Yanukovych’s Two Years in Power

Two years ago, Viktor Yanukovych was inaugurated as the fourth president of Ukraine. He stated his intention to carry out much needed economic reforms largely neglected by his predecessors and promised to fix dysfunctional state institutions. But Yanukovych has instead accumulated enormous power, making all branches of government de facto subordinate to his office. With parliamentary and presidential elections looming in the fall of 2012 and 2015, he had two options. Either he falsified the elections and used his formidable police apparatus to pacify the restive society, or he negotiated a transfer of power and immunity guarantees with the opposition.

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