Viktor Yushchenko forces out popular prime minister

Having accepted the resignation of Petro Poroshenko, a close ally in the revolution whom he had appointed head of the Security and Defense Council, he fired Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Recently, reports of a rift between the two were rife.

"The key issue was trust. If it had been possible to preserve the team spirit, to remain together, it would have been the best answer... The team's unity, unfortunately, has become an extremely acute problem. Interpersonal conflicts have ... begun to affect state affairs," President Yushchenko said.

The task he is facing now is much more difficult than just putting together a new government. He will actually have to convince Ukrainians and international public opinion that the spirit of the Orange revolution is not dead in his country and that democratic change is in the pipeline. Rumors of cronyism and corruption in the government, along with the President's 19-year-old son's hedonistic lifestyle, enraged Ukrainians.

Tired of the abuse of power by the administration of the former president Leonid Kuchma, Ukrainians were counting on major changes in the country's political life. Instead, the are witnessing similar conflicts.

Yuri Yekhanurov, a longtime ally of President Yushchenko and former economy minister, is expected to head a new government.