Ukraine: Orange chasm played out in court

Former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko yesterday testified against his Orange Revolution partner, ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko, in her abuse of office trial - as her supporters inside and outside the courthouse chanted "Shame! Shame!"

The scene underlined the disappointment many feel in Ukraine after hopes for reform raised by the massive 2004 pro-democracy demonstrations and Mr Yushchenko's ascent to the presidency dissolved in factional squabbling and political paralysis.

Mr Yushchenko claimed that Ms Tymoshenko was driven by political gain when signing a natural gas import contract with Russia in 2009. She has been charged with violating legal procedures when the contract was signed. Critics in the EU and US have called the trial a case of selective prosecution.

Mr Yushchenko charged that Ms Tymoshenko betrayed Ukraine's national interests by agreeing to what he believes was an inflated price.

"Only political motives could have played a role here," said Mr Yushchenko, who was greeted by angry chants from Ms Tymoshenko's supporters in the courtroom. "National interests were traded for political considerations."

Mr Yushchenko suggested that Ms Tymoshenko, who was preparing to run in presidential elections the following year, wanted to be seen as a "saviour" who ended a bitter pricing dispute with Moscow. The dispute led to Russia halting supplies to Ukraine, which caused shortages for customers across Europe.

Mr Yushchenko also claimed Ms Tymoshenko ignored Ukrainian interests for the sake of special relations with Russian leaders. "Russia had to have a pliant pro-Russian leader," Mr Yushchenko said.

Ms Tymoshenko said she disagreed with Mr Yushchenko's testimony, but declined to dispute him in the courtroom. "I will not ask questions because I don't want this court to pass judgment on the 'Orange Revolution'. I want everything that Yushchenko says to be on his conscience. God will be his judge," she said.

Though still combative, the 50-year-old politician who wears a peasant hair-braid to emphasise her links with the rural bedrock of Ukraine, is thinner in the face and looks tired after almost two weeks of spending nights in police detention.

One supporter called Mr Yushchenko a "bastard" and was escorted from the courtroom.

Ms Tymoshenko and Mr Yushchenko were the central figures in the Orange Revolution demonstrations that brought hundreds of thousands into the streets of Kiev in protest over fraudulent election results that purported to show Viktor Yanukovych beating Mr Yushchenko. Although the election was nullified and Mr Yushchenko won a re-run, Mr Yanukovych beat both Ms Tymoshenko and Mr Yushchenko in 2010 elections to become president.

Ms Tymoshenko claims the abuse-of-office case against her was orchestrated by Mr Yanukovych in order to bar her from politics. The European Union and the United States, among others, have also raised concerns about the trial being politically motivated and have objected to Ms Tymoshenko's being jailed during the trial for contempt of court.Chaos reigned outside the courtroom in Kiev where Ms Tymoshenko's supporters and opponents staged competing rallies.

Mr Tymoshenko's activists chanted "Yushchenko to jail!" while he spoke to reporters after testifying and his black Mercedes was pelted with eggs as he was driving away.

A Tymoshenko supporter, speaking through a loudspeaker, called Mr Yushchenko "Judas." Meanwhile, a smaller group of Ms Tymoshenko's opponents chanted "Yulia to prison!"

Mr Yushchenko's former energy minister Bohdan Sokolovsky testified in favor of Ms Tymoshenko later in the day. He acknowledged that Ms Tymoshenko was driven by political gain, but said she did not violate any laws by ordering the contract be signed.