ANALYSIS: Divisions within Social Democrats continue to cause conflict (01/18/04)

ANALYSIS

Divisions within Social Democrats continue to cause conflict

by Taras Kuzio
RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report

The conflict that has been developing between Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine and Viktor Medvedchuk's Social Democratic Party-United (SDPU) continues to snowball. It is difficult to see how the SDPU could remain a political force in Ukraine if Mr. Yushchenko wins the October presidential elections. The anger and frustration of national democrats after a Yushchenko victory are likely to be focused on Mr. Medvedchuk and the SDPU, rather than other oligarchic clans.

Ironically, the wholesale deterioration of relations between Our Ukraine and SDPU is not in the latter's interests. The former president and head of the SDPU parliamentary faction, Leonid Kravchuk, has always stood out as an example of moderation, recently cautioning President Leonid Kuchma that he will inherit a positive historical legacy only if a peaceful transfer of power takes place (such as Kravchuk himself organized in July 1994).

In an interview published in the January 10 issue of the newspaper Den (The Day), Mr. Kravchuk also criticized the manner in which the Constitutional Court's decision to allow President Kuchma to run for a third term is being used. In the same interview, Mr. Kravchuk warns that if Mr. Kuchma runs again this will lead to Ukraine's international isolation in the West. This would leave Ukraine with only one path, toward Russia, which Mr. Kravchuk would see as the undoing of his work in facilitating Ukraine's drive to independence in 1991-1992.

Mr. Kravchuk's views are echoed by Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk, who has remained close to the SDPU and whose Den newspaper is reportedly still financed by the party. Den has always stood out as a patriotic, pro-Western publication that espouses moderation compared to other rabidly anti-American SDPU newspapers, such as 2000 and Kievskie Viedomosti. Messrs. Kravchuk and Marchuk have long been advocates of Ukraine's membership in NATO. Therefore, this wing of the SDPU is in fundamental conflict with the pro-Russian wing led by Mr. Medvedchuk, who said at last year's SDPU congress that his party should become the leading advocate of Russian interests in Ukraine.

The conflict of interests within the SDPU between its pro-Western and pro-Russian wings is best seen in terms of Ukraine's non-European domestic policies, which clash with its declared goals of membership in the European Union and NATO. In the case of the EU, which is offering no membership prospects for Ukraine, there is no "carrot" for Ukraine's leaders to follow.

In the case of NATO this is different, as Ukraine could be invited to join later in the decade. The November 2002 NATO-Ukraine Action Plan includes an entire section devoted to non-military issues. Yet, these are being systematically infringed by the pro-Russian wing of Ukrainian politics, both by Mr. Medvedchuk, in his position as head of the presidential administration, and his brother, Serhii Medvedchuk, as head of the Lviv Oblast State Tax Administration (now appointed deputy head of the State Tax Administration).

The Marchuk wing, on the other hand, is serious about its intentions to fulfill the military sections of the Action Plan. One wonders then how Mr. Marchuk must feel knowing that Mr. Medvedchuk is undermining his work. This is likely to lead to a postponement on upgrading Ukraine's Action Plan to a Membership Action Plan at NATO's summit later this year.

An example of the growing conflict between Our Ukraine and the SDPU can be seen in recent developments in the Zakarpattia Oblast town of Mukachiv. Speaking at this month's "Europe on the Path to a New Era" conference in Berlin attended by high-ranking EU officials and West European leaders, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada's Committee for European Integration, head Borys Tarasyuk, described the Mukachiv events as a "cynical rape of democracy and parliamentarism in Ukraine."

In the June 20, 2003, mayoral elections, Our Ukraine candidate Vasyl Petiovka won and defeated his nearest rival, SDPU member Ernest Nuser, in a bitterly fought campaign. The SDPU had considered Zakarpattia as one of "it's" oblasts since the mid-1990s and this loss, therefore, was seen as a slap in the face.

The SDPU turned to the courts, claiming that the outcome of the vote had been rigged. A district court in Lviv agreed with the SDPU complaint. Mukachiv's election commission ignored the court decision and voted to confirm the election of Mr. Petiovka as mayor, refusing to order fresh elections. The Mukachiv election controversy was later reviewed by the Supreme Court, which confirmed that Mr. Petiovka was elected in a legitimate way.

However, on December 25, 2003, a presidential decree described the June election as illegitimate and installed as temporary mayor SDPU member Myroslav Opachka. The following day the City Council reconfirmed Mr. Petiovka as its head. Berkut riot police and Sokil special-task units were then flown in to prevent the council loyal to Petiovka from entering the building. Last week, Mukachevo's election commission voted to hold repeat mayoral elections on April 18.

Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman Nina Karpachova has sent an urgent inquiry to the Constitutional Court about the legality of the presidential decree. The Supreme Court also is investigating the issue. Meanwhile, Our Ukraine has held daily demonstrations outside Mukachiv City Hall and is planning to hold a parliamentary hearing on the subject. An attempt to hold a demonstration in support of the presidential decree failed to take place.

Our Ukraine believes the decree is illegal as the Constitution of Ukraine does not grant the president the right to appoint temporary mayors. Our Ukraine also believes that the disbanding of the election commission and the refusal to allow elected officials and parliamentary deputies into the building violated Ukraine's Constitution and law on local self-government as well as the European Charter on Local Government.

Mr. Medvedchuk's "managed democracy" is akin to that practiced in Russia and Azerbaijan, which continue to remain pro-Western. However, there is no room for a "managed democracy" inside NATO or the EU.

Dr. Taras Kuzio is a resident fellow at the Center for Russian and East European Studies, University of Toronto.

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