Tymoshenko is the leader of the opposition All-Ukrainian Union “Fatherland” party, and served two separate terms as Prime Minister of Ukraine, from January to September 2005 and from December 2007 to March 2010.
Iin 2011, she was convicted of abuse of power and embezzlement by the Yanukovych adminstration and imprisoned. While the international community appealed for her release and called the case political prosecution, Yanukovych never conceded.
The New York Times reports that now that she is free, many of her supporters want her to run in the newly appointed elections in May. However, Tymoshenko’s spokeswoman, Natalya Lysova, said she has not yet made a decision. “It’s not time for this,” Lysova said.
After months of sometimes violent struggle to oust the corrupt leadership, observers say many seem unenthusiastic about Tymoshenko returning to office, seeing her as a part of the old political system. Andriy Shevchenko, a lawmaker from her party, said on Sunday,
“We do need to show a new quality and the expectations are really enormous because of the high price we paid… People expect angels or saints.”
