Ihor Zhdanov: 'It is much easier to boost one's rating while in opposition than while in power. But we are ready for this'

Since January 30, Ihor Zhdanov, First Deputy Head of the Central Executive Committee of the political party "People's Union Our Ukraine," and Bohdan Butsa, Advisor to the President of Ukraine, are on a working visit to Volyn. Over the course of several days, they will meet with fellow party members in Volodymyr-Volynskyi, Kovel, Lutsk, and Ivanychi, where they will participate in party conferences of NSHU district organizations being held on the eve of the regional reporting and election conference.

Yesterday, Ihor Oleksandrovych Zhdanov and People's Deputy of Ukraine Volodymyr Heorhiovych Karpuk held a press conference for Volyn mass media. Responding to journalists' questions about Our Ukraine's position on the adoption of the Law on the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Ihor Oleksandrovych noted: "The Law on the Cabinet of Ministers endows the government and the Verkhovna Rada with powers not envisaged by the Constitution of Ukraine. The list of powers of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada enshrined in the Constitution is exhaustive and can be changed only by the Fundamental Law.

He recalled the fundamental contradictions between the law on the Cabinet of Ministers and the Constitution: "This law allows the coalition to submit candidates for prime minister, defense minister, and foreign minister. Also, the Cabinet of Ministers receives the right to cancel acts of local state administrations, although according to the Constitution these powers belong exclusively to the President."

"We regard this as an anti-constitutional coup, since we see an attempt to determine the constitutional order in the state not by the Constitution but by an ordinary law. This is unacceptable," Zhdanov emphasized.

"The voting by BYuT together with the 'anti-crisis' members for the law on the Cabinet of Ministers was a serious blow for us, in fact a betrayal," said Ihor Zhdanov. "We remember how Yulia Tymoshenko declared that she would never vote for the law on the Cabinet of Ministers, since it usurps state power in favor of the 'anti-crisis' coalition. On the part of BYuT, this was a strategic vote, since this law largely determines the future of the political system in Ukraine, which this political force wants to tailor to itself."

To journalists' question about how the party will raise its rating, Ihor Zhdanov answered: "It is much easier to raise a rating while in opposition than while in power. Our Ukraine's position must be understandable to people, and only then will the party's rating grow."

"Our Ukraine" has identified five socio-political tasks for the party: first – preserving the unity and unitarity of Ukraine; second – improving the political reform by preparing a new edition of the Constitution; third – carrying out judicial and legal reform; fourth – pursuing a policy of national reconciliation; and another task – protecting the Ukrainian language as the sole state language. The party's internal political activity will be focused on fulfilling these prerequisites."

According to him, politicians also need to work on deepening market reforms, combating poverty, and ensuring Ukraine's energy security.

"In foreign policy, 'Our Ukraine' has identified three main tasks for itself, namely: ensuring state sovereignty, Ukraine's accession to the WTO and NATO, and raising social living standards to the European level," Zhdanov added.