Armenian paper cautions “Orange avengers”

The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 11 2005

The Armenian newspaper Aravot (Morning) reports that the government
of Ukraine headed by Victor Yanukovich and Nikolai Azarov decreed
that the ex-president Leonid Kuchma could receive a lifelong pension.
According to the document, the ex-president was set to receive other
perks as well. According to the paper, the Supreme Rada MPs have
supported the request of the future Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko
to abolish the order regarding the lifelong perks and bodyguard of
the ex-president.

But this is not all, the paper states. Kuchma can find himself behind
bars soon because the Ukrainian parliament also supported a demand
for the arrest of the ex-president.

MPs intend to arrest Kuchma for undisclosed crimes committed during his
tenure. Rumors indicate the MPs are looking into the disappearance
of the journalist Giorgi Gongadze and the beating of Alexander
Yeliashkevich, who fled to the United States and later received
political asylum there.

Both events took place in 2000, and although the opposition, which
is now in power, always accused Kuchma of the murder and beating,
there remains a lack of solid evidence to prove this. In addition,
the former president is accused of illegal use of special technical
means to gather information in exchange for major bribes.

“It is still unknown whether or not Ukrainians will arrest Kuchma.
But it is already known that the General Prosecutor of Ukraine
Sviatoslav Piskun, to whom parliament’s demand was sent, was
dismissed from his position because of Kuchma in 2003. It is known
as well that Yulia Timoshenko was even arrested during the Kuchma
government. However, as it is known, such people are eager to get
back at their offenders,” the paper writes.

Aravot advises that it is rather wise to resist temptation and leave
the ex-president alone to calmly continue his life. “All-knowing Putin
behaved himself in such a way. He did not even allow ex-president of
Russia Yeltsin to be offended when Russian MPs also wanted to get
back at him. Putin did this not only to secure of his own position
after the resignation,” the paper stressed.

The paper stated that if all ex-presidents are arrested soon after
they step down, then only a “fool” would agree to leave his post.
“They will probably declare themselves as lifelong president!” the
paper states. “Now choose yourself what is better for our state: to
have a lifelong president of Armenia Kocharyan without any hope for
democratic change or Kocharyan as well, but on a perpetual pension?”
the paper asks.