Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko refused to take part in the live show “Svoboda
na Interi” (Freedom on
Inter). The Office of mass media
relations of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Secretariat stated Tymoshenko will not take part in program on January 23, 2009 along with the RosUkrEnergo
owner Dmytro Firtash.
"After
all his actions D. Firtash shall debate not on live
broadcast with the Prime Minister but with the investigator in the General Office
of Public Prosecutor," the statement says.
"It is no secret that real
owner of the Inter TV channel is a stockholder of RosUkrEnergo
Dmytro Firtash. The Prime
Minister of Ukraine considers that it is intolerable for her and her adherents
to participate in political farce in the guise of talk-show of the channel which
exists for stolen money of the state, obtained by the corruption gas schemes.
The last “Svoboda na Interi” with participation of
First Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov has demonstrated that program aims at – not searching
for and getting to the truth and unbiased analysis of the difficult situation
but at real badgering. And this task was fulfilled not only by guests of the
air, representing mainly, by the strange coincidence of circumstances, one
political force but presenters as well who by their behaviour as if “worked off
sops” in the boss’s presence – D. Firtash," press office announced Tymoshenko's position.
"Therefore, Prime
Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko
has decided to ignore the political programs of Inter TV channel until
journalists, managers and owners of this channel stop to crush the freedom of
speech and remember the essence of their profession – honesty, objectivity, non-involvement," press office of the Cabinet pointed out.
