KIEV, Sept 19: Ukraine’s sacked premier Yulia Tymoshenko said Monday that President Viktor Yushchenko fired her because he couldn’t handle political competition from a woman and that he was aware of corruption allegations against his entourage long before they became public.

“Let’s be honest, men have a hard time competing with women on a professional level,” she said in an interview a day before parliament was to vote on the candidacy of her successor, Mr Yushchenko’s trusted ally, Yury Yekhanurov.

“For a little while, this political jealousy took second place to his need for my help,” she said. “And when it appeared at first glance that this help was no longer needed, the political competition won.”

Ms Tymoshenko said that Yushchenko dismissed her government on September 8 because the ratings of the charismatic premier exceeded his own, and in order to divert attention from allegations of corruption among his entourage.

“According to all polls, my popularity in the country is higher than the president’s,” she said. “This is simply an unreadiness to compete fairly.”

According to one poll released a month before the government dismissal, some 41.5 percent of Ukrainians trusted Ms Tymoshenko, compared with 35.8 percent who trusted the president.—AFP