Yushchenko’s circles see Yanukovych as lesser evil in comparison with Tymoshenko – expert opinion

According to the press release given by Gorshenin Institute to UNIAN, Yushchenko campaign managers think that Victor Yanukovych is a lesser evil than Yulia Tymoshenko. The head of Gorshenin Institute Kost Bondarenko expressed this opinion during the press-conference held by the News Agency Most-Kharkov.

Gorshenin Institute Press Office has informed UNIAN that according to Mr. Bondarenko President’s supporters think that it is possible to come to agreement with Yanukovych in order to keep the current system functioning. It is clear that if Tymoshenko comes to power a lot of Yushchenko colleagues will get in trouble. Take Kharkov for example. Tymoshenko’s victory will mean the end of the head of Khrarkov Administration Arsen Avakov’s empire. Even though today according to some sources Avakov is trying to build a relationship with the Prime-Minister,  his aids are in the process of assembling what in the corporate world known as “golden parachutes”. There’s a similar situation in other regions. That’s why Yushchenko people are betting on Yanukovych primarily on the principle “My enemy’s enemy is my friend”.

According to the expert Yulia Tymoshenko is not a desirable candidate for both international and domestic players. You can remember the Greek legend about Hercules and Lernaean Hydra. When Hercules was cutting Hydra’s heads Hera’s Crab would come out of the lake to bite his feet and bother him to fight the monster. I am not comparing Tymoshenko with Hercules. But it is rather amusing to see how the President’s Secretariat is acting like Hera’s Crab, having realized that it’s not its battle but rather a fight of two political giants and opted to play on Yanukovych’s side biting Tymoshenko. 

Mr. Bondarenko thinks, that today Yushchenko circles are trying to bring Tymoshenko’s ratings down understanding that the Prime Minister has now bigger chances to strengthen her electoral support in the second round. That’s why, says Mr. Bondarenko, today the search for compromising information is now being conducted in New Jersey. That is why Ukraine has secretly asked US prosecution to cut Lazarenko’s jail term and currently negotiating his early release. He has to play the role of heavy artillery in this anti-Tymoshenko scenario. That’s why Yushchenko signed the Law that increases social standards and vetoed the Law that would allot one billion to fight the flu pandemic.

Most recent events are just comic. Knowing that Tymoshenko and Putin are planning to meet at the Yalta Summit, Yushchenko, as a punch back, has invited Georgia’s President Saakashvili to visit Kiev, noted Mr. Bondarenko.