Snap Election Called in Ukraine

The Ukrainian President, Victor Yuschenko, called a the third national election in three years. Citing Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s statement of neutrality on Russia’s invasion of Georgia and Yulia Tymoschenko’s Party’s support for a bill that would grant the Prime Minister significantly more power and allow for the impeachment of the Ukrainian president, Mr. Yuschenko stated that a government was no longer operational. 

Ms. Tymoshenko is the first female Prime Minister of Ukraine and has been cited as one of the most powerful women on Earth by Forbes Magazine. 

Ms. Tymoschenko’s party and the party of the President had formed a coalition and when the two parties broke relations with each other the government no longer had a governable majority in Parliament, necessitating the election. 

Many believe that Ms. Tymoshenko has presidential aspirations and that she plans to run in the 2012 Ukrainian Presidential election.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Defeated in General Election

The defeated Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark

Helen Clark, the first woman to be elected Prime Minister of New Zealand, was defeated on November eighh in general elections. Ms. Clark’s party, the center-left Labour Party, was defeated by the center-right National Party, headed by John Key.

Helen Clark was the first female Prime Minister elected of New Zealand and one of the longest serving female rulers in the world. The Labour Party has been in power in New Zealand for a decade.

Mr. Key will likely become the next Prime Minister. He must first gain the support of a combination of several smaller parties in Parliament in order to gain a governing majority.