As Ukrainian party conventions go, the People’s Front’s get-together in Kyiv on Feb. 2 was exceptional.
But that’s only because the party’s leader, former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, didn’t use the occasion to announce a run for the presidency, as other top candidates have done at their big party events recently.
Instead, the rather cozy congress (just 301 delegates in a convention hall at the Olympiysky Arena), was a political set-piece of unanimous votes, and, of course, Yatsenyuk’s big speech.
Yatsenyuk addressed the delegates three times. First, he spoke briefly to give the floor to participants defending Ukraine against Russia’s war. Then he gave his major speech. And on stage for the third time, Yatsenyuk called for the party to start working on a future strategy, and addressed the G7 and European Union countries, as well as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
But it was in his big speech that Yatsenyuk announced his decision not to run for president, and that he wants People’s Front to concentrate on the parliamentary elections, which are to be held in October 2019.
Yatsenyuk said his party had suffered from “the lies told about it,” and that it lacked strength to field a winning candidate in the 2019 presidential election.
And perhaps extending a small olive branch to Poroshenko, he said the party had also decided not to take part in the presidential elections so as not to sow more discord in the pro-Ukrainian political camp. But while he promised that the current ruling coalition in parliament, to which the People’s Front belongs, would last until the next government is formed, he also said his party would be looking to win in October.
“We must struggle and win for (the possibility to form) a new coalition and government,” he said.
As much a PR event as a party congress, throughout the convention Yatsenyuk and his People’s Front party were pictured in films and speeches focusing on their achievements for Ukraine in rebuilding Ukraine’s army, building international ties to withstand Russian aggression, and cutting airline traffic and gas trade with Russia. Excerpts from Yatsenyuk’s speech in English at UN Headquarters in New York were also screened.
Yatsenyuk reiterated that the parliament is the cornerstone of Ukraine’s stability, and through working in the Verkhovna Rada he and his party would carry on reforming the country by introducing more free market reforms, ensuring economic growth, resolving the labor migration crisis, knocking the country’s finances into shape, and promoting innovations.
As if to emphasize the closeness of Yatseniuk and Poroshenko politically, several important figures who had also attended Poroshenko’s announcement of his candidacy on Jan. 29 also showed up at the People’s Front convention, including Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.
Addressing the delegates, Groysman thanked the party for “being real partners,” and praised his host Yatsenyuk for taking tough decisions in difficult times.
Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy and head of the National Security Council Oleksandr Turchynov, who had also been at the event to launch Poroshenko’s campaign, addressed the People’s Front convention as well.
At the very beginning of the congress ATO veteran and MP Ivan Savka underscored the solid support of the party and its leader Yatsenyuk for the volunteer battalions and the armed forces. He said a strong bond existed between the party and the armed forces.
All the speeches had the theme of “making Ukraine great” through reforms and fighting corruption. Speakers also highlighted the threat of Russian military aggression and malign influence, saying this could be countered by Ukraine becoming a member of the NATO and the European Union.
In Ukraine itself, there must also be “a consolidation of pragmatic centric forces,” said Interior Minster Arsen Avakov, a top figure in the party, in his speech to the delegates.
In his last speech at the convention Yatsenyuk asked participants to start developing the party’s strategy for 2020-2024. He also appealed to the EU and G7 countries to toughen economic sanctions against Russia due to its aggression against Ukraine.
Finally, Yatsenyuk addressed President Petro Poroshenko, asking him “to free Ukraine of Putin’s kum (a relationship akin to godfather).” He was referring to the pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who has close family connections with Putin (who is said to be the godfather of Medvedchuk’s daughter), and who has negotiated prisoner exchanges for Ukraine.
Medvedchuk “does not free prisoners, but captures them with Putin’s hands,” Yatsenyuk said.
