It’s again a Baloha family affair in Zakarpattia Oblast, where in four out of six districts Viktor Baloha, a former emergencies minister, his two brothers, Ivan and Pavlo, and a cousin, Vasyl Petiovka, are running as self-nominated candidates. Three of them are seeking re-election, while Ivan Baloha lost his race in the 2012 parliamentary election.
While
this family run is often criticized as another example of nepotism in Ukraine’s
politics, Viktor Baloha says Zakarpattia is loyal to him and his brothers.
“Maybe
it’s not right that all three brothers are running. I’m ready not to run but
there is a responsibility before the community, there is credibility with the voters
in Zakarpattia,” Viktor Baloha told the Kyiv Post.
Zakarpattia
is the home base of the brothers whose voters sent three of them — Viktor
Baloha, Pavlo Baloha and Vasyl Petiovka – to parliament in the 2012 election in
single-member districts 69, 71 and 72, respectively.
Viktor
Baloha, 51, one of the most influential persons in Zakaprattia, is seeking
re-election in district 69, which includes the city of Mukachevo.
Baloha
was in charge of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for two presidents,
Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych. After Yushchenko was elected president
in 2005, Baloga also illegally combined two jobs – as member of parliament and
head of Zakarpattia Oblast administration, according to local election watchdog
Opora.
Pavlo
Baloha, 37, is also a member of the current parliament. He is nominated in
district 71 (Khust city and Khust district, part of Irshavsky and Tiachivsky
districts). Pavlo Baloha joined the Party of Regions faction after he was
elected in 2012, but left it. He was deprived of his mandate in 2013 after the High
Administrative Court of Ukraine cancelled the results of 2012 parliamentary
elections in two constituencies, including his. He was, though, granted it back
in 2014.
The
cousin, Vasyl Petiovka, 47, is a member of the current parliament. He runs in
district 72 (city of Tiachiv, part of Tiachiv district and Rakhiv district).
Chesno, a public movement that has been analyzing candidates since 2011,
suspected him of indirect buying of voters and noticed him casting votes on
behalf of other members of parliament in 2012, which is illegal.
Ivan
Baloha, 48, is a head of Zakarpattia regional administration. He runs in
district 73 (cities of Beregove and Vynohradiv). In the 2012 parliamentary
election, Ivan Baloha lost to Party of Regions candidate Ivan Bushko who is
running again this year.
The
major aims of the brothers, according to their agendas published on the Central
Election Commission website, are the same. They want Ukraine to apply for NATO
membership and revitalize the national army. Aside from that, they
also want to give more powers to local communities and liquidate regional and
district state administrations, among other plans.
On
Oct.11 all four brothers signed memorandum of cooperation with Chesno,
Zakarpattia online, a local Zakarapttia Oblast news website, reported. They agreed
to disclose their full biographies and 2013 property declarations by Oct.12,
publish a financial report on the money spent on the election campaign five
days before voting and disclose the sources of the money.
If elected, the brothers say they will follow the
rules: vote personally, attend parliamentary sessions and committee meetings, follow
the will of the voters and stick to legislative requirements regarding human
rights protection and anti-corruption legislation, according to the memorandum.
Chesno
hasn’t received the full biographies and property declarations of brothers yet,
representative of the movement told the Kyiv Post. They hope to get those from
all candidates running for parliament by Oct.15.
Kyiv Post staff writer Anastasia Forina can be reached
at [email protected].
