First of all, because the delegates voiced quite a few critical remarks both about the leadership of the regional branch and about the party's central apparatus. They mainly concerned the pre-election presidential campaign, which ended in defeat for the regional members. Acting head of the Volyn regional branch of the Party of Regions Anatoliy Horbatiuk, analyzing the party's participation in the 2004 elections, admitted that one of the mistakes they made was the use of administrative resources, which, as is known, provoked resistance among ordinary citizens. Anatoliy Horbatiuk spoke about the unsuccessful selection of trusted representatives of the candidate from the authorities, who in part withdrew from fulfilling their duties. The report also addressed shortcomings in the work of the legal and information services, and the fact that the observers who came from the East were completely politically unprepared.
– We will not lose more and lose like that, – Anatoliy Horbatiuk said confidently.
Now, he believes, the Party of Regions needs to focus on retaining party members and on structuring the party, and on finding funds to finance district organizations. But the main thing is that it is necessary to remove the negative image and reveal to people the program and goal of the Party of Regions. As for the opposition stance that party leader Viktor Yanukovych previously declared, Anatoliy Horbatiuk believes that such an approach is too hasty. First it is necessary to try to find contacts with the new authorities and monitor their actions.
No less critical was the speech of the head of the Lutsk city organization of the Party of Regions, Dmytro Polishchuk. He noted that the party's financial situation is critical, and that work on a volunteer basis brings little benefit. Dmytro Polishchuk could not refrain from criticizing former head of the regional branch of the Party of Regions Ivan Lutsyk. According to the head of the Lutsk organization, Ivan Lutsyk used his position exclusively for private interests. Moreover, Dmytro Polishchuk said that the complaint against the newspaper "Volyn" was signed without his consent. Supposedly, Ivan Lutsyk preferred to act through others and defended not the party's position but his own.
Their vision of the situation that developed in party circles after the presidential elections was expressed by the head of the Shatsk organization Liudmyla Yerofeieva, the head of the Lutsk district organization Leonid Shvedun, the leader of the public association "Union of Youth of the Regions of Ukraine" Andriy Melnyk, and the head of the Lokachi organization Vasyl Demydiuk. In their conclusions they were unanimous: it is still too early to go into opposition; it is necessary to establish cooperation with the new authorities and eliminate shortcomings in the party's internal work. The head of the Liuboml organization (who is also the head of the district state administration) Sviatoslav Havryliuk noted that the time has come to determine who will represent Volyn in the 2006 elections, and for whom to work now. First deputy head of the regional branch Petro Pron did not hold back and expressed his negative attitude toward the mergers the party has experienced since the time of its creation. In his conviction, these mergers do not benefit it. In addition, Petro Pron is indignant that until now the leaders of the Party of Regions have still not been able to come to Volyn, although they have been invited repeatedly.
Somewhat disconcerted the conference delegates was the speech of People's Deputy, member of the "Party of Regions" faction Pavlo Sulkovskyi. Apart from the greetings that the People's Deputy conveyed from the party leader, and the autobiographical note that he read out before those present, the People's Deputy unexpectedly threw accusations at his colleagues. Supposedly, out of 450 deputies only fifty work for the people, the rest lobby their own interests. As for the defeat in the 2004 elections, Pavlo Sulkovskyi blamed Leonid Kuchma for everything. Reflecting on the participation of the Party of Regions in the parliamentary elections, the People's Deputy said:
– Time will tell, and God will help, how we should go to the people.
The delegates elected a new head of the branch of the Party of Regions. Anatoliy Horbatiuk took this position. The regional members voted to expel Ivan Lutsyk and Anatoliy Stadnik from the party members.
Olena DUDKEVYCH