The disappointing news is that the leading candidates – Petro Poroshenko, Yulia Tymoshenko and Sergiy Tigipko – are all part of the oligarch class that has left Ukraine in such a weakened state after 23 years of corruption, thieving and unaccountable, Soviet-style government.
The new generation of politicians and activists that came of age during the EuroMaidan Revolution didn’t field any candidates that caught the public’s imagination. Perhaps in normal times, they might have a chance. But Ukraine is holding a national election in crisis and during a compressed time frame. We look for new parliamentary elections in October, when we expect voters will remove the Communist Party, the disgraced elements of the Party of Regions and other lawmakers who aren’t serving their interests.
Judging by the polls, Poroshenko is the clear favorite. His detractors say that his victory is no reason for celebration, noting his role in the 1990s “oligarch” party of Viktor Medvedchuk, his role as a founder of the Party of Regions in 2002, led by the overthrown President Viktor Yanukvoych, and his service to the Yanukovych as economy minister.
Ukraine will need a president who does business cleanly, not corruptly, and not business as usual. The reason for the optimism, if Poroshenko is elected, is that he courageously took a stand in favor of the EuroMaidan Revolution early – well before victory was assured. His principled stance has earned him the wrath of Moscow, where his Roshen confectionary assets remain frozen, yet another badge of honor with most voters who saw other oligarchs waffle until the very end. The next president will be Ukraine’s fifth. If he governs like a public servant, not a power-obsessed ruler, he will be the first president to do so. He should also never forget that he can be removed by the will of the people. Just ask Yanukovych.
