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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Election Tracker
Ukraine
Credit:Flag courtesy of ITA’s Flags of All Countries used with permission.
Election Date: March 26, 2006
Abstract: At stake: Supreme CouncilAt stake: Supreme Council
Background
Since seceding from the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine has tried to balance its close ties with Russia with its aspirations of broader cooperation with the European Union (EU).
Leonid Kuchma was elected president in 1994, winning a second term in a run-off against Petro Symonenko of the Communist Party (KPU) on Nov. 14, 1999. The last years of Kuchma's tenure were unsound. In 2002, a series of tape recordings hinted at the possible sale of hi-tech radar equipment to Saddam Hussein's regime. In 2003, Kuchma deployed peacekeepers to join the United States-led coalition effort in Iraq, a strategy that resulted in a drop in public support.
In December 2003, Ukrainian lawmakers close to Kuchma suggested changing the country's electoral law. Their plan called for the abolition of the presidential election by popular vote, to allow members of the legislative branch to pick the head of state. The proposal was narrowly defeated in the Supreme Council in February 2004.
In 2004, opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko was elected as president in a re-vote after widespread peaceful protests disputed the initial ballot results.
Click here for 2004 Ukraine Presidential Election Tracker
During his term in office, Yushchenko has had to deal with sagging approval for his administration, which has been dogged by allegations of corruption. He dismissed his entire cabinet in September 2005 to appoint a new roster of senior staff in an attempt to make the government more effective.
The cabinet reshuffle meant the end of the tenure of prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who had provided her party's support to Yushchenko during the presidential re-vote. Yushchenko appointed Dnipropetrovsk governor Yuri Yekhanurov as head of government.
2006 Supreme Council Election
In the 2002 ballot, Yushchenko's Our Ukraine (NU) bloc received 23.6 per cent of the vote and elected 112 members to the 450-seat legislative branch. Parties require at least three per cent of the vote to qualify for proportional representations seats in the Supreme Council.
Scheduled for Mar. 26, 2006, the elections to the country's legislative branch are particularly important since they will signify a shift in the country's political system. For the first time, the members of the Supreme Council will name the country's prime minister, instead of the president.
Former prime minister Viktor Yanukovych, who lost to Yushchenko in the 2004 presidential re-vote, is leading his Party of Regions (PR) into the Supreme Council ballot. Tymoshenko of the Batkivshchina (Fatherland) party assembled the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, which encompasses five different political organizations.
In March 2004, Yushchenko called for the formation of a single electoral coalition to contest the next parliamentary election. The group would have included the People's Union-Our Ukraine (NS-NU)—with Yushchenko as its honourary chairman—as well as the party led by Tymoshenko, and the People's Party of speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn. The alliance never materialized, and all three parties will run separately.
A November 2005 poll by the Razumkov Centre put Yanukovych's Party of Regions (PR) in first place with 17.5 per cent, followed by the People's Union-Our Ukraine (NS-NU) with 13.5 per cent, and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc with 12.4 per cent.
On Dec. 20, Yanukovych ruled out any post-election deals with the parties headed by Tymoshenko and Yushchenko, declaring, "The Party of Regions considers impossible to collaborate with the Orange Forces, who this year took the responsibility on the state of affairs in the country and did not fulfill their obligations."
Polls released in December by IFES and the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, and the Kyiv International Sociology Institute put the PR in first place.
In late December 2005 and early January 2006, Yushchenko was involved in a dispute over gas imports from Russia. The state-run Russian company Gazprom supplies a quarter of Ukraine's gas.
On Jan. 10, the Supreme Council dismissed the government after 250 members backed a no-confidence motion following Yekhanurov's decision to pay almost twice as much for Russian gas imports.
Yushchenko—who was in Kazakhstan at the time of the legislative vote—called the move "unconstitutional." Justice minister Serhiy Golovaty said the political situation in the country is precarious at best, declaring, "Neither the president nor parliament will be able to form a new government until a new parliament is elected."
In late January, the NS-NU attacked Yanukovych by claiming it possessed documents showing that the former prime minister served time in prison in 1969 and 1970 for robbery and assault. Ukrainian regulations do not allow a former convict to run as a candidate in an election. An investigation determined that the papers were faked.
In early February, prior to a scheduled speech by Yushchenko in which he was expected to call on lawmakers to end their infighting and bickering, a fistfight broke out in parliament. Communist Party (KPU) members were trying to put up banners that criticized Yushchenko, when the president's party members attempted to stop them. "Enough with arguing over who has more power," Yushchenko eventually said in his address, after the fracas was pacified. "There is enough work for everybody."
On Feb. 13, Yanukovych pledged to improve bilateral ties with Russia, saying, "Preserving our special relationship with Russia is another priority in our economic strategy. The Party of Regions stems from the objective reality: Russia is Ukraine's strategic partner, including membership in the Common Economic Space."
On Feb. 25, Yushchenko announced the creation of a public council that will ensure a fair parliamentary ballot, declaring, "Be active citizens and come to the polls. There will be no chance for falsifications. I believe that citizens of Ukraine will not allow forces advocating such policy to come to power again."
February polls by the Razumkov Centre, the Institute of Social and Political Investigations and Sotsinform all placed the Party of Regions in first place, with the support of at least 26 per cent of respondents.
On Mar. 4, Yanukovych accused the government of planning a fraudulent election, declaring, "The orange team can only remain in power through massive falsifications, and this is what they are doing." NS-NU official Borys Bespaly categorized Yanukovych's accusations as a "loser's poor fantasy" and "nothing but an attempt to attract attention."
On Mar. 14, Yushchenko launched a scathing attack on Yanukovych during a televised press conference, saying, "The opposition has no program which can stand up in intellectual terms with that of the government. It is in the interests of our country, our nation, to hold negotiations that will lead to a consolidation of political forces."
A March poll by the Taras Shevchenko Political and Sociological Studies Institute had the Party of Regions in first place, with the support of 26 per cent of respondents.
On Mar. 16, the Ukrainian Central Election Commission (CEC) stopped the accreditation of foreign observers. More than 2,700 people will monitor the election.
On Mar. 21, the Razumkov Centre, the Democratic Initiatives Foundation and the Kyiv International Sociology Institute announced that they would conduct a joint exit poll. The survey will gauge the choices of 18,000 voters in 300 different polling stations all across the country.
On Mar. 23, CEC head Yaroslav Davydovych declared, "We have done everything to conduct a free, fair and transparent vote, to perform truly democratic elections. The ballot papers are well-protected, and there is not a single opportunity for any hacker to break into our computer system."
On Mar. 24, Yushchenko urged voters to support the parties that backed him during the 2004 presidential ballot, saying, "The choice faced by society today is simple. It is a choice between the past the future. Only you will decide how quickly reforms take place in Ukraine, what our path to the European community will look like."
Voting took place on Mar. 26. Observers reported only minor incidents, such as long lines in polling stations and problems making sense of the 75 centrimetre-long ballot. The exit poll suggested a victory for the Party of Regions with 33 per cent of all cast ballots, well short of a majority.
Yanukovych declared, "The Party of Regions has won a convincing victory. We are ready to undertake responsibility for forming the cabinet and we are calling on everyone to join us."
Tymoshenko said she would welcome a coalition with the NS-NU, provided she returns to the prime minister's office, saying, "We don't have another path. It's our only option."
Final results gave the Party of Regions 32.12 per cent of all cast ballots, followed by the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc with 22.27 per cent, the People's Union-Our Ukraine (NS-NU) with 13.94 per cent, the Socialist Party with 5.67 per cent, and the Communist Party with 3.66 per cent.
Preliminary estimates suggest that Yanukovych's party will hold 186 seats, followed by Tymoshenko's bloc with 129, Our Ukraine with 81, the Socialists with 33, and the Communists with 21 mandates.
The parliament has one month from publication of results to assemble, two months to form a majority and three months to nominate a cabinet. With no party garnering more than 50 per cent of the vote, a coalition will have to be formed.
On Apr. 6, a spokesman for the NS-NU said his party, the Tymoshenko Bloc and the Socialists had agreed to establish a coalition administration
On Apr. 8, Yekhanurov said preliminary discussions with the Party of Regions were supported by those "who want the unity of the nation."
On Apr. 13, a protocol signed by Yushchenko's Our Ukraine, the Tymoshenko bloc and the Socialist party brought the three parties closer to creating a coalition. The agreement includes a clause allowing the party with the largest number of votes to nominate its representative for prime minister. Tymoshenko's bloc came second behind the Party of Regions.
On Apr. 17, Tymoshenko banned her party from collaborating with Yanukovych, saying, "Any talks on cooperation, support or deals with the Party of Regions are unacceptable, even if we have to go into opposition."
On Apr. 18, Tymoshenko promised to back Viktor Yushchenko in the 2009 presidential election to maintain coalition stability. The three-party coalition has yet to be formally confirmed.
On May 5, Tymoshenko and Moroz declared that the government would be "orange" and that a deal would be in place before May 24. Yanukovych said his party held talks with the NS-NU and added that he does not contemplate becoming part "of the opposition."
On May 13, Yushchenko urged Tymoshenko and the NS-NU to agree on a government soon, saying, "The most important task for the orange forces is to find a formula of stability of the coalition. The discussion about portfolios would bury once and for all the orange coalition."
On Jun. 23, a final coalition deal was announced between Yushchenko's Our Ukraine, the Tymoshenko bloc and the Socialist party. Tymoshenko, who stands to become prime minister for the second time, declared, "Today we begin our fight to make our country democratic and free of corruption. (.) The first reform we will conduct will be judicial to enable us to say that it is not the mafia who decides what is right or wrong or who gets a factory for nothing. This will be decided by the law, by legal procedures."
Communist leader Petro Symonenko dismissed the alliance, saying, "What was announced here today amounts to a coup staged by corrupt officials. It is the Ukrainian people who will suffer. The process of territorial disintegration will begin. It is inevitable given the policies pursued by an orange coalition already for a year and a half."
On Jul. 6, Moroz was unexpectedly elected as the Supreme Council's speaker. The three orange parties had previously agreed to propose Petro Poroshenko for the position. The Socialist leader declared, "We must reduce the tension which has been artificially created to do away with the split we now see in Ukraine. I am sure we can overcome this problem. I am even surer we can bring together those seeing themselves as victors and those who see themselves as vanquished."
On Jul. 11, the "anti-crisis" coalition—which includes the PR, the SPU and the KPU—was formally announced. On Jul. 19, Yanukovych was nominated for the post of prime minister. The group holds 240 of the Supreme Council's 450 seats.
On Aug. 4, Yanukovych, who lost in the 2004 presidential election to Yushchenko, was confirmed as prime minister. Yanukovych and Yushchenko have agreed on a 27-point declaration, which contemplates improving Ukraine's relations with the European Union (EU) and includes a plan to eventually join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).Political Players
President: Viktor Yushchenko
Prime minister: Viktor Yanukovych
The president is elected to a five-year term by popular vote.
Legislative branch: The Verkhovna Rada (Supreme Council) has 450 members, elected to four-year terms by proportional representation.
Results of Last Election:
President - Oct. 31, Nov. 21 (*) and Dec. 26, 2004
|
Oct. |
Nov. |
Dec. |
|
|
Viktor Yushchenko - |
39.87% |
46.61% |
51.99% |
|
Viktor Yanukovych - |
39.32% |
49.46% |
44.19% |
|
Oleksandr Moroz - |
5.81% |
-- |
-- |
|
Petro Symonenko - |
4.97% |
-- |
-- |
|
Nataliya Vitrenko - |
1.53% |
-- |
-- |
|
Anatoly Kinakh - Party of Industrialists |
0.93% |
-- |
-- |
|
Oleksandr Yakovenko - Communist |
0.78% |
-- |
-- |
|
Oleksandr Omelchenko - |
0.48% |
-- |
-- |
|
Leonid Chernovetsky - |
0.45% |
-- |
-- |
|
Dmytro Korchynsky - |
0.17% |
-- |
-- |
|
Andriy Chornovil - |
0.12% |
-- |
-- |
|
Mykola Grabar - |
0.07% |
-- |
-- |
|
Mykhailo Brodsky - |
0.05% |
-- |
-- |
|
Yuriy Zbitnyev - |
0.05% |
-- |
-- |
|
Sergiy Komisarenko - |
0.04% |
-- |
-- |
|
Vasil Volga - |
0.04% |
-- |
-- |
|
Bohdan Boyko - |
0.04% |
-- |
-- |
|
Oleksandr Rzhavsky - |
0.03% |
-- |
-- |
|
Mykola Rogozhynsky - |
0.03% |
-- |
-- |
|
Vladislav Krivobokov - People's |
0.03% |
-- |
-- |
|
Oleksandr Bazilyuk - |
0.03% |
-- |
-- |
|
Igor Dushyn - |
0.03% |
-- |
-- |
|
Roman Kozak - |
0.02% |
-- |
-- |
|
Volodimir Nechiporuk - |
0.02% |
-- |
-- |
|
Against all candidates |
1.98% |
2.31% |
2.34% |
(*) On Dec. 3, the Supreme Court invalidated the results of the Nov. 21 presidential run-off between Yushchenko and Yanukovych and ordered a special re-vote.
Supreme Council - Mar. 26, 2006
|
Vote% |
Seats |
|
|
Party of Regions (PR) |
32.14% |
186 |
|
Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko (YT) |
22.29% |
129 |
| Bloc Our Ukraine (NU) People's Union Our Ukraine (NS-NU)
Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Ukraine (PPPU)
Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists (KUN) |
13.95% |
81 |
|
Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU) |
5.69% |
33 |
|
Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU) |
3.66% |
21 |
|
Nataliya Vitrenko "People's Opposition" |
2.93% |
-- |
|
Popular Bloc My (We) |
2.44% |
-- |
|
Ukrainian National Bloc of Kostenko and Pliushch |
1.87% |
-- |
|
Party "Viche" |
1.74% |
-- |
|
Civil Coalition Pora-PRP |
1.47% |
-- |
|
Oppositional bloc "Not Yes!" |
1.01% |
-- |
|
Other parties |
7.04% |
-- |
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