He also criticized the current gas deals, just like the Party of Regions is doing, harking back to gas at $50 and, of all things, the good old days of a previous government-to-government contract between Ukraine and roosha – and RosUkrEnergo!!!!

And, of course, everyone accused everyone else of corruption, and – of “not being a new face.”

Hanna Herman was dripping sarcasm all over the place, and she and Akimova (Party of Regions) accused Yatseniuk of simply latching on to whatever and whomever he could, bouncing around from minister in Crimea to Speaker in Parliament and elsewhere.

Yatseniuk defended himself pretty well, stating that he had carved out his life on his own, for himself, with the help of his wife, who had to bounce around the country with him in his various posts.

Ukrainians have several bad habits, among them – being extremely long-winded, not being able to focus and plan (well, except for corruption), and making simple things complicated.

One alarming thing – Akimova, the hatchet woman from the Party of Regions, kept pushing the idea that Ukrainians truly want a “strong man, strong-arm” government, and not democracy.

So Ukrainians are supposedly brain dead, according to the Party of Regions, and they really and truly are begging for a dictator.

How convenient for the Kuchma thugs from the Party of Regions.

There is no contest in this election. There is only two candidates that can progress to the second round of voting.

Yatseniuk is currently in third place – ten percentage points behind Yulia Tymochenko. He is not attracking any significant support. Nor should he. He is seen as being too close to Yushchenko and offers no policy of change.

The two round first-past-the post voting system works against like minded candidates.

Our Ukraine are standing four candidates in this election and each one is competing against each other for the same bone.

Yatseniuk’s candidature is welcomed as it will prevent Yushchenko from being re-elected to a second term of office. Had he not stood Yushchenko’s support base may be higher.

53 days to the first round of voting and there is no change in the expected outcome. The first polls since nominations closed will be out soon. I do not expect there to be any significant shift or change. Yulia Tymochenko and Yanukovych will retain their position. Supporters of minor candidates will have to make a choice Yanukovych or Tymoshchenko? I would have to say that Yanukovych is in poll position but as others have said (Taras Chernovil for example) Yulia is still in the race and could claw back support in the final round. She is an impressive campaigner.

Yatseniuk will be hard pressed to keep third place as he will be challenged strongly by Tihipko and Yushchenko.

Yatseniuk rocked!

Unfortunately, it was another one of those Ukrainian programs where people are long-winded, and make simple things complicated. I give huge credit to Savik Shuster for devoting that much air time to Ukraine’s terminally long-winded and repetitive politicians.

Plus, it’s like watching a kindergarten class in democracy.

But, it had some interesting moments – like when Yatseniuk said that the only difference between the US and Europeans, on the one hand, and rooshans on the other, was that the US and Europeans smiled, and the rooshans did not.

And – even Hanna Herman, from the Party of Regions, criticized Tymo (rightly so) for giggling when Putler was in Yalta, putting down on both Yushchenko and Saakashvili, while she was conducting talks with Putler about gas agreements. This was the second time she giggled when Putler put down on Ukraine’s president.

http://shuster.kanalukraina.tv/video/3325_kak_ukraine_sberech_nezavisimost?_anons/