Opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who roused vast crowds during protests against election fraud, said on Saturday she believed she would be named prime minister once Viktor Yushchenko is finally inaugurated as president. Yushchenko, winner of last month's re-run of November's rigged presidential election, must weather a last legal challenge from loser Viktor Yanukovich before taking office. The Supreme Court is to examine Yanukovich's case on Monday, but the ex-premier said he has little chance of overturning the result.
Tymoshenko, 44, is seen as one of several possible candidates to take over government and begin implementing Yushchenko's agenda of cleaning up the ex-Soviet state's business affairs and moving closer to the West.
She said she believed her candidature would be put forward under an election pact she and Yushchenko struck last June.
"We concluded a formal agreement when we created our coalition, setting down our relations if we took power jointly," Tymoshenko, her blonde hair tied in a traditional Ukrainian braid, told a news conference.
"There is no ambiguity in this. It is all clearly written down in terms of the job of prime minister."
Asked whose name appeared in the accord, which reporters said they had not seen, she said: "I'll give you three guesses.
"I believe Viktor Andriyevich Yushchenko is an honest, moral politician and do not believe he will start by breaking a coalition agreement.
Known as the "gas princess" for her good looks and success in the energy business, she said her chances of being approved by parliament if nominated were "100 percent".
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