Ukraine watcher Robert McConnell has been sending out regular e-mails to some correspondents with analysis of the situation in the Ukraine. Here’s some of what he says today:

As we enter this critical week the Constitutional Court tomorrow is suppose to rule on the validity of the government’s dismissal. The Parliament’s consultative meeting has proposed candidacies for the new Central Electoral Committee–80% of the current members, minus the present chairman and one or two others. And, Kuchma has gone on record that the Supreme Court’s ruling must be implemented.
But what does any of this mean?
According to Viktor Yushchenko–speaking to the demonstrators in Independence Square yesterday–the next three days are absolutely critical.
The Supreme Court victory on Friday was huge, and the momentum clearly has built in favor of the people of Ukraine and Yushchenko but this is Ukraine. The will of the people and rationale standards of behavior and following laws are what is at issue–the people in power do not “play” by those rules and those standards. To the extent Kuchma and company are even influenced by law and rationale standards it is only because high-priced and mostly foreign advisors try to coat and spin their lawless and criminal behavior in terms of national interests and protecting society.
This struggle is a long way from over. Everything remains in doubt–serious doubt. President Kuchma–always the meticulous, clawing, determined thug–has not given up and is following a methodical “anybody but Yushchenko campaign.”

McConnell adds that: “Obviously there was a set-back when the parliament did not stay in session Saturday and Sunday but instead adjourned. That was the session when one would have hoped parliament would have taken its necessary step in the dismissal of the Central Election Commission and the establishment of a new government with changes in the election laws. Instead it adjourned.”

More:

Kuchma is also trying to press the necessary number of parliamentarians into amending the constitution before the revote to limit the powers of the presidency–to make sure that if Yushchenko does win it will be a hollow victory and the Kuchmnestas can continue to control Ukraine and the citizens of Ukraine from another power base. The horse trading going on in Parliament today involves the dilution of the powers of the presidency, by shifting some powers to the parliament and Prime Minister effective January 1, 2005. Yushchenko’s team supports the constitutional reforms, but wants them to go into effect after the March 2006 parliamentary elections, when a new parliamentary election on proportional party list basis can form a cabinet of ministers for which it will be accountable. Kuchma supporters and allies of the Communist Leader Symonenko and Socialist Leader Moroz want the changes to take effect next month, leaving Yushchenko with very limited presidential powers. Critical negotiations on these issues are taking place in Kyiv today.
Note also the potential for Kuchma to hold out long enough–in not dismissing the government, the Central Election Commission, etc.–to have the December 26th election take place and be just as disgraceful and farce as that which took place on November 21st–remember all the same players, including eastern oblast chiefs–and with the same result–an election all election monitors proclaim to have been contrary to international norms. Then Kuchma might declare some sort of a state of an emergency, renounce the election and the candidates and–posing as some sort of statesman–try to start the entire process over without either of the “offending” candidates “in the interests of Ukraine.”
Never forget the lengths to which these people will go–