BETTING ON ORANGE:

Securing an Orange Victory (ADRIAN KARATNYCKY, October 5, 2007, NY Sun)

Ukraine's Central Election Commission shows that as a result of a vote on Sunday, Ukraine will have a narrow, eight vote pro-Western Orange majority in parliament and a government likely to be headed by Yulia Tymosehnko.

If the Orange parties succeed in adding the moderately pro-Western party of Volodymyr Lytvyn, they will have a comfortable majority, approaching 50 votes in a 450 seat Rada, Ukraine's national legislature.

The biggest winner is Ms. Tymoshenko, who almost certainly will be the country's prime minister. Her eponymous bloc has captured over 30% of the vote, nearly 10% more than the party won in the legislative elections of March 2006. She ran a brilliant campaign with the best TV spots and a moral message calling for an end to corruption and cronyism.

Mr. Yushchenko has strengthened his hand, as well. His decisive actions this summer forced a new election amid charges that Regions Party officials were bribing dozens of "Orange" deputies to gain a constitutional majority through their defection to the ruling majority.

In June, after a bitter standoff that threatened to degenerate into armed confrontation, Mr. Yushchenko issued decrees that dissolved parliament.