Party of the Regions, Tymoshenko Bloc Top Polls in Parliamentary
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INSIDE:• Map reveals election winners by oblast — page 3. • Voters in Kyiv and Lviv elect new mayors — page 3. • International observers assess Ukraine’s elections — page 5. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXIV HE KRAINIANNo. 14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2006 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine PartyT of the Regions,U Tymoshenko Bloc top polls inW parliamentary elections by Zenon Zawada Ms. Tymoshenko’s popularity has Oblast, which gave the most votes to Kyiv Press Bureau soared since the 2002 elections, when Socialist Party of Ukraine in 2002, and the her bloc earned 1.9 million votes, or the Kirovohrad Oblast, which the Communist KYIV – The Party of the Regions of support of 7 percent of the electorate. Party of Ukraine had previously won. CEC releases Ukraine emerged from the March 26 par- The Tymoshenko Bloc even won the liamentary elections with the most votes, Sumy Oblast, where Mr. Yushchenko but it was Yulia Tymoshenko who was final results was born and raised, winning 33 percent With 100 percent of the ballots crowned the winner. of the vote compared to 19 percent for counted, the Central Election Defying most expectations, her politi- Our Ukraine. Commission on Thursday evening, cal bloc placed second in voting, steam- The Tymoshenko Bloc also made March 30, released the following rollering over the Our Ukraine bloc and gains in regions that Our Ukraine could results of Ukraine’s parliamentary handing her rival and former boss Viktor never succeed in. elections of March 26. Yushchenko an embarrassing defeat. In five oblasts that typically vote for In giving her the majority of their pro-Russian parties or blocs, the votes, Ukraine’s Orange electorate Party of the Regions 32.12% Tymoshenko Bloc placed second, despite passed the revolution’s torch to Ms. Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc 22.27% Tymoshenko, seizing it away from Mr. the presence of prominent nationalists Our Ukraine 13.94% Yushchenko who disappointed many such as Levko Lukianenko and Andrii Socialist Party 5.67% when he fired her in September 2005 and Shkil in her party’s leadership. Communist Party 3.66% signed a pact with Viktor Yanukovych In the Kherson Oblast for example, Natalia Vitrenko Bloc* 2.93% soon there after. the bloc won 17 percent of the vote. It Lytvyn’s People’s Bloc* 2.43% When it became clear that her bloc won 15 percent of the vote in the Kostenko/Pliusch Bloc* 1.87% would finish a strong second, Ms. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where Ms. Viche Party* 1.74% Tymoshenko called upon the Ukrainian Tymoshenko grew up. Pora/Reforms and Order* 1.47% president on March 27 to recreate the While Ms. Tymoshenko enlarged her “Ne Tak!” Bloc* 1.01% Orange coalition in the Verkhovna Rada, political sphere of influence, the Party of with the intent that she’d be at the helm the Regions secured a plurality in every *Did not reach the 3% support as prime minister once again. single one of its oblasts from the 2004 required for representation in the “Either we, for the last 10 years, Cutty Sark Co. presidential elections, as well as the Verkhovna Rada. fought for the result that oligarchs and Yulia Tymoshenko at a March 27 press Autonomous Republic of Crimea. NB: Thirty-four parties received clans would not simultaneously be the conference calls for an Orange coalition. As widely expected, the Party of the less than 1 percent of the vote. political power in Ukraine, and today we (Continued on page 11) have a victory in that struggle, or we So, while the Our Ukraine bloc kept return to the same road that was personi- all the symbols and slogans of the fied by [former President Leonid] Orange Revolution, it was Ms. Kuchma,” Ms. Tymoshenko said, refer- Tymoshenko who managed to hold onto International observers say ring to the possibility that an Our the hearts and minds of those who stood Ukraine-Party of the Regions coalition on Kyiv’s Independence Square, known would be formed. as the maidan. elections were free and fair About 22 percent of the electorate, or The Tymoshenko Bloc won 13 of 5.6 million voters, cast their ballots for Ukraine’s 24 oblasts, conquering 11 by Zenon Zawada “In our view, Ukraine has proved itself the Tymoshenko Bloc, according to the oblasts that Our Ukraine had won in the Kyiv Press Bureau up to the task,” said Michael Trend, a former member of the British Parliament Central Election Commission’s (CEC) 2002 parliamentary elections. KYIV – Ukraine’s 2006 parliamentary final results posted on March 30. The bloc also won in the Poltava who led the International Republican elections were the most free and fair Institute’s election observation team. “All since the nation gained independence freedom-loving people will recognize nearly 15 years ago, international these elections as a success for Ukraine,” An election day snapshot: observers said. he added. Instead of dealing with fraud and vio- Mr. Trend said he couldn’t comment balloting in Cherkasy Oblast lence, problems were limited to those of on how the elections might influence a technical nature, such as polling sta- Ukraine’s aspirations for European tions that opened late, voter lists that had by Zenon Zawada Valentyna Vitkivska, 54. “During Soviet Union membership. incorrect or missing names and long lines Ukraine’s political leaders didn’t have Kyiv Press Bureau times, we didn’t live too badly. I educat- to vote, they said. ed myself. I obtained a free apartment the same high praise for their elections as TALNE, Ukraine – The Cherkasy “The citizens of Ukraine have freed Western observers. and a free education.” themselves of their fear,” said U.S. Oblast was a wild card in the 2006 par- It was very common for family mem- Holding what she charged was an liamentary election. Federal Judge Bohdan Futey, who visited improperly completed protocol sheet in bers or married couples to be split in eight polling stations in Chernihiv and Our Ukraine had won it in the 2002 their political leanings. her hands, Yulia Tymoshenko told a elections, but Oleksander Moroz and his Kyiv. March 29 press conference that her cam- Kin Horholov, 68, said he chose the Having Ukrainian elections since Socialist Party of Ukraine were always Socialist Party because he trusts Mr. paign staff had collected and documented popular among its rural inhabitants, 1990, he noted that the Orange numerous examples of fraud committed Moroz, who isn’t beholden to business Revolution had created the conditions for which make up 46 percent of the oblast’s interests. at various district election commissions. Ukraine’s first truly democratic elections. population. His wife, Raisa Horholova, 65, voted As expected, voting recounts were “There’s no more fear, and they In the town of Talne, with a population for the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc because demanded by the leaders of those parties approached these elections very realisti- of more than 16,000, the wide spectrum she believes the former prime minister is and blocs that failed to break the 3 per- cally and calmly,” Judge Futey said. of political views in Ukraine’s heartland an educated, thoughtful woman who did cent barrier for the Verkhovna Rada. “Without fear, they’ll have success.” oblast was apparent. a lot for Ukraine during her months in Among these were Volodymyr The Ukrainian Weekly’s Kyiv Press office, particularly for its children. The successful parliamentary elections Lytvyn’s People’s Bloc, the Pora- Bureau interviewed 12 voters who named “Ms. Tymoshenko endured a lot and were a critical step for Ukraine in Reforms and Order Bloc, the National seven different parties they were support- had many obstacles in her job,” Mrs. demonstrating it is a country that holds Democratic Party and the Viche Party. ing. Some were less known, while others Horholova said. “I admire this woman for democratic values and is capable of “[We] acknowledge the election were notorious. upholding Western standards of democra- “I will vote for the Communists,” said (Continued on page 27) cy, observers said. (Continued on page 10) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2006 No. 14 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Has the Orange Revolution NEWSBRIEFS Yushchenko vows to work for coalition path [toward restoring an Orange coalition] is absolutely possible, and we are beginning received a new lease on life? KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko today to conduct practical consultations and said in a television interview on March 23 make steps toward rapprochement,” Ms. by Jan Maksymiuk finish second with 22 to 24 percent of the that he will actively participate in forging a Tymoshenko told journalists. Mr. Moroz RFE/RL Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova Report vote, while the pro-Yushchenko Our new governing coalition after the March 26 said of his meeting with President March 28 Ukraine will follow with about 15 per- parliamentary elections, Interfax-Ukraine Yushchenko: “We have not reached any cent, according to the polls. reported. Mr. Yushchenko said he is con- agreement with anybody, as there are only The March 26 parliamentary elections These predicted results suggest that vinced that the Our Ukraine bloc will form preliminary talks. ... Since there are no offi- in Ukraine were won by Viktor the three forces that made up the core of the core of such a coalition, which, he cial returns from the elections, there can be Yanukovych’s Party of the Regions with the 2004 Orange Revolution – the Yulia added, should also include the Yulia no final documents on the coalition.” The from 27 to 31 percent of the vote, accord- Tymoshenko Bloc, Our Ukraine and the Tymoshenko Bloc, the Pora-Reform and Party of the Regions press service reported ing to three different exit polls.