Series of defections from the pro-authority camp means end of an era
As oppositionist presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko’s revolution stretched into its tenth day on Dec. 1, a growing number of allies of President Leonid Kuchma’s ruling regime began jumping ship.
Nine deputies have left parliamentary factions allied with Kuchma and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych since the protests began. Their defections have raised hope within Yushchenko’s camp that a stronger Rada majority is falling into place, increasing their muscle within government circles. Thus far their support has come from the streets of Kyiv, where hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have come out in support of their candidate.
On Dec. 1, four deputies left the influential Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united), which is led by Presidential Administration Chief Viktor Medvedchuk. One left Yanukovych’s Regions of Ukraine faction. All five now sit as independents, according to the Parliament’s Web site.
Currently, Yushchenko’s Our Ukraine faction holds 100 seats out of the 450-seat Parliament, but benefits from strong support from allied groups such as the Yulia Tymoshenko faction (19), the Socialists (20) and Center faction (16). Numerous others have voted with Yushchenko recently, include the Agrarian Party of Ukraine (20), headed by Rada speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, the NDP-PPPU (16), Soyuz (18), as well as 26 independents. All together they tally 235 – more than a simple majority, but short of the two thirds needed to override presidential vetoes and to pass other key changes.
The Regions of Ukraine faction currently has 62 seats. Aligned factions include the SDPU(u) (34), Working Ukraine (30), Yedyna Ukraina (16) and Democratic Initiatives (14). The Communist Party, which of late has voted in tandem with Kuchma and Yanukovych, controls 59 seats.
Parliamentary defections started mounting last week when two lawmakers left Yanukovych’s Regions party, followed by one defection from the SDPU(u) on Nov. 27. The three will sit as independents. On Nov. 30, a member of the social democrats joined the Regions factions.
In addition to the disappearance of its parliamentary majority, the Kuchma regime has also seen its control over state media crumble.
Kuchma’s establishment had, according to opposition politicians and various media experts, used their control over nationwide broadcasters UT-1, 1+1 and Inter, which is controlled by his son-in-law, Viktor Pinchuk, to manipulate coverage of the election, often deceiving voters. Balanced media coverage is expected to weaken support for Kuchma, Yanukovych and their cronies in eastern and southern regions of the country where they benefit from the lack of media attention paid to the opposition.
Strikes and walk-outs in the last two weeks at all three nationwide broadcasters have crippled the regime’s ability to control the flow of information to the regions. While critics such as Natalia Ligachova, senior media expert at Telekritika, a western-funded media watchdog, still charge that their coverage is far from balanced, Yushchenko is now being shown in evening news broadcasts.
“Without a doubt, a journalists’ revolution has occurred,” she said.
By contrast, Donetsk-based TRK-Ukraina, which is run by Donetsk steel and coal mogul Rinat Akhmetov, is providing “twisted” media coverage of events, namely the south-eastern separatism issue, said Ligachova.
Signs have already emerged indicating that factions in Ukraine’s business elite are also switching sides and putting their chips on Yushchenko.
Citing a statement issued by Pinchuk, opposition television station Channel 5 reported on Nov. 29 that the deputy and business mogul opposes separatist movements in eastern Ukraine that are being spearheaded by Yanukovych, Akhmetov and other Donetsk-based tycoons who continue to back Yanukovych.
Akhmetov’s push for eastern autonomy, according to insiders, is to make sure he retains control over these regions and his numerous businesses there.
Other major Ukrainian business groups have tried to distance themselves from the political chaos in the country, calling for a quick solution.
On Nov. 27, the chairman of the large Zaporizhya steel-mill Zaporizhstal, which is controlled by a Russian business group, expressed his opposition to separatist movements and called upon political leaders to find a solution fast.The Donbas Industrial Union told Interfax-Ukraine on Dec. 1 that it did not want to become involved in the political chaos currently engulfing the country.
