Original article in Ukrainian by Viktor Chyvokunya, UP
Translated by Eugene Ivantsov
“I would like to clear up our relations with the Party of Regions. I am not talking about sorting out our relations. We are OK. We have business and sometimes partnership relations. Still, I want to clear up one thing: the Party of Regions and The Social Democratic Party (SDPU) are two different parties. ”
Soon, it will be two years since the above-mentioned statement by Viktor Medvedchuk was published on the website Nasha Gazeta Plus (Our Newspaper Plus) which is an official SDPU periodical.
This internet page ceased to exist in October 2005. Mr. Medvedchuk’s explanations have lost all meaning. The once powerful SDPU wants to join the Party of Regions at an early election.
The early parliamentary election seemed like a cherry-pie for SDPU which failed its election campaign in 2006 being a member of NE TAK bloc. But the party turned out to be unprepared for a new election. In fact, the SDPU ceased to exist as a party. Social democrats have not called sessions of the party council for several months.
After it failed last year’s election, Viktor Medvedchuk resigned from the position of the party leader. Someone thought it was a courageous and self-critical decision, but it eventually turned out to be a farce.
Mr. Medvedchuk’s resignation was never accepted. The congress which was to accept this resignation was not held. That is why the SDPU is under Viktor Medvedchuk’s de facto rule.
To some extent, Mr. Medvedchuk has even lost interest in this political project.
It is no secret that he shows up in the law office B.I.M. more often than in SDPU headquarters on Franko Street.
Formerly, it was the office of Slavutych Holding founded by Surkis, Medvedchuk, Yulia Tymoshenko’s ally Bohdan Hubsky and other members of the “Kyiv Seven.”
Viktor Medvedchuk avoids any contacts with the press. He refuses to explain his position either personally or through his press secretary.
When President Yushchenko issued the first decree to dissolve parliament the SDPU held regional party congresses which declared recess for an undefined period so that the party would be able to call a congress again and form the election list, if required.
But it seems like the most structurally developed party in Ukraine will not run for parliament.
Ukrayinska Pravda managed to be in contact with Leonid Kravchuk. He works in the office not far from the Cabinet of Ministers as the Honorary President of Ukraine-China Society chaired by Hryhoriy Surkis seven years ago.
According to Mr. Kravchuk, SDPU leadership questioned all heads of the party regional branches. “Most of them believe that it is very risky to run for parliament by ourselves,” Mr. Kravchuk pointed out.
SDPU leadership banks on the Party of Regions. But since the Party of Regions refused to form a bloc, Social Democrats hope to enter the list as non-party politicians. Although the party risk of being ‘washed away’ they have no other choice if they wish to maintain their influence in politics.
Sources in the SDPU leadership hope that following six or seven SDPU members pass to the Party of Regions list: Nestor Shufrych, Maykhaylo Papiev, Leonid Kravchuk, Volodymyr Zayets, Yukhym Fiks, Ihor Shurma and most likely Ivan Rizak. The latter risks being imprisoned for 12 years and is why a deputy mandate with immunity from prosecution is all important for him now.
Despite failure at election-2006 these people were employed by the new authority.
Shufrych and Papiev work in Yanukovych’s government. Shurma became Kharkiv deputy mayor on matters of health care and social issues.
Fiks runs the Solidarnist faction in the Crimean Verkhovna Rada. This faction includes four MPs. Zayets runs the department of the Ministry for Emergency Situations in Kyiv.
Although this office does not seem very prestigious this area is considered a gold mine. It is Kyiv firemen, being a part of the Ministry for Emergency Situations, who give (or do not) permits for Kyiv’s real estate startups, which is the most dynamic market in the country today. It is this department that prohibited construction of a trade centre near Olympic Stadium in Kyiv.
However, sources in the Party of Regions claim that SDPU are overly optimistic. They can count on two or three seats for Shufrych, Papiev and Kravchuk. The position of the present Party of Regions leadership differs from that of 2004.
Back then, Tihipko made Leonid Kravchuk one of VIP agitators for Viktor Yanukovych. Now Mr. Kolesnikov’s staff takes a very cautious stand because Kravchuk is associated with hardships of the first years of Ukraine’s independence which may arouse distrust amongst their traditional and potential electorate.
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| Kravchuk may join Yanukovych’s team for the second time |
Medvedchuk became closer with the ‘Donetskies’. Unlike Surkis who has a conflict with Kolesnikov, Medvedchuk has normal relations with the PRU staff.
In particular, Borys Kolesnikov was a client of Mr. Medvedchuk’s law firm. Besides, Yuriy Miroshnychenko runs a legal department for the Party of Regions. In the early 2000s he chaired the “New Generation” political project which was under Mr. Medvedchuk’s watch.
Despite all this, Viktor Medvedchuk will never be included to the Party of Regions election list. His appearance would require the Party of Regions give endorsement to the entire negative trail associated with his name.
Mr. Medvedchuk is aware that he has no chance of becoming a Verkhovna Rada lawmaker. That is why he positions himself as a man with a different role.
“Viktor Medvedchuk worked his way out of parliament. That is why he may continue his career either in the executive or judicial branches, of course if supported by the Party of Regions,” claim Ukrayinska Pravda sources in SDPU leadership.
According to them, in December Viktor Yanukovych offered Mr. Medvedchuk the position of the Vice Prime Minister for Political and Legal Matters. “This office is still reserved for Mr. Medvedchuk and this proposal is still open,” claims the source from SDPU.
Mr. Medvedchuk’s move to the Constitutional Court is another possible way of continuing his career. Last year he tried to be elected to the Constitutional Court by the Party of Regions quota but Viktor Yanukovych preferred his personal friend from Yenakievo to received the ‘bordeaux gown’.
Viktor Medvedchuk may also claim number one position in the Supreme Council of Justice. This position becomes vacant after the current Chairman Lidia Izovitova turns 60.
There is another scenario for Medvedchuk’s return to power. However, this scenario does not depend on him but rather on the presidential election in Russia.
In 2003, Mr. Medvedchuk declared he would be the main lobbyist of Russian interests in Ukraine. In 2004, these relations were formalized. Mr. Medvedchuk’s daughter was baptized in Kazan Sobor by President Putin and the First Vice PM Dmitriy Medvedev’s wife.
In the event Mr. Medvedev becomes Mr. Putin successor Viktor Medvedchuk will try to become the main mediator between Kyiv and Moscow. Currently, he simply helps out in Moscow.
As a result of the crisis the SDPU was plunged into, a founder of the party Hryhoriy Surkis ‘hung up the axe’. He used to state that he would not run for parliament. Moreover, he stops his political career until 2012 when Ukraine will host European Soccer Championship.
Finally, Viktor Medvedchuk’s appearance on the Party of Regions list will be very strange given Mr. Medvedchuk’s close relations with Ihor Kolomoysky, who now supports Viktor Yushchenko.
P.S. SDPU is not the last surprise voters may find in the Party of Regions lists. Recently, Kyiv mayor Leonid Chernovestky and his ‘squire’ Oles Dovhy proposed the Party of Regions jointly take part in an early election.
