The JTA has more on the scandal surrounding Ukraine's many chief rabbis:
Yakov Dov Bleich, a U.S.-born rabbi and member of the Karlin-Stoliner Chasidic group, has been widely recognized as chief rabbi of both Kiev and Ukraine since 1992.
Bleich, 41, a pioneer of Jewish renaissance in post-Communist Ukraine, was never properly elected, yet he has shown no intention of giving up the post.
Ukrainian Jews got another chief rabbi in 2003 when Soviet-born, Brussels-based Azriel Haikin, 75, was proclaimed chief rabbi by dozens of Chabad rabbis working for the federation in Ukraine.
Those who supported Haikin’s election two years ago protested Azman’s election last month. Azman, who also is Soviet-born, is a Chabad-ordained rabbi but not a member of the federation.
A spokesman for the federation called Azman’s election “nonsense.”
It all boils down to this: Chabad bet on the pro-Putin, anti-democracy camp to win the presidential elections. Democracy won, despite Putin's attempt to poison the leader of the pro-democracy camp. That leader – Victor Yuschenko – is now Preisdent of Ukraine. Even though Chabad supported Putin's man, Chabad still wants special treatment from the new Ukrainian government at the expense of other Jewish groups, just like Putin gives them in Russia. Yuschenko won't give it to them. End of story. (Almost.)