KANIV – Independence Day produced a political bombshell. Four leading presidential candidates out of 15 running said they are closing ranks and rallying behind one to lead the challenge against the incumbent president, Leonid Kuchma.
Socialist leader Oleksandr Moroz, former Prime Minister Yevhen Marchuk, Cherkasy mayor Volodymyr Oliynyk, and parliament Speaker Oleksandr Tkachenko signed an agreement on Independence Day at the tomb of Ukrainian national poet Taras Shevchenko in Kaniv. It said that they will unite behind a single candidate.
'We together – an engineer, a general, a lawyer and a farmer – know the diversity of life, know how to direct it into the channel of development.'
They did not specify who their chosen candidate would be, but said he would win in the first round.
'In response to our move, one of our candidates – whom we will name later – will get a vast majority of votes, and the second round will not be needed,' the statement said.
They said that the candidate would be selected in the end of September or the first half of October.
On the grave of the national Ukrainian poet, they appealed to the voters' patriotism and accused the president of 'losing Ukraine's sovereignty.' In their common statement, the word socialism was not even mentioned.
They accused Kuchma and his entourage of wanting to take absolute power: 'The black hand of dictatorship is rising over Ukraine.'
The four candidates called for Kuchma to withdraw from the race and apologize to the public for the economic decline and other misdeeds that they charged took place during his presidency.
Kuchma is currently the favorite in the election race. Almost 25 percent of the population say they will support his candidacy, according to the most recent opinion polls.
'In the six years of your term as prime minister and president, Ukraine has lost more than in the years of fascist occupation,' the statement read.
'Realize your guilt, and ask people's forgiveness. Such a step remains the only good deed you can still do for Ukraine.'
Presidential spokesman Oleksandr Martynenko said the president had no immediate reaction to this political development.
The gathering of four candidates happened almost spontaneously. Even one or two of the candidates involved apparently did not even know about the plan until the day before it was announced.
Evidently, the pact was initiated by Tkachenko and Moroz. Both Marchuk and Oliynyk cancelled their plans on Aug. 23 to be able to be present at the discussion and the signing of the statement. They alerted the press on the morning of Aug. 24.
Tkachenko's spokesman, Mykola Kanishevsky, said that everything was organized quickly and secretly to prevent any possible obstacles from President Kuchma's team.
Regardless of its spontaneity, the union of four candidates didn't come as a complete surprise. All four had indicated in the past their readiness to unite with someone.
Earlier this month, Marchuk, Moroz and Tkachenko signed the Agreement on Fair Elections, in which they declared that they will campaign fairly and transparently. Marchuk and Moroz have also acted under their mutual non-attack pact for the last half a year.
Oliynyk said at one point that he was ready to withdraw if a worthy candidate turns up.
Although the single candidate is yet to be announced, analysts unanimously say that Moroz is the most likely name to stay on the ballot, while the rest of the candidates would settle for lesser jobs in a Moroz administration.
Many say that Marchuk would agree to lead Moroz's coalition government as prime minister, while Tkachenko would remain Parliament Speaker.
The ambition of Oliynyk, who is a new name in high-profile Kyiv politics, is less clear. People from his entourage say he would agree for a top government job, such as deputy prime minister or general prosecutor.
But regardless of who is selected to stay in the race, the union will have clear advantages. The four candidates can now pool their considerable finances, human resources, regional support structures and campaigning techniques to advance one candidate, rather than competing against each other.
Marchuk, an ex-KGB chief, has a highly efficient staff, modern equipment and the ability to use it, and support from the regional press. Tkachenko has strong support from local elected councils in the regions and farm directors. Moroz has a unique retail campaigning technique and nice-guy image. Oliynyk, who heads an important association of regional city and town mayors, also enjoys strong support in the regions.
After announcing their union, the four candidates said that other candidates are welcome to join them – with the notable exception of President Kuchma.
'The declaration is open for everyone, except for one,' Moroz said. He added that the group will invite all the other candidates to negotiations, including Communist leader Petro Symonenko.
However, another candidate, who talked to the Post off the record later in the day, said Symonenko was not likely to join the group.
'It's much more advantageous for him to always stay in the opposition, and criticize the ruling regime. This way he will always have a high support,' the candidate said.
The key candidates, such as Progressive Socialist leader Natalya Vitrenko and the leaders of the two split branches of the Rukh Party, Hennady Udovenko and Yury Kostenko are also unlikely to join the four.
Vitrenko has repeatedly condemned Moroz as a traitor to the leftist movement; Udovenko has never spoken about alliances with anyone else; and Kostenko has said he would not join any political union that had a left-wing program.
The focus now moves to just how 'left-wing' the program of the current union will be.
