The Ukrainian Batkivschyna opposition party is not facing the issue of replacing its leader, even if ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko is found guilty in the gas inquiry, she will continue to lead the party.
"Fortunately, the courts do not decide who is to lead the party […] Whatever the court ruling, Tymoshenko’s party leadership is out of the question. She was and remains the party leader," Verkhovna Rada Deputy Speaker Mykola Tomenko, who represents the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (BYT) in the parliament, told a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.
Currently, Tymoshenko is "the most popular opposition politician," he said.
The authorities are in a hurry to prepare a verdict against Tymoshenko before Aug. 24, Independence Day, but if need be, it could be adjusted by President Viktor Yanukovych who can "remove some clauses there," Tomenko said.
The verdict could be announced as early as the beginning of September, he said.
