The 2006 elections, the final result of which should be a qualitative result of proportional deputy representation of certain forces of the domestic "political beau monde" both at the all-Ukrainian level in parliament and at the local level – in councils of various levels, will require from the cells of political parties of various ideological training to concentrate precisely at the regional level all efforts of both structural-organizational and public-representative capability regarding participation in electoral races for obtaining electoral trust at the local level. Let us recall that according to the resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine "On the Appointment of Regular Elections of Deputies of Local Councils of the 5th Convocation and Village, Settlement, City Heads in 2006," elections to local self-government bodies will take place simultaneously with elections to parliament, that is, on March 26, 2006, and the electoral process to local self-government bodies will begin 90 days before election day. And although the public struggle, according to expert forecasts, will begin in the last two weeks before voting day, some political forces of local scale, determined by relative activity in terms of organizational work, are already beginning the process of pre-election positioning and effectiveness at the regional level. Let us attempt to present the general picture of the activity of regional cells of political parties in the context of creating information drives for local mass media.
Among party cells of local character, the attention of the study was drawn to the representations of NSHU, UNP, VO "Batkivshchyna," NPU, Party of Regions, SDPU(o), that is, those organizations that most actively prepared and began a full-fledged campaign at the local level. Referring to the data of the results of the expert survey "Expert's View. Start of Elections 2006," conducted by specialists of the Volyn branch of the CVU, it can be stated that the main problems that pro-government parties will face during the election campaign, which in turn means growing confrontation in the once united "orange camp," internal struggle for places on voter lists and for positions for places in the event of future victory, failure to fulfill Maidan promises, low authority of leaders of local party organizations, will lead to a change in electoral moods, thus pulling the preferences of Volyn voters toward the party VO "Batkivshchyna" and the People's Party of Ukraine. In turn, for opposition parties, the main problems will be the traditional unpopularity of ex-government and left-wing parties in the region and the absence of charismatic leaders of local scale.
During November 2005, the party life of Volyn region was quite intense, which activated the campaign and organizational work of potential subjects of the electoral process. The "public-political November" of the effectiveness of party cells at the local level was characterized by the holding of local reporting and election conferences, the development of networks of election headquarters, the arrival of party leaders, the placement of image materials in local media, the placement of campaign tents and visual campaign materials via billboards.
So let us remind the reader of this publication about the main events and measures that determined and characterized the party life of the region over the past month and caused resonant information drives for reports by local mass media.
Preparation for participation in elections: from "internal fires" in the environment of the regional "Batkivshchyna" to the announcement of the first tens of candidates from Volyn to the lists of candidates for people's deputies from the parties of the former "orange team"
The reporting and election conference of the Volyn regional organization of the "Batkivshchyna" party turned out to be quite heated for the delegates themselves, causing a certain confrontation between party members in their vision of a possible candidate for the position of head of the regional party cell. Such were the then-current head of the VOO "Batkivshchyna" Mykola Potapchuk and people's deputy of Ukraine, member of the BYuT faction in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Yevhen Kyryllchuk, however the latter publicly withdrew their candidacies during the meeting, after which the congress of the reporting and election conference elected a new head of the regional party organization – now the ex-head of the Volodymyr-Volynskyi city organization "Batkivshchyna" Viktor Oliinyk. Particular attention during the party conference was drawn to the fact of leaving the meeting hall by delegates of certain district party organizations and the head of the "Batkivshchyna" faction in the regional council Andrii Turak. The actions of the latter, as reported by the electronic edition of the newspaper "Volyn"( ) were taken as a sign of protest against violations of statutory requirements that were committed during the preparation and conduct of the conference. According to the information of the above-mentioned source, it became known that preparation for the next elections, or more precisely the situation with the election of the head of the party cell at the regional level, took place through the prism of the struggle "which, it seems, had been launched since the beginning of this year by the current Verkhovna Rada deputy Yevhen Kyryllchuk against the recent head of the regional organization VO 'Batkivshchyna' Mykola Potapchuk, claiming his place." The fate of the leaders of the regional "Batkivshchyna" turned out as follows – Mykola Potapchuk was transferred to the central election headquarters in Kyiv, and Yevhen Kyryllchuk will now head the "Batkivshchyna" election headquarters in Volyn.
Regarding the presentation of candidates from the Volyn regional organization of VO "Batkivshchyna" who will enter the party lists of candidates for people's deputies, as recently became known from reports of the Western Information Corporation, the top ten of Volyn "BYuT members" will include people's deputies of Ukraine Yevhen Kyryllchuk and Serhii Shevchuk, head of the VOO VO "Batkivshchyna" Viktor Oliinyk and some leaders of district party organizations. Let us recall that the inter-party congress of the Yuliia Tymoshenko Bloc is to take place on December 7 at the National Palace "Ukraine."
P.S. "Internal fires" continue... As became known from the materials of the UNP Internet site, delegates of the second extraordinary conference of the Horokhiv district organization of VO "Batkivshchyna" addressed all cells of the regional organization with proposals to dissolve the primary party cells and go to the parliamentary elections as a single team with the Ukrainian People's Party. The decision of the delegates of the district cell is conditioned by disagreement with the actions of the regional party bureau. Conference delegates believe that "for violation of election legislation during the preparation and conduct of the regional party conference, the entire current leadership of the regional party organization deserves expulsion from the members of VO 'Batkivshchyna.'"
In the context of recent events taking place in the internal environment of the party cells of the regional "Batkivshchyna," the writing of an application for withdrawal from the party of his own free will by the head of the VO "Batkivshchyna" faction in the regional council, head of the agricultural enterprise "Uhryniv" Andrii Turak, became sensational.
One of the most powerful political forces of the region, namely the VOO of the Ukrainian People's Party (whose numerical composition numbers almost 12 thousand members), on November 20 of this year held a founding conference, during which the first ten candidates from Volyn for people's deputies to the UNP election list were announced. According to the UNP website, it included people's deputy of Ukraine, head of the regional UNP organization Borys ZAHREVA, deputy of the regional council, editor of the newspaper "Slovo i Dilo" Mykola Pasaman, head of the agricultural enterprise "Piatydni," people's deputy of the III convocation Valerii Dibrova, head of the UNP Secretariat Bohdan Sokolovskyi, head of the Novovolynsk city UNP organization Yurii Yeleba, deputy of the Lutsk city council Nina Bachynska, deputy head of the Horokhiv district state administration, head of the Horokhiv district UNP organization Valentyn Skuba, head of the Department of the State Service of the Main State Service in Volyn region, deputy head of the regional UNP organization Valentyn Malynovskyi, regional scientific consultant of the State Interdepartmental Commission on Affairs of Perpetuating the Memory of Victims of Wars and Political Repressions under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, deputy head of the regional UNP organization Serhii Hodlevskyi, deputy head of the Volodymyr-Volynskyi district state administration, member of the Council of the regional UNP organization Valentyna Onishchuk.
228 delegates of the party conference unanimously supported Resolution No. 24 of the Central Leadership of the Ukrainian People's Party "On the Formation of a Bloc of National-Democratic Forces of Ukraine," which provides for the bloc nature of UNP participation in the 2006 parliamentary elections. In this context, it should be noted that according to a report by the Western Information Corporation, during his speech Borys Zahreva stated that the UNP would unite with the Party of Free Peasants, the party "Soborna Ukraina," but would not bloc with either Lytvyn or Tymoshenko.
Also, conference participants supported the recommendations to UNP head Yurii Kostenko regarding the inclusion in the first five of the election list of the candidacy of UNP deputy head, first deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anton Buteiko.
The pro-government party "People's Union Our Ukraine" at the regional level does not appear to be of significant numerical strength in contrast to such, in terms of numerical composition, regional party organizations as UNP, VO "Batkivshchyna" or NPU. Over eight months of work, the numerical composition of the latter reached almost seven thousand party members. According to the newspaper "Volyn"( ) from the words of the head of the regional NSHU cell, deputy head of the Volyn regional state administration Volodymyr Karpuk, it became known that the principle of granting numerical advantage does not play an important role in building the regional party organization. The spectrum of activists of the regional NSHU is determined by broad categorical content: from deputies of all levels to employees of such enterprises of the region as, for example, the Lutsk Automobile Plant, and higher (Lesia Ukrainka VDU) and secondary educational institutions of our region. Regarding the development of the youth wing of NSHU, according to the results of the founding conference of the VOO "Youth Union Our Ukraine" held on November 23, Natalia Firko headed the organization. Let us recall that Ms. Firko holds the position of deputy head of the department for youth and sports of the VODA and is a member of the Council of the Volyn regional organization "NSHU."
The attention of local mass media was drawn to the appeal of participants of the II congress of the VOO NSHU to the Party Council. The reason for sending the appeal, in the opinion of party members, was the statements of ex-State Secretary of the President of Ukraine Oleksandr Zinchenko, ex-Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian Affairs Mykola Tomenko and ex-head of the SBU Oleksandr Turchynov, which "cast a shadow on the political force as a whole." "At the same time, we are aware that the events as a result of which a shadow fell on the reputation of our party colleagues carry a serious danger for the party's image, especially on the eve of parliamentary elections. In order to prevent speculation and unnecessary unfounded accusations against 'Our Ukraine' from political opponents, we call on our party members to find the strength to make the right choice regarding their personal participation in the election campaign," the appeal states.
Regarding the determination of candidates for the project list of candidates for people's deputies from NSHU, according to the decision of the Council of the regional party cell, the list of candidates will be determined by such candidates as: Volodymyr Bondar, Volodymyr Karpuk, Mykola Buliha, Volodymyr Hunchyk, Yurii Mykhalets, Adam Kharlampovych, Ihor Kotsan, Anatolii Parkhomiuk, Dmytro Shlapa and Nataliia Firko – this was reported during a press conference held on December 1 with the participation of the head of the VOO NSHU Volodymyr Karpuk and the head of the executive committee of the regional party cell Mykola Shuliha (reported by the Western Information Corporation:).
Let us remind the reader that according to the results of the list of candidates approved at the second stage of the II congress of the party "People's Union Our Ukraine," who are recommended for inclusion in the single list of the Yushchenko Bloc "Our Ukraine," the head of the Volyn RSA Volodymyr Bondar took 35th place, ahead of the governor of the Chernihiv RSA Vladyslav Atroshchenko and the governor of Cherkasy region Oleksandr Cherevo (according to "Ukrainska Pravda").
In the next elections to the Lutsk city council, about 25% of candidates from the People's Party will obtain deputy mandates – such is the prognostic opinion held by the first deputy head of the Volyn regional organization of NP Volodymyr Blazhenchuk. The information message was caused by the beginning of organizational and personnel preparation of "people's party members" to obtain the maximum number of deputy seats in the future composition of the city council. As reported by the newspaper "Lutskyi Zamok," on November 8 five deputies of the Lutsk city council received party tickets of members of the People's Party, while reaching agreements on announcing at the nearest session of the city council the creation of a deputy faction of NP. Also, the plans of the "people's party members" include nominating from the city bloc of Volodymyr Lytvyn their own candidacy for the position of Lutsk city head.
According to Volodymyr Blazhenchuk, the regional NP cell numbers about 19 thousand members of the party organization.
Regional cells of parties of opposition character held their own founding conferences during this November.
During the meeting of the VIII conference of the Volyn regional branch of the Party of Regions, representatives from district and city organizations of PR condemned the facts of personnel purges and pushing by the executive power, prosecutor's offices and courts to biased actions and decisions. Delegates of the party conference adopted a decision that the unsatisfactory work of the current government has worsened the socio-economic situation in the state and supported the decision of the Political Council of Regions to go to the elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in 2006 as an independent political force.
According to a report by the information server of the Party of Regions, conference delegates approved 10 candidates from the regional party cell for inclusion of the latter in the election list of candidates for people's deputies of Ukraine from the Party of Regions.
Pre-election work and preparation for participation in parliamentary and local elections for representatives of the Volyn regional committee of the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) will take place in a qualitatively new personnel composition of the party ranks of the regional cell. This can be explained by the change of leadership of the regional SDPU(o) cell, which is headed by Oleksii Shumyk, whom representatives of district party organizations consider a public leader. Let us recall that the previous secretary of the SDPU(o) regional committee was Lutsk city head Anton Kryvytskyi.
According to the secretary of the SDPU(o) regional committee Oleksii Shumyk, during the past year as a result of the work carried out, 60% of secretaries of city and district party organizations were re-elected – reports the Western Information Corporation. Volyn "Social Democrats" plan to gain at least 4% of voter votes in the March elections.
Arrivals to Volyn of party leaders
Yurii Kostenko on European norms of party building
On November 10, the head of the Ukrainian People's Party, member of PACE and the parliamentary group of the European People's Party, people's deputy of Ukraine Yurii Kostenko was in Lutsk on a working visit to Volyn.
During the press conference, local journalists had the opportunity to hear Mr. Kostenko's personal spectrum of views on the brand and ideological-programmatic content of certain domestic political forces in relation to European norms of party building. Thus, according to the UNP head, the program of the People's Party of Ukraine does not contain what "is in the programs of people's parties of Europe," and the leader of NPU Volodymyr Lytvyn "has no clear definition either regarding national economic policy and priorities, or regarding the agro-industrial complex, or regarding the European strategy of Ukraine's participation in NATO." Regarding the ideological platform of "NSHU," as Yurii Kostenko stated to local media: "in 'People's Union Our Ukraine,' which is supposedly identified with Yushchenko, although I think this is not entirely so, there are also no such guidelines. There is both Russia and Europe – that is, in the end, nowhere."
In the context of bringing the Ukrainian experience of conducting elections closer to the European system and the weightiness of precisely the programmatic content of the activities of candidate parties, the UNP leader emphasized the continued application of the practice of "buying the voter with generous promises" in the absence of "competition of programs and ideologies." "In the democratic European world, the voter knows that by voting for a right-center party or coalition of parties, he votes for support of the national producer," noted the people's deputy.
Regarding the determination of probable party partners who will be able to unite their efforts through political blocing with the UNP, from Mr. Kostenko's words it became clear that at present negotiations are underway with right-center forces: KUN, URP "Sobor" and NRU.
Preparation for the "election of the people's premier"
"From January 1 of next year, the new edition of the Constitution of Ukraine comes into force, therefore the 2006 parliamentary elections will be the 'election of the people's Prime Minister of Ukraine,'" such is the opinion held by ex-Vice Premier for Humanitarian Affairs Mykola Tomenko, who visited Lutsk on November 13.
Mr. Tomenko's meeting with Lutsk residents took place in the premises of the hall of the regional organization of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, where people's deputy of Ukraine, member of the BYuT faction Yevhen Kyryllchuk and deputy head of the Volyn RSA Vasyl Baitsym also attended. Lutsk residents were able to hear Mr. Tomenko's speech and receive comprehensive answers to questions on socio-political topics.
As Mykola Tomenko noted, the future pre-election public struggle will actually take place between two main political competitors – the Party of Regions and the Yuliia Tymoshenko Bloc.
Regarding the role of the President of Ukraine in the elections, in the opinion of the ex-Vice Premier, the former should be outside the election campaign and guarantee the honesty and democracy of the electoral process. "If all the forces of governors will be directed against Tymoshenko, then let them write applications to the Party of Regions," because in this way, in the latter's opinion, NSHU will actually contribute to the victory of PR. "The Party of Regions has where to take the voter," noted the ex-Vice Premier.
From Tomenko's words it became clear that the general political strategy of "BYuT members" will be built on the observance and preservation of those values that united the Maidan and those program documents that were laid down in the government of Yuliia Tymoshenko.
Mykola Tomenko spoke categorically against the introduction of deputy immunity and informed voters about the preparation of an appeal to candidates for people's deputies regarding public obligations to amend legislation regulating the status of "immunity" of people's representatives on condition of the latter's passage to parliament.
The ex-Vice Premier reminded those present that the reason for the resignation of the former government was "the issuance of an ultimatum" by Tymoshenko, and the exchange of Poroshenko and Tretiakov for Turchynov and Tomenko is "unfair." "I constantly give them ROSHEN candies, but this does not mean that Poroshenko should run the country," noted Tomenko.
"In the context of celebrating the anniversary of the 'Orange Revolution,' although the celebration scenario will be organized by the President's secretariat, BYuT supporters will be on the Maidan," noted Tomenko, emphasizing that "the problem is not to hug on stage, but to preserve the values of the Maidan."
Information statements of the regional opposition: Volyn "regional members" speak in defense of Viktor Yanukovych's supporters
Representatives of the Volyn organization of the Party of Regions are outraged by the content of the article by Anna Harkavchuk (press service of the regional state administration) "A Lesson for Election Falsifiers" published on October 27 of this year in the newspaper "Volyn," in which the author of the material cites facts of violations of the Law of Ukraine "On Elections of the President of Ukraine" by officials – members of precinct election commissions during the 2004 presidential elections, and court verdicts on bringing the guilty to criminal liability for committed offenses. Regional "regional members" are inclined to the opinion that, as is clear from the text of the appeal, the press service of the regional state administration wanted in this way to "bring to the attention of the public about mass falsifications during the electoral process by Viktor Yanukovych's supporters, to defame the opposition in the eyes of the voter as in the notorious times of Kuchma's presidency, to intimidate opposition supporters before the upcoming elections." Lawyers of the Volyn regional branch of the Party of Regions question a significant part of the facts published in the article regarding the correctness of court verdicts.
Let us recall that in the article "A Lesson for Election Falsifiers" the author of the material presents to the reader the main types of violations of election legislation that were committed by officials of precinct election commissions in Volyn region during the 2004 elections, namely: entering into the voter list deliberately false information about citizens receiving absentee certificates, bribery of voters, entering into voter lists for obtaining ballots persons who were outside the polling place, attempts to deceive voters by recognizing ballots as invalid. Court verdicts on facts of violation of election legislation are varied: from payment of a fine in the amount of 700 hryvnias to sentencing to 5 years of imprisonment with deprivation of the right to hold positions related to the performance of organizational-administrative functions for one year.
Celebration of the anniversary of the "Orange Revolution" in Volyn style: "you won't enter the maidan twice"...
Solemn events on the occasion of celebrating the 1st anniversary of the "Orange Revolution" took place, compared to last year's November events, without particular euphoria (as they say, "you won't enter the maidan twice") on the part of ordinary residents of Lutsk and with small numbers. The celebration began from Kyiv Maidan: opposite the walls of the regional state administration, at the initiative of the regional NSHU cell, a rally took place, in which, according to information from the department for internal policy of the VODA, 250 people took part. On the Theater Maidan of the city, the head of the Volyn RSA Volodymyr Bondar, head of the regional council Vasyl Dmytruk, heads of local cells of NSHU, URP "Sobor," NRU spoke before the participants of the solemnities.
In turn, as a sign of protest, in the context of the anniversary of the "orange revolution," representatives of the Volyn regional branch of the Party of Regions under the slogan "No to revolutions! Yes to stability" held a week of their own public-social events. During November 19-25, activists of the regional PR cell in cities and villages of Volyn pasted leaflets with the slogan "Lutsk – Donetsk – Kyiv – Poltava, together one strong state" on advertising pillars and boards, and distributed to passers-by the appeal of the Head of the Party of Regions Viktor Yanukovych to the people of Ukraine regarding the anniversary of the "orange" revolution.
"Such an event as the 'orange' revolution, firstly, split society. The year that passed led to disappointment of Volyn residents, people's hopes turned out to be unrealized. The most terrible thing is that the new government has begun and continues persecution, personnel purges on ideological grounds, which did not exist since the times of the totalitarian regime in the USSR," such is the opinion, according to the press service of the VOO of the Party of Regions, held by the head of the ideological department of the regional party cell Yosyp Nadolskyi.
Conflict of interests completed: Volodymyr Demchuk replaced Bohdan Prus
The public conflict of interests, lasting more than two months, which arose between the head of the Volyn RSA Volodymyr Bondar and the head of the Lutsk RDA Bohdan Prus after the September meeting on issues of socio-economic development of the region, received a logical conclusion. According to a report by the Internet edition "Lutsk Investytsiinyi," on September 25 of this year President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko signed an Order on the dismissal of Bohdan Prus from the position of head of the Lutsk district state administration, thus satisfying the request of the head of the Volyn regional state administration. Let us recall that the September meeting on issues of socio-economic development was remembered by local mass media for the warning of the head of the Volyn RSA Volodymyr Bondar to the head of the Lutsk RDA Bohdan Prus with a demand for significant correction within a two-month term of the situation regarding wage arrears in the district and an instruction regarding the immediate dismissal from the position of deputy head of the Lutsk RDA, while emphasizing the possibility of appealing to the President of Ukraine with a submission on the dismissal of Mr. Prus from his position. In response to these demands, Bohdan Prus left the meeting hall, slamming the door.
In resolving this conflict, representatives of six district cells of party organizations of the region tried to intervene, speaking in defense of Mr. Prus. On behalf of the party organizations of Lutsk district, namely the party "Reforms and Order," the Socialist Party of Ukraine, VO "Batkivshchyna," "People's Union Our Ukraine," the People's Movement of Ukraine, the Ukrainian People's Party, an open letter was sent to the President of Ukraine, in which the latter speak against the dismissal of Mr. Prus, considering such a fact "an order of destructive political forces, an attempt before the elections to remove from office a principled, honest person, a person who adheres to statehood positions in work."
The authors of the appeal motivate their position by the indicators of the rates of socio-economic development of the district, noting at the same time that "according to the results of 9 months of 2005, taking into account rating indicators, Lutsk district confidently took first place among districts of the region." Among other reasons for defending the head of the Lutsk RDA, the initiators of the appeal cite facts of budget fulfillment at 121%, repayment of wage arrears, commissioning of a kindergarten in the village of Charukiv, construction of a school in the village of Rovantsi, an increase compared to last year in the level of average wages, restoration of the work of the construction enterprise "Ahrobud," which employs more than 180 people, continued implementation of an investment project for the construction of a plant for cable networks for automobiles worth 18 million euros.
The authors of the letter note that "the submission for the dismissal of Prus Bohdan from the position of head of the district state administration is absolutely unfounded" and consider it necessary to additionally study the question of the expediency of the corresponding submission by Volodymyr Bondar to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
According to a report by TK "Avers," it became known that Bohdan Prus himself believes that there are no grounds or reasons for the latter's dismissal from his position, and on the eve of elections this could destabilize the political situation in the region.
P.S. By order of the President of Ukraine dated November 28, 2005, Demchuk Volodymyr Mykolaiovych was appointed head of the Lutsk district state administration. The latter previously held the position of deputy head of the department for youth and sports of the Volyn RSA.
First swallows of pre-election preparations of local party teams regarding the determination of candidates for the position of Lutsk city head
During a press conference held on November 28 with the participation of people's deputy of Ukraine Yevhen Kyryllchuk, the latter intrigued the journalists present with a report about the existence of a candidate from the Yuliia Tymoshenko bloc for the position of Lutsk city head, however he refused to name the latter's surname for now. According to a report by the Western Information Corporation, the people's deputy commented on the importance of secrecy until the official announcement of the surname as follows: "If we had named it earlier, it could have already been 'eaten' before the elections... Among other candidates for this position from the coalition 'Power of the People,' with whom I have spoken, there is no firm position. If there are three of them, a fourth will pass."
In this context, let us recall that among all representatives of the local "political Olympus," so far only the leadership of the city organization of UNP has publicly announced its own candidacy for the position of Lutsk city head, unanimously supporting party member, professional dentist, entrepreneur Yevhen Melnyk. Advertising leaflets in favor of the latter, with the inscription "Clean City-Clean Power," are pasted on all pillars of Lutsk.
Nazar Valchuk, "Political Ukraine," Volyn region.