rules of order.

The re-vote will take place following the President's repeat nomination of Yulia Tymoshenko for PM. To eliminate opportunities for fraud, the Orange Coalition demands that the re-vote be done outside the computerized Rada voting system. According to NUNS leader Yuriy Lutsenko, a more elaborate plot was at work, which exploited a weakness in the system.

The SBU is investigating the matter. Speaker Yatsenyuk has pressed charges against Lukyanov. According to BYuT MP Andriy Shkil, if found guilty, Lukyanov can face up to three years of imprisonment. Prosecution appears problematic, though, as no members of the Party of Regions or the Cabinet have been prosecuted by the current Prosecutor-General, despite several high-profile investigations by law enforcement.

Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2007/12/11/68235.htm
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2007/12/11/68211.htm
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2007/12/11/68200.htm