Ukraine's politics since Orange Revolution

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko yesterday sacked the government of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, saying it had lost its "team spirit".

Here is a chronology of events in Ukraine since the Orange revolution last October:

November 10, 2004: First round of vote to elect successor to President Leonid Kuchma, held on October 31, proves indecisive as the main contenders - Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko - receive almost equal numbers of votes. Both fall short of a clear majority.

November 22: Supporters of Mr Yushchenko, dressed in orange, fill the streets of Kiev after preliminary official results give Mr Yanukovich a massive lead in the second round of the poll, held on November 21.

December 3: Supreme Court rules the vote invalid and orders second round re-run on December 26 after Parliament votes to sack the Yanukovich government. Five days later, Parliament changes election law and alters the Constitution to curb presidential powers.

December 28: Mr Yushchenko wins the election with 51.99 per cent of votes. Supreme Court rejects complaints by Mr Yanukovich of poll violations and he resigns as Prime Minister three days later.

January 23, 2005: Mr Yushchenko is sworn in as President.

February 4: Mr Yushchenko's nominee Yulia Tymoshenko is approved as Prime Minister by Parliament.

March 4: Former Interior Minister Yuri Kravchenko, linked to the 2000 murder of investigative reporter Georgiy Gongadze, apparently commits suicide, three days after some arrests were made in the case. Mr Yushchenko had accused Leonid Kuchma of covering up the politically sensitive case.

March 9: Mr Yushchenko tells German Parliament that his country will take all steps needed to join the European Union, and that talks could start in 2007.

March 12: Ms Tymoshenko says she is opposed to changes in the Constitution that would limit the responsibilities of the President and make her post more powerful.

April 4: During a visit by Mr Yushchenko to the United States, President George W. Bush asks Ukraine to join Nato and the World Trade Organisation.

May 12: Mr Yushchenko promises a referendum on any bid by Ukraine to join the European Union or Nato.

July 28: The Ukrainian Security Service says it is probing reports of an assassination attempt on Ms Tymoshenko.

August 24: Mr Yushchenko vows no let-up in the fight against corruption and a campaign to eradicate poverty, but public scepticism rises as economic growth falls to 3.7 per cent, with inflation around 15 per cent.

Mr Yushchenko also faces criticism over the extravagant lifestyle of his son and reports that his family owns trademark symbols of the "Orange revolution".

September 3: Mr Yushchenko's chief of staff Oleksander Zinchenko quits, alleging corruption in President's circle.

September 7: Mr Yushchenko appoints long-term aide Oleh Rybachuk as his chief of staff.

September 8: Mr Yushchenko sacks the Tymoshenko government following resignations of two top officials earlier in the day.

Factfile

Following are 10 key facts about Ukraine.

¤ The country has a population of about 47 million and an area of 603,700 square kilometres, which borders Russia and Belarus to the east and north. European Union member states Poland, Slovakia and Hungary lie to the west while Romania and ex-Soviet Moldova are to the south.

¤ The official state language is Ukrainian. Russian is widely spoken in eastern and central Ukraine.

¤ Predominantly rural Ukraine was under Russia's rule for almost three centuries in tsarist times and under Soviet rule.

¤ It declared independence from the Soviet Union after the failed coup against Kremlin chief Mikhail Gorbachev in August 1991. Ukrainians voted nine-to-one in favour of independence in a referendum held in December of that year.

¤ Ukraine's President is elected for a five-year term. The President appoints the Prime Minister, subject to confirmation by Parliament, as well as other ministers and heads of local administrations.

¤ The country's first President was Leonid Kravchuk, elected at the same time as the 1991 referendum. He lost in 1994 to Leonid Kuchma in an early election. Mr Kuchma won a second term in 1999.

¤ Western monitors said the October 2004 presidential election failed to meet international standards. Mass street protests led by the opposition, who claimed the Moscow-backed government rigged a subsequent November presidential run-off to get Mr Kuchma protege Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich elected.

¤ Liberal opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko proclaimed himself President by symbolically taking the oath of office in Parliament.

¤ In December 2004, the Supreme Court ruled the election was invalid and set a repeat vote for December 26. In mid-December there were allegations that Mr Yushchenko had been poisoned by dioxin during the campaign. Mr Yushchenko won the re-run of the presidential election.

¤ Over the last few years, the economy has staged a robust recovery due to strong exports, mainly of steel and chemicals. But private investors are worried over bureaucracy, corruption and lack of transparency.

(London Editorial Reference Unit)