Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko lashed out in an interview Tuesday at her country's central bank, accusing her opponents of using it to destroy the economy and discredit her government. "I cannot share its policy of destruction of the currency by excessive devaluation," she told France's Le Monde newspaper.
"It is political sabotage whose aim is to destroy the economy and discredit the government." "No electoral victory is worth such a price," she said, without elaborating on whom she meant. Ukrainian politics remain paralysed by a venomous political row between one-time allies Tymoshenko and President Viktor Yushchenko which has brought decision making to a halt.
Tymoshenko, due to meet Wednesday with President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, said Ukraine should hold an early presidential election to end the political instability undermining efforts to help its shell-shocked economy. "The sooner the presidential election takes place the faster the country will be stabilised politically," she said. The vote is currently scheduled for 2010. Ukraine is one of the countries worst hit by the global economic crisis.
The former Soviet republic's crucial steel sector has suffered from a sharp slowdown in global demand for the metal, its banks have been struck by the credit crunch and its currency has halved in value against the dollar. Tymoshenko also told Le Monde she was confident that Ukraine would get the second part of an emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund that has been delayed due to fears about the country's solvency.
"There is no doubt that the second tranche of the IMF loan will be paid, I hope in March of April," she said. She blamed Ukraine's poor reputation with international financial institutions and rating agencies on unnamed "irresponsible politicians" jockeying for position ahead of the presidential vote.