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Yanukovych’s Party is Leader in Ukraine
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The political party led by former prime minister Viktor Yanukovych is the most popular in Ukraine, according to a poll by the Ukrainian Sociological Service. 32.7 per cent of respondents would vote for the Party of Regions (PR) in the next legislative election.
The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc is far behind with 14.2 per cent, followed by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Bloc with 12.8 per cent, the People’s Union-Our Ukraine (NS-NU) with 5.4 per cent, the Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU) with 4.3 per cent, and the Volodymyr Lytvyn Bloc with 3.8 per cent.
A series of public demonstrations took place in Kiev after the November 2004 presidential run-off. The Ukrainian Supreme Court eventually invalidated the results of the second round, and ordered a special re-vote. Opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko—whose supporters wore orange-coloured clothing at events and rallies—received 51.99 per cent of all cast ballots, defeating Yanukovych.
In 2006, the PR secured 186 seats in the Supreme Council. Yanukovych eventually became prime minister in a coalition government with the Socialist Party (SPU) and the KPU. After a long political stalemate and disagreements between the president and prime minister, a new legislative ballot took place in September 2007.
Final election results released in October gave the "orange forces"—including the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Yushchenko’s NS-NU—228 seats, while Yanukovych and his allies took control of 202 seats. In December, Tymoshenko was ratified as prime minister, with the support of 225 lawmakers.
In September 2008, Ukraine’s governing coalition split in great part due to disagreements over a Georgia-Russia conflict. In the days following an incursion by Russian forces into South Ossetia, a Georgian breakaway province, Yushchenko asked the government to fiercely condemn Russia’s actions in Georgia, but Tymoshenko refused to take a strong stance against Russia. Yushchenko left the coalition as a result.
A new parliamentary election was scheduled for Dec. 14, but was later postponed indefinitely on account of the global economic crisis. A presidential election is expected to take place on Jan. 17, 2010.
On Jul. 18, Yanukovych—who leads the PR’s parliamentary faction—said that both the president and the prime minister should belong to the same party, declaring, "There can be only one team in Ukraine. It is impossible to have two teams and have two efficient teams. Only one team can be strong, efficient, and capable of implementing its plans."
Polling Data
Which party would you vote for in the next parliamentary election?
|
Party of Regions (PR) |
32.7% |
|
Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc |
14.2% |
|
Arseniy Yatsenyuk Bloc |
12.8% |
|
People’s Union-Our Ukraine (NS-NU) |
5.4% |
|
Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU) |
4.3% |
|
Volodymyr Lytvyn Bloc |
3.8% |
Source: Ukrainian Sociological Service
Methodology: Interviews with 2,010 Ukrainian adults, conducted from Jul. 4 to Jul. 14, 2009. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.
