Yuschenko bloc gains

KYIV - A survey released by the Ukrainian Sociological Service, a private firm that is partially owned by the government, showed Viktor Yuschenko's Our Ukraine Bloc to be gathering steam with two months to voting day. The poll, taken between January 22 and January 31, gave Our Ukraine 20.6 percent voter support. The Communist Party was several points back at 15.8 percent.

Most significantly, the Our Ukraine Bloc had gained six points since November, while the Communist Party had lost nearly five points.

Following them was the surprisingly strong Women for the Future of Ukraine electoral organization at 8.1 percent and Mr. Lytvyn's For a United Ukraine Bloc at 7 percent.

Also getting past the 4 percent barrier needed to lay claim to parliamentary seats were the Green Party of Ukraine with 6.8 percent and the Social Democratic Party (United) with 4.4 percent voter support.

The Ukrainian Sociological Service poll, which surveyed 2,800 respondents and has a 2 percent margin of error, predicted that the Socialist Party, the Yabluko Party, the Vitrenko Bloc, the Yednist Bloc, the Tymoshenko Bloc and the Democratic Party/DemUnion Bloc - all of which currently have representatives in the Verkhovna Rada - could fail to take any seats in the March 31 elections.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 17, 2002, No. 7, Vol. LXX

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