Early presidential campaign starts with discredit of Tymoshenko

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The President's Secretariat continued devastating criticism of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Deputy Head of the Secretariat Andriy Kyslynskyi has again declared Tymoshenko's involvement in the "fifth column" that is trying to influence the coming presidential election campaign, with acting participation of Russian political circles.

Secretariat Head Viktor Baloha called the Prime Minister's Wednesday address to the World Forum of Ukrainians as an example of "cynical craftiness".

In his opinion, speaking about a single candidate from the democratic coalition in the future presidential elections, Tymoshenko implied herself and nobody else.

As reported, Tymoshenko refused from commenting the portion of discrediting material the President's Secretariat poured out on her.

The first president of the independent Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, spoke out in support of Tymoshenko, calling Kyslynskyi's accusations as unfounded, and noting that state officials cannot make any comments concerning the legally appointed authority.

Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, representing the People's Self-Defense party in parliament, says the President should make his say, because "it is impossible to live in a country where a deputy head of the President's Secretariat calls the Prime Minister a betrayer of Ukraine".

It is most surprising that President Viktor Yushchenko has not so far commented in any way the attack of his Secretariat against the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, the Secretariat submitted to the Security Service of Ukraine documents allegedly proving Tymoshenko's treason.

However, the accusations still look unsubstantiated, and it follows from the Secretariat's allegations that Tymoshenko's greatest guilt is that she is willing to run for the presidency in the coming polls.

The Korrespondent magazine published on Thursday the rating of 100 most influential Ukrainians, whose No. 1 is Yulia Tymoshenko.

UKRINFORM