Tymoshenko Offers President Alliance, Coalition Government

KIEV, Ukraine -- Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Sept. 21 she was ready to offer President Viktor Yushchenko an alliance aimed at creating a new coalition government.

Sacked Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks during her news conference in Kiev
"I am ready to sit down with him (Yushchenko) today ... and suggest we unite forces and create a new government," Tymoshenko told reporters.

Yushchenko sacked Tymoshenko and her government earlier this month and on Sept. 20 deputies including Tymoshenko loyalists refused to support Yushchenko's appointment of Yuriy Yekhanurov as prime minister.

"In my heart, there are no bad emotions about the president," she said.

Yushchenko planned a new round of talks with party leaders on Sept. 21 to try to win support for resubmitting Yekhanurov's candidacy.

"The president wants to ... underline that emotions should not be an issue - for the benefit of Ukraine," said Irina Herashchenko, Yushchenko's spokeswoman.

Tymoshenko also complained of political persecution after the Prosecutor General's office on Sept. 21 appealed earlier court rulings that had annulled the 6.6 billion hryvna ($1.3 billion, 1 billion euros) debt of the now-defunct United Energy Systems.

Tymoshenko headed the one-time key gas supplier in Ukraine before becoming deputy prime minister in 1999.

Authorities loyal to former President Leonid Kuchma jailed Tymoshenko after her 2000 ouster on embezzlement charges stemming from her running of UES.

"Kuchma's old accusations against me and against my family have been restored," she said.

Earlier this month, Yushchenko also accused Tymoshenko of trying to use her post to wipe out debts owed by UES.

"It's only emotions, and we need to stop them," she said. "None of the president's accusations are real."

Source: AP