ANALYSIS: Leading parties and blocs report on their priorities (02/10/02)

ANALYSIS

Leading parties and blocs report on their priorities

by Jan Maksymiuk
RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report

The Kyiv-based Zerkalo Nedeli/Dzerkalo Tyzhnia weekly on January 26 published the results of its poll among Ukraine's leading blocs and parties regarding their program goals.

The newspaper posed its questions to presidential administration head Volodymyr Lytvyn, the leader of the For a United Ukraine bloc; former Vice Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who heads a bloc named after herself; former Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko, who leads the Our Ukraine bloc; Valentyna Dovzhenko of the Women for the Future bloc; Communist Party Chairman Petro Symonenko; Vitalii Kononov of the Green Party; Viktor Medvedchuk of the Social Democratic Party (United); Mykhailo Brodskyi of the populist Yabluko; and Oleksander Moroz of the Socialist Party.

According to the poll, the Communists would like Ukraine to become a parliamentary republic without a president. Yabluko, the Greens and the Socialists believe that Ukraine should be transformed into a parliamentary-presidential republic with the Parliament electing the prime minister. For a United Ukraine, Women for the Future and the Tymoshenko bloc support the current semi-presidential republic, in which the president appoints the prime minister.

For a United Ukraine and Women for the Future support the idea of a bicameral national legislature for Ukraine, but other hopefuls prefer the current unicameral body. All of them, except For a United Ukraine, would like to replace the existing mixed-vote system in parliamentary elections with a proportional system favoring strong parties. This bloc is also the only one that unconditionally supports President Leonid Kuchma. Ms. Tymoshenko, Yabluko, the Communists and the Socialists identify themselves as the opposition.

All of the leaders except the Communist leader, Mr. Symonenko, agreed that Ukraine should remain outside military blocs. The Communists want Ukraine to join a military bloc with Russia.

Opinions on potential EU membership differed significantly. For a United Ukraine and Our Ukraine want European Union membership for Ukraine irrespective of relations with Russia. Yabluko and the Greens see Ukraine joining Europe only together with Russia. Ms. Tymoshenko dodged a direct answer, saying that national interest is above all, according to Zerkalo Nedeli/Dzerkalo Tyzhnya. Women for the Future suggested that Ukraine should cooperate with all European countries, especially Russia. The Socialists would like to cooperate equally with Russia and the EU. The Social Democrats view EU membership for Ukraine as only a distant prospect, while the Communists prefer cooperation with the Commonwealth of Independent States to that with the EU.

Opinions also varied on the language issue. For a United Ukraine, Our Ukraine and Ms. Tymoshenko agreed with the status quo of Ukrainian as the only state language. The leaders of Mr. Yabluko, Women for the Future, the Greens, the Social Democrats and the Socialists believe that Ukrainian should remain the state language, while Russian should be granted a special legal status. The Communists would like Ukraine to have two official languages - Ukrainian and Russian.

Jan Maksymiuk is the Belarus, Ukraine and Poland specialist on the staff of RFE/RL Newsline.

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