Yulia Timoshenko, the Ukrainian oligarch-turned-revolutionary, says she fully expects to be made Prime Minister, now that her ally, Viktor Yushchenko, has won the presidency — and she’s already acting like she’s in charge. Countermanding Yushchenko’s order that the tent city of “orange” activists camped out in the middle of Kiev must disperse, the fiery “gas princess” is telling the activists to remain at their posts:
“We must respect people who came to protect democracy. I’m against any orders, and people should leave when they are ready.”
Yulia claims Yushchenko signed an agreement prior to the election designating her as his candidate for Prime Minister — but he hasn’t met with her after returning from vacation:
“When asked why Yushchenko had not yet included her in his consultations, Timoshenko said icily: ‘Ask him. I am not going to initiate such an encounter.'”
In the meantime, he’s found plenty of time to meet other Ukrainian politicians on the make.
Is the “orange revolution” turning into a lemon? I’ll bet this is part of the reason.