Parties, Positions or Personalities?

[is5512]

I'm trying to make some sense out of Ukrainian national politics (yeah, I know), and a few things are complicating matters.

1) So Many parties, and most of them say, "Support us, because we believe in Ukraine, and we're for Good Things." Oh. Well, if you put it that way, sure.

2) I'd heard that in years past, some politicians joined a party, not because they believed in the party, but because they needed a group -- any group -- to be affiliated with.

3) Some people just need a hero, and are willing to follow any man on a horse...or in this case, a woman on a horse.

For what it's worth, my initial interest was in the Christian Democrats. Now I'm wondering if I need to reevaluate that.

What do you see as the driving force? Who will the next President be?

[Serhii]

Yes, there are many parties in Ukraine (100 or even more ) , but only 4 of them took seats in Rada. Actually we can talk about 2 groups : Yahukovich+communists and Yushchenko+Yulia.
It is very close to 2 parties traditional model, isn’t it ? We don’t need 100 parties in the parliament – God save.

Yes, all of them are talking about Ukraine but you fell difference in those talks. And it is dividing line in Ukrainian politics, not the names of different parties. Nobody is interested in names , they mean nothing. A few years ago we had a very influential Social Democrat ( United) party. It didn’t have anything from democracy or socialism. Where is it now ? Ukrainians refused it totally. Our people showed that they are the driving force indeed. We did the same with Moroz and his party and kicked it out from the parliament. It is our great achievement . It isn’t Russia. By the way , Poles have pretty much the same situation.

I think current President and his party are very close to the Christian Democrats.

As for the next President , I would ask them to stop thinking of it. Let them think of Ukraine as you mentioned above. There is nothing good in that rivalry between Yulia and Yushc. But if it follows further like now , then Yulia will be.

[Max_the_Highlander]

I bet next President will be someone who finally will arrange the "wide coalition"... if this will be done by Yulia, so she will be... if by Yushchenko, so he will...

She is insincere. When Our Ukraaine tried to find the compromise with Regionals she bayed it's betrayal of Orange revolution. But when such rivalry suited her private needs as parliamentary model for example she moved that way without cries about orange ideals.

I guess that's something that unties the hands for Yushchenko and his comrades... no one can predict what it will be if struggle will become more hard...

May be Yulia will survive, may be she will not. I prefer to see her political end. It suits the interests of many ones but it's unpredictable.

Anyway, I'd prefer to hear old slogan in Ukraine... "East and West together".

[is5512]

A rather disappointing editorial today in the Kyiv Post. Kyiv Post. Orange forces face embarrassment

It includes the allegations that ByuT is really more about her personality and not her positions, that many within the party are mere opportunists with ties to Kuchma. This suggests that Colonel Putin blusters publicly, but that quietly he intends to conquer Ukraine politically by dividing her further.