Indeed, Yushcheko faces a difficult balancing act between his mandate as the leader of a popular uprising and the political constraints. I think this is a dilemma that faces the opposition as a whole. The visceral impulse that brings people onto the streets has rejection as its main component. It demands victory rather than compromise. But the opposition isn’t a revolutionary movement, at least in its present (and I hope future) form. It can’t make use of its numbers directly, that is, in their capacity to apply or threaten violence. It can only harness them to press for a more advantageous consensus, within the paramaters of law, international acceptance — plain Realpolitik, above all.

That, inescapably, spells out a contradiction. Yesterday, Ukrayinska Pravda (an openly partisan but, in context, quite moderate source, whose English site contains only a fraction of its lovely Ukrainian/Russian contents) published the first editorial I’ve seen there to criticise Yushchenko in bluntly harsh terms, taking him to task for making deals and mobilizing crowds without using them for direct action (“. . . From the very start of the ‘orange revolution’ there were two things that surprised the most: the immense courage of the rallying people and the sometimes complete irresponsibility of their leaders.”)

On Neeka’s blog, Veronica Khokhlova analyzed her own reactions.

I thought today’s Ukrayinska Pravda story about Tymoshenko’s speech on Independence Square nicely captured the challenge and predicament of having people stand in the snow just to lend leverage for backroom deals:

“They want to flush Yanukovych down the toilet and find another candidate — Tyhipko or Kuchma himself. Kuchma thinks that the people are falling in love with him lately. And now he’s gone to Moscow to decide whom to nominate.”

“For shame!”, – answered the Square. “For shame, you got it! No doubt”, – replied Tymoshenko.

She quipped that maybe Kuchma traveled to ask Putin to congratulate Yanukovych one more time.

Tymoshenko also asked the people to remain on the Square until final victory. “God forbid a single person should leave the square — Kuchma will immediately sense it with every fibre of his body.”

It’s only thanks to the people that Yanukovych’s resignation was won, she said.

“Will you be able to hold out until Yushchenko is declared president?”, – asked Tymoshenko. “Tak!!!” – answered the Square.

. . .

Yurii Lutsenko, who took the word after her, told the crowd that Friday’s action was very important. “Yesterday was our Stalingrad! Tomorrow will be our Kursk!” – he said.

http://www.pravda.com.ua

Students go green in plea for peace

A new colour has emerged in Ukraine’s polarised political spectrum. Students in Kharkov, worried by the escalating confrontation between Viktor Yushchenko’s orange revolutionaries and the blue-and-white supporters of Viktor Yanukovich, have established a “green” movement called We Are for Peace! with the aim of bringing the two sides together.