Democrats unite for next elections to Verkhovna Rada (01/26/97)

Democrats unite for next elections to Verkhovna Rada

by Roman Woronowycz
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - On January 22, the 79th anniversary since the declaration of Ukraine's independence by Mykhailo Hrushevsky and the Central Rada of the Ukrainian National Republic, close to 1,000 people gathered to hear leaders of the Ukrainian democratic movement announce the formation of an electoral bloc for the next elections to the Verkhovna Rada.

With blue-and-yellow flags flapping in a bone-chilling January wind, Vyacheslav Chornovil, Ivan Drach, Oles Shevchenko, Pavlo Movchan and a host of other political leaders mounted the rear bed of a beat-up truck on St. Sophia Square to declare that they would work together to win a majority in the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada in 1998.

As Mr. Chornovil put it: "We expect to form one platform, to become one faction in Parliament and later perhaps to form a single party, or at least a coalition."

The union, called the All Ukrainian Council of National Democratic Forces, sealed its compact earlier in the day at a congress at the National Opera House. It includes Rukh - the Popular Movement of Ukraine, the Prosvita Society of Taras Shevchenko, the Organization of Ukrainian Intellectuals, and the All-Ukrainian Union of Veterans.

Their leaders, Messrs. Chornovil, Movchan, Drach and Ihor Yukhnovsky, respectively, represent a cross-section of the democratic movement. All were members of the original Rukh before splits in 1991 and 1994. In fact, the coalition has adopted the motto, "Rukh - Together Again."

Those organizations, along with the constituencies represented by the other political leaders on the platform, namely Volodymyr Yavorivsky, Volodymyr Muliava and an unexpected attendee, Ivan Pliushch, the former chairman of the Parliament, could form a potent political force if they can sustain unity - something that has beleaguered them since Ukraine's independence.

Mr. Pliushch, who immediately attracted a crowd as he casually strolled onto the square before the demonstration began, reacted with surprise when asked why he had shown up. "How can I not be here? This is about democracy," he replied.

"This is an objective process that the country is going through. Today is another step in the uniting of democratic forces." He then reiterated, "How can I not be here?" as he moved on to greet well-wishers and the curious, much like a politician running for office.

Before that he commented on how "certain members of Parliament" reacted negatively when he told them he would attend the conference at the National Opera House. "Then, when I told them I would not be at today's session (of Parliament) because I would be at the ceremony on the square they asked, 'What holiday? The union of Ukraine in 1939? The victory of 1945?' You see how some people still think," he said.

Mr. Pliushch, who had bickered often with Rukh and the other democratic forces in the Verkhovna Rada while he was the chairman seemed very comfortable among them as he waited his turn to speak. When he did, he called for unity and patience. "We have realized that only in a democratic union, which this is, can we build a Ukrainian nation," he said. The national deputy asked the people to be patient and declared that the democratic process in Ukraine is taking root and will succeed. "We must overcome a situation where two build, three destroy and four observe what is going on," he said in closing.

Mr. Drach, who was a founding member of Rukh, mentioned Mr. Pliushch as an example of how democracy is taking hold in Ukraine. "He wasn't with us when we formed the human chain eight years ago, but he is here today. It is fantastic that others are joining," he said. "We must understand that right now in Ukraine there are only two parties: the Ukrainian party and the anti-Ukrainian party."

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