Yushchenko Accuses Rival Over Referendum Plans

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine's president has reprimanded influential businessmen in prime minister Viktor Yanukovich's party for backing plans to hold a national referendum he sees as betraying national interests.

Embattled President Viktor Yushchenko
The move came as the country prepared for snap presidential elections.

In a Financial Times interview, Viktor Yushchenko said the choice to back a national referendum could challenge Kiev's NATO membership aspirations and grant Russian language official status. "They feel the taste of power once again and in my view have demonstrated to the nation that lessons have yet to be learned," said Mr Yushchenko.

While their billion-dollar companies have increasingly integrated into international capital markets and become more transparent in recent years, members of the business elite backing Mr Yanukovich remained active political players and had "not changed much" since the Orange Revolution, when they backed the premier's candidacy in an allegedly rigged presidential vote, Mr Yushchenko said.

He accused them of pulling divisive campaign agendas out of an "old bag" to polarise voters.

Mr Yanukovich's Regions party has announced plans to hold a referendum asking voters if they backed granting Russian official status as a national language in addition to Ukrainian, and if they supported Kiev's neutrality from military blocs.

Mr Yushchenko was sceptical about the initiatives. "They are fruitless ... not the right priorities. In the last four years, they have had tens of opportunities to raise these issues. Obviously this is a last-ditch effort [to polarise voters] and shows that they have nothing else to talk about."

Citing low public support, Mr Yanukovich has opposed NATO membership. Yushchenko allies have accused him of pandering to Moscow interests.

Ukrainians have in recent years grown disillusioned with politics, but remain split on an east-west axis over NATO and the language issue. But support for European Union membership is high.

Recalling last year's compromise deal in which Mr Yanukovich's candidacy for the prime ministership was accepted in return for guarantees on integration with western Europe, Mr Yushchenko said: "I am deeply offended. I was convinced that when a person puts down their signature on paper it means they will not go back on their word. This was a big mistake. I was naive."

After losing the presidential contest in 2004, Mr Yanukovich returned as premier last summer after an inconclusive parliamentary poll. Both leaders have since been locked in a struggle over authority.

Source: MSNBC