...

Postponed Elections in Ukrainian Parliament - Victory for Ukrainian People

Politics Materials 29 May 2007 18:23 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr A. Gasimova / The compromise of holding elections in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) on 30 September achieved by Ukrainian politicians is a victory not of the politicians but for the people, Ukrainian politician and director of the Centre of Political Values Research, Oles Doniy said on 29 May. He reported that the situation in the Ukraine had reached stalemate when the people faced threat from either armed confrontation or coercive conflict given the fact that politicians had already used law enforcement bodies, police and armed people.

The political situation reached crisis point in Ukraine on 24 May, when the President, Viktor Yushenko, dismissed prosecutor general Svyatoslav Piskun. Piskun was supported by the Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovich and the Interior Minister, Vasyl Tsushko. Meanwhile, by a court decision Piskun was returned to office. Later, Mr Yushenko re-subordinated internal troops and told them to protect the state offices. The President, Victor Yushenko, the Prime Minister, Victor Yanukovich and the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Alexander Moroz agreed to hold early parliamentary elections on 26 May. Earlier, the elections had been scheduled for 24 June. However, after 2-day consultations held during last week-end the elections were postponed to 30 September.

"The agreement on the date of elections is first of all a success of the President. The party supporters of war dominated in the coalition and did not want to hold elections at all. For this reason the President required elections at any time," Doniy said. According to the politician, the situation with the Speaker is much more difficult. His party does not have any political rating and is likely to enter the newly-elected parliament only either in a bloc with the Party of Regions (the party of the Prime Minister) or with its support. For this reason the Speaker is an 'uncontrolled chain' in this agreement, the politician added.

The chances of holding elections on 30 September are very high, as the parliamentary elections are viewed by the sides not as an end in itself but as distribution of political resources and passion for the power. That is why it is not possible to guarantee the victory of any side. "The conflict will be caused by non-agreement of the sides with the results of the elections. In order to eliminate those events the sides have to agree not only on the date of elections but also on changing of the rules of play. Understanding of national interests is very important and necessary," Doniy stressed.

Latest

Latest