[Ohio UZO News] FT; AP; DC

[Deychak, Orest]

Financial Times


Party barred from Ukraine poll


By Roman Olearchyk in Kiev 

Published: August 13 2007 01:39  

Ukraine's ability to ease its long-standing political paralysis was cast
into further doubt at the weekend when its leading opposition party was
barred from taking part in September's snap parliamentary election.

Ukraine's Central Election Commission refused to register BYuT, the
political bloc led by Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister, on the
grounds that it had failed to provide the exact addresses of its candidates,
a requirement not clearly set by election laws.

The development comes only days after Ukraine's pro-western president,
Viktor Yushchenko, insisted the vote would be free and fair. The early poll,
to be held on September 30, follows a compromise deal struck in May between
Mr Yushchenko and his arch-rival, Viktor Yanukovich, the prime minister,
ending a two-month constitutional standoff. 

The election commission is split on party lines. BYuT's registration was
blocked by a majority of commission members loyal to Mr Yanukovich's
coalition.

"This is a blatant and rather desperate attempt to undermine the electoral
process by eliminating a political party that represents one-third of the
country's population," said Ms Tymoshenko, who promised to challenge the
move in court.

Mr Yanukovich's camp suggested that Ms Tymoshenko had deliberately filed
incomplete documents in order to raise a stir that would rally her
supporters.

Mr Yushchenko's administration defended BYuT - lying second behind Mr
Yanukovich's Regions party in opinion polls - saying its application was in
compliance with election laws. 

Political analysts in Kiev predict more intrigue, but expect elections to
proceed on schedule, with BYuT gaining permission to participate through a
court ruling.

Less certain is whether the new parliament will bring political stability.

If elections are held, Regions and BYuT are expected to garner 25 to 35 per
cent support. Trailing in third place, Mr Yushchenko's camp is positioned to
act as kingmaker between Mr Yanukovich and Ms Tymoshenko, who had a bitter
falling-out with the president in 2006.

The three leaders are expected to spar for the presidency in 2009. Most
Ukrainians support Mr Yushchenko's European Union membership agenda, but
remain split over language and foreign policy.

Eastern regions backing Mr Yanukovich oppose Mr Yushchenko's Nato membership
aspirations, seek close ties with Moscow and want Russian recognised as a
second state language.

Ukrainian-speaking western regions back Ms Tymoshenko and Mr Yushchenko over
Mr Yanukovich, whom they view as a Moscow loyalist.

Mr Yushchenko could seek a broad coalition, squeezing smaller leftwing
parties into the opposition. Ms Tymo-shenko has pledged not to enter into a
coalition with Mr Yanukovich, whose big business-backed party she has dubbed
a "mafia". 

 <javascript:void(0)> 


EU POL Ukraine Election; More than 1,000 protest refusal to register
opposition party for election in Kiev 
13 August 2007
06:48 AM
 

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - More than 1,000 people rallied in central Kiev on
Monday against the authorities' refusal to register Ukraine's main
opposition party for next month's parliamentary election. 

The Central Election Commission on Saturday declined to register candidates
from Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko on the grounds that they had failed to provide
their exact addresses. 

Tymoshenko, a former prime minister, called the move politically motivated
and vowed to contest it in court. 

The decision to hold early elections Sept. 30 was a compromise to defuse a
bitter, months-long power struggle between pro-Western President Viktor
Yushchenko and his more Russian-leaning foe, Prime Minister Viktor
Yanukovych. 

But the refusal to register Tymoshenko's bloc -- the leading opposition
force -- is likely to raise questions about the legitimacy of the vote. 

Hundreds of Tymoshenko supporters waving party flags -- a red heart on a
white background -- demonstrated Monday outside the commission headquarters,
demanding that it reverse its decision and allow Tymoshenko's bloc to run.
They had set up a tent camp here Sunday. 

Tymoshenko has said Yanukovych was behind the decision, while Yanukovych's
party has claimed that she deliberately created the scandal to increase her
popularity. 

A long-standing confrontation between the president and prime minister
escalated in April when Yushchenko ordered parliament dissolved, accusing
Yanukovych's majority coalition of trying to usurp power. Yanukovych
rejected the order, but eventually agreed to early elections after tensions
escalated to the point that some observers feared an armed confrontation was
imminent. 

The two men were bitter rivals in the 2004 presidential election. Yanukovych
was initially declared the winner, but Yushchenko won a court-ordered revote
after weeks of mass protests against electoral fraud, which became known as
the Orange Revolution. Yanukovych staged a remarkable political comeback
last year when his party received the most votes in parliamentary elections
and formed the ruling coalition. 

Dear Colleague Letter to Members of the House of Representatives Urging
Cosponsorship of Resolution on Ukraine Elections (H. Con. Res 189)
Introduced July 23 by Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Alcee L. Hastings
(D-FL)

Cosponsors to date:  Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Doris Matsui (D-CA),
Michael McNulty (D-NY), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Sander Levin (D-MI), Darrell
Issa (R-CA), Corrine Brown (D-FL), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Danny Davis (D-IL). 

Congress of the United States

House of Representatives

Washington, DC  20515

 

  July 30, 2007

Support Resolution on Ukraine Elections

Cosponsor H. Con. Res 189: Urging all sides to the political crisis in
Ukraine to abide by the May 27, 2007 agreement which calls for a new round
of parliamentary elections on September 30, 2007, and to ensure a free a
fair, transparent democratic system in Ukraine based on the rule of law 

 Cosponsors:  Louise Slaughter, Doris Matsui, Michael McNulty, Jim Gerlach,
Sander Levin, Darrell Issa   

 

Dear Colleague:

Please join me in supporting democratic processes and the rule of law in
Ukraine by cosponsoring H. Con. Res. 189, which urges all sides to abide by
the agreement signed by Ukraine's leadership on May 27, providing for a new
round or parliamentary elections to be held on September 30, and encouraging
the holding of these elections in a free, fair and transparent manner in
keeping with Ukraine's commitments as a participating State of the
Organizations for Security and Cooperation in Europe  (OSCE) . This
resolution is a demonstration of Congress' interest, concern, and support
for Ukraine as that strategically important country perseveres towards full
democracy and the rule of law. 

A political dispute between Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime
Minister Viktor Yanukovich -- rooted in weak constitutional deliniations of
their powers -- resulted in a political crisis in April and May.  After
weeks of tense standoff,  Yushchenko, Yanukovich and Parliamentary Speaker
Oleksandr Moroz reached an agreement calling for early elections to be held
on September 30.  

Ukraine has made important progress since the 2004 Orange Revolution, but
its democratic institutions and the rule of law are still emerging and lack
in their ability to safeguard democratic gains.  It is important for the
September 30 elections to be held in a free, fair, open and transparent
manner -- following the pattern of Ukraine's last two elections.  While
democratic elections will not, in and of themselves, resolve all of the
challenges facing Ukraine in strengthening the rule of law and delineating
power among branches of government, they are a critical stepping-stone in
Ukraine's democratic development.  

Democratic consolidation and the rule of law will enhance Ukraine's
aspirations for full integration with the West and, improtantly, serve as a
positive model for other former Soviet countries, many of whom are in the
grip of authoritarianism.   

Please have your staff contact Orest Deychakiwsky or Mark Hadzewycz at the
Helsinki Commission at 5-1901 or e-mail
<mailto:orest.deychak at mail.house.gov> orest.deychak at mail.house.gov regarding
cosponsorship.

 Below please find the text of the resolution.  

 Sincerely,

 /s/

Alcee L. Hastings

For text of resolution, full introductory statement, see Helsinki Commission
website:   <http://www.csce.gov/> www.csce.gov

Constituents may contact their individual Representatives and urge that they
cosponsor H. Con.Res.189. 


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