Upcoming Ukrainian Parliamentary Elections

1. Orange power sours
The Australian
February 04, 2006

VIKTOR Yanukovich, the burly former convict and then prime minister of Ukraine, looked like a broken man a little more than a year ago.

His victory in a presidential election had just been overturned after a fortnight of massive protests centred in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital.

Viktor Yushchenko, who led the Orange Revolution and went on to win the election rerun, was being hailed around the world as a democratic hero who had wrenched the country of 47 million people out of Russia's stifling embrace. Mr Yanukovich was vilified as a Kremlin stooge.

Now, Mr Yanukovich, who has a newly refurbished office in the centre of Kiev, has a defiant gleam in his eye.

And with good reason. He is not just back at the forefront of Ukrainian politics: he is also on the verge of snatching back power from under the noses of the Western governments that so enthusiastically embraced the Orange Revolution.

"It is high time to end incompetence," he says in a slick new campaign advertisement. "Together we will win for the sake of Ukraine."

His Party of the Regions, which advocates closer ties with Russia, is leading all opinion polls before parliamentary elections on March 26. His personal ratings also outstrip his rivals. And since parliament, rather than the president, chooses the prime minister under constitutional reforms introduced on January 1, he is now a frontrunner to assume what will be the nation's most powerful post.

The West may have won the geopolitical battle over Ukraine in 2004. But, with less than two months until the elections, analysts say, it appears to be losing the war.

"In 2005 this country went from one crisis to another," said Mr Yanukovich, 56. "People got used to worrying all the time about what's going to happen tomorrow. People are tired of this instability. All they see from this Government is populism and unprofessionalism."

The fault lies principally with the business leaders who bankrolled the Orange Revolution, analysts say.

Mr Yushchenko took power promising an end to the corruption, human rights abuses and economic bungling that had plagued Ukraine under his predecessor, Leonid Kuchma.

He pledged to lead Ukraine into the EU and NATO, tearing it out of Russia's strategic orbit for good. But within a few months, infighting and allegations of corruption tore his team apart and in September he sacked the government of his revolutionary partner, Yulia Tymoshenko.

"The fundamental mistake was a lack of coherent political strategy," said Yuri Yakymenko, a political analyst at Ukraine's Razumkov Centre. "Right from the start, they were competing for position in the parliamentary elections."

The problems were not just internal, however. Many Ukrainians feel they did not receive the support they had expected from the West.

The EU poured cold water on Mr Yushchenko's promises to join the body and instead awarded Ukraine the nebulous prize of "market economy status" last year. "If there had been a definite signal on EU membership it would have been better for Yushchenko," Mr Yakymenko said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week that the US had given Ukraine just $US174million ($231.15million) in aid last year, compared with between $US3billion and $US5billion that Kiev had received in subsidies from Moscow.

Ukraine says it hopes to join NATO by 2008, but Western diplomats say that is unrealistic given popular opposition to the idea and the complexity of integrating technical standards. Russia, meanwhile, has been flexing its economic muscles to remind Ukrainians of their continued dependence on their former Soviet masters.

It has studiously avoided backing any individual politician since its explicit support for Mr Yanukovich's presidential campaign backfired. But it severely undermined Mr Yushchenko when it cut Ukraine's gas supplies on New Year's Day in a pricing dispute that was widely seen as punishment for the Orange Revolution.

Yuri Yekhanurov, Mr Yushchenko's Prime Minister, predicted last week that their Our Ukraine party would triumph in the elections and form a coalition government. The question is with whom.

The latest polls give the Party of the Regions 25per cent of the vote, Our Ukraine 15per cent and Ms Tymoshenko's bloc 12per cent. Some analysts predict that Mr Yushchenko will resolve his differences with Ms Tymoshenko to form a new Orange coalition. If that fails, he could have to link up with the Party of the Regions, or face an opposition coalition led by Mr Yanukovich. Either of the latter would entail major policy changes.

2. The possible winners of the parliamentary election in Ukraine according to the recent poll
ForUm
February 6, 2006

If the election is on coming Sunday, only six parties and blocs will get over the three-percent barrier to Verkhovna Rada, the opinion poll proved.

January 24-31, the Sociological Research Centre conducted the opinion poll by the request of the Democratic Choice civil organization. According to the results of the poll, the Party of Regions would get 26.3%, BYuT – 18.9%, NSNU – 10.7%, Socialist Party of Ukraine – 9.1%, Vitrenko’s Bloc People’s Opposition – 6.3%, the Communist Party of Ukraine – 4.2%, Lytvyn People’s Bloc – 2.9%, PORA-PRP – 2.7%, Opposition Bloc “Ne Tak!” – 2.3%. 3.2% of voters would vote against all candidates, 6.7% - would not choice any candidate. The other blocs and parties would win 1% of the votes.

The respondents were asked a question about their willing to take part in the election: 64% said “yes,” 21% - “rather ‘yes’ than ‘no,’” 6% - failed to answer, 5% - “rather ‘no’ than ‘yes,’” 4% gave negative answer. Thereby, the experts may predict the record activity of the voters in the coming elections.

There were 1809 respondents asked by phone. The strategic error does not exceed 2.4%.

3. Rada assembles to its last session
ForUm
February 6, 2006

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the 4th convocation, elected in 2002, will assemble this week to its last session. One month and a half left till March parliamentary elections.

Today VR authorities will gather to conduct traditional conciliatory council of committees’ and factions’ representatives; plenary sessions start tomorrow.

Parliament may alleviate political crisis in Ukraine by allowing judges to assume their duties at the Constitutional Court within the next seven days, Parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said Saturday.

4.Last Battle of Parliament Most Difficult!
MIG News
February 6, 2006

Conference of the Conciliation board of leaders the deputy’s groups and factions of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine began during these minutes in Kiev. Traditionally, Parliamentarians should determine what the agenda is at this plenary week.

We remind that it will be the last 9th session of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of 4th calling. The experts presuppose that it is the most difficult one, because some actual points from the previous session have not been discussed yet. In particular, the staff of the Constitutional Court is not formed.

Earlier chairman of Verkhovna Rada Vladymyr Litvin promised that he would suggest the deputies to appoint his part of judges and to swear everybody in during this plenary week.

In the case if the deputies do not agree with it, the Speaker will suggest the Parliament to attest the judges, appointed by the President and the All-Ukrainian judge congress.

5. Our Ukraine Bloc Starts Talks With SPU, Pora-ROP, Kostenko And Pliusch Bloc, And Tymoshenko Bloc On Creating Parliamentary Coalition
Ukrainian news
February 3, 2006

The Our Ukraine bloc has started talks with the Socialist Party (SPU), the Pora-ROP bloc, the Kostenko and Pliusch Bloc, and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc on creation of a coalition in the next parliament.

Roman Bezsmertnyi, the head of the Our Ukraine bloc's election campaign, announced this to journalists.

"We have received positive responses on holding such consultations from all four political forces," he said.

According to him, the talks are constructive.

"One feels the desire to achieve a result," he said.

According to him, it is necessary to reach agreement now on creation of the future coalition in order to avoid an escalation of relations among the political forces that were allies during the 2004 presidential elections.

"In our opinion, such a coalition is the road to prosperity," he said.

He declined to disclose details of the talks, citing the fact that the other political forces have not disclosed details.

"I am not commenting on the state of these talks, I am only reporting that the third day has arrived and that such talks are being held," he said.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Our Ukraine recently proposed to start talks with the SPU, Pora-ROP, the Kostenko and Pliusch Bloc, and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc on creating a parliamentary coalition.

Our Ukraine said it expected to receive responses from potential allies by February 2.

Our Ukraine proposed that its potential allies define the priorities for their representation in the Cabinet of Ministers, the parliament's leadership, parliamentary committees, other organs created by the parliament, and the leaderships of regional administrations.

6.Yanukovich: There are a lot of sober men among 'orange' politicians
Forum
February 3, 2006

Party of Regions intends to win more than 30% of seats in the Parliament on the forthcoming elections, as declared leader of the Party Victor Yanukovich in an interview to German newspaper Handelsblatt, having added that it is more votes than Our Ukraine and BYuT will win together.

“It is too earlier to speak about parties with which we will form coalition government. In any case, not with leaders of “orange revolution.” They promised much, but failed to fulfill. They betrayed the people,” pointed out Yanukovich.

He also added that they will form coalition government neither with Yulia Tymoshenko nor with Our Ukraine.

“After elections we will need to achieve our main aim – to unite Ukraine. There are a lot of sober men among “orange” politicians. They simply did not dare to protest against incorrect political course of their bosses,” declared Yanukovich.

7. Pora-ROP Bloc Decides To Support Klychko On Elections Of Kyiv Mayor
Ukrainian News
February 6, 2006

Vitalii Klychko bloc Pora-ROP has decided to support Klychko on elections of Kyiv mayor.

All 228 deputies of the inter-party congress of Kyiv city chapters of Pora and Reforms and Order Party approved this decision unanimously.

In his speech at the congress Klychko thanked MPs for support and explained that his decision to run for mayor stems from his care for Kyiv's future.

"I am running for the post of Kyiv mayor not to take this post. I am not interested in finances, I am well-off... I want that all Kyivans, all of my friends were happy and lived in a happy city," Klychko said.

The delegates also approved a list of candidates for Kyiv deputies.

The top five of the list includes bloc leader Klychko, the Verkhovna Rada's deputy from ROP, leader of the ROP city organization Volodymyr Bondarenko, leader of the Pora city organization Serhii Rudyk, Kyiv council deputy, leader of Vitalii Klychko's Pora-ROP bloc in the Kyiv council Natalia Novak, former deputy head of the Kyiv city state administration Ivan Salii.

Total list of the bloc on elections of the Kyiv council includes 120 candidates, and their number is based on the number of future composition of the Kyiv council.

The list received support of 224 delegates, and 4 abstained from voting.

The conference also approved lists to the Kyiv district councils.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, former boxer Vitalii Klychko decided to submit his candidacy for the post of Kyiv mayor in January.

Klychko heads the Pora-ROP bloc's list of candidates for the parliamentary elections.

Klychko, 34, announced his retirement from professional boxing in early November 2005 after a medical examination and a surgery for transplantation of a knee ligament.

Klychko won the World Boxing Council's heavyweight title in April 2004.

President Viktor Yushchenko appointed Klychko as a presidential adviser in March 2005.