Scandal in the regional "Batkivshchyna"

And that they were not at all unfounded was confirmed by autumn. More precisely, by the recent reporting-and-election party conference in Lutsk, which delegates from several district organizations of "Batkivshchyna," including those from Horokhiv, Ratne, Rozhyshche, and Kovel, were forced to leave as a sign of protest against gross violations of statutory requirements committed, in their firm conviction, primarily during the preparation of the conference and then during its conduct. The conversation about what is actually happening in the regional organization of one of the most popular political parties among the population of Volyn moved last Saturday to Horokhiv, to an extraordinary conference of the local district party organization.

In total, according to the head of the district party organization of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union, Svitlana Chelyadyn, more than 150 of its members and invited guests took part in the work of the conference of the district organization of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union. A member of the bureau of the regional party organization of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union, the head of the private leased agricultural enterprise named after Taras Shevchenko in Uhryniv of the Horokhiv district, and a deputy of the regional council, Andriy Turak, spoke before them to explain the reasons for what happened in Lutsk and what some are already calling a split. However, as he said, he was prompted to convene the extraordinary conference of the district party organization and to have an open conversation about the outrages that are quietly taking place in the party organization of the region by circumstances. Allegedly, for a week he sought an appointment with Yulia Tymoshenko in order to personally tell her the whole truth, but to no avail. What is at stake is preparation for the next elections, the lists of candidates for deputies and the individuals who may be included in these lists from "Batkivshchyna," although, in Turak's opinion, they should not be on them. What is at stake, according to him, is gross pressure, blackmail, and other unworthy methods by which "button-pushers" who in reality will care only about their own, personal interests may again come to victory in the elections under the party's brand.

Since leadership positions in party structures give the right to leading places on the lists of candidates for deputies from their parties, it is in this connection that Andriy Turak also spoke about the struggle which, in order to get onto the list of candidates for deputies of the Verkhovna Rada and "again jump into a warm chair," since the beginning of this year, allegedly was launched against the recent head of the regional organization of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union, Mykola Potapchuk, by the current Verkhovna Rada deputy Yevhen Kyry lchuk, who is laying claim to his place. According to Turak, Kyry lchuk, who in parliament is a member of Yulia Tymoshenko's faction, and the group he leads in the party organization did everything to turn fellow party members against Potapchuk and to put forward people convenient to them. All the more so since Potapchuk, "perhaps precisely in order to clear the place," was unexpectedly taken to Kyiv for a promotion. And only at the last moment, Andriy Turak noted, obviously through the intervention of the representative of the top leadership of "Batkivshchyna" present at the conference, they began to correct the situation on the fly. Consequently, a man who, in his speech, turned even supporters of Kyry lchuk's group against himself, was hastily nominated as a candidate for the post of head of the regional party organization. In the end, the recent head of the Volodymyr-Volynskyi city organization of the Batkivshchyna party, Viktor Oliinyk, was elected head of the regional organization.

He also tried, speaking before the participants of the extraordinary conference in Horokhiv, to settle the situation, calling on all those present to observe party discipline. Allegedly, what happened has already happened, and further they must work together to ensure Yulia Tymoshenko's victory. In response, Andriy Turak recalled the recent presidential elections, by falsifying which Viktor Yanukovych's supporters also called for reconciling themselves to what had happened.

Svitlana Chelyadyn, who spoke, told about the gross pressure and blackmail that she personally had to endure from the above-mentioned group, and stated: if the regional party organization of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union does not give such actions a proper assessment, she will evidently leave the party, although she has been in it from the very beginning. Some supported this statement with applause, some with the exclamation "Sveta, we are with you!" Oliinyk's words that Yevhen Kyry lchuk would allegedly head the regional headquarters of Yulia Tymoshenko's bloc for the elections to the Verkhovna Rada, and therefore would again enter the leading number of the list of candidates for deputies of the Verkhovna Rada, only added, as they say, fuel to the fire.

Speaking sharply against the "falsification of the party conference in Lutsk," a member of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union, the president of the LLC "Zakhid-Ahronom" Iryna Itani expressed, in particular, her surprise and lack of understanding at the fact that, while working in such a large city as Volodymyr-Volynskyi, Viktor Oliinyk, since in her opinion he does not have sufficient abilities as an organizer, failed to attract more than two hundred people to the party, and suddenly becomes the head of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union in the region.

On the whole, the objectivity of the assessment of the state of affairs in the regional party organization made by Andriy Turak was almost fully confirmed by the head of the Lutsk city organization of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union, Halyna Mishchuk. And the attempt to shift the blame, as they say, which she resorted to by stating that Turak "has usurped power in the bureau of the regional party organization" and thus allegedly also "wants to make his own career," did not, it seems, have a noticeable influence on the conference participants. They did not hear any clear answer to their questions about ways out of the critical situation in which the organization found itself, either from Viktor Oliinyk or from Halyna Mishchuk. And the decision — to demand the repeated holding of the regional party conference in compliance with all statutory requirements, as well as a review of the lists of candidates for deputies — the extraordinary party conference of the district organization of the Batkivshchyna All-Ukrainian Union in Horokhiv left unchanged.

Petro BOYARCHUK