Tymoshenko Bloc launches action to fight Ukraine's federalization

by Yana Sedova
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Condemning the Party of Regions' idea of federalization as one that could throw Ukraine into chaos and destabilization, the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc over the weekend of January 21-22 is launching a national action "For Unity Against Federalization."

The idea of a federal state, supported by 20 percent of Ukrainians, is one of the key items on the Party of the Regions election program. It foresees separate parliaments in all regions of Ukraine.

"Could you imagine legal authorities acting in every oblast and having 27 parliaments?" asked Mykola Tomenko, the vice-chairman of the Tymoshenko Bloc at a January 17 press conference. "And three or four of them could decide that autonomy is not enough and that they'd better become separate states. This is the break-up of the state."

Mr. Tomenko said he believes the federal state idea is a "co-project of the Party of the Regions and Roman Bezsmertnyi," the head of the Our Ukraine election campaign and the author of a proposal for administrative and territorial reform. Mr. Bezsmertnyi failed to implement reform that would have divided Ukraine into seven to 10 territories because the appropriate legislation was lacking.

The goal of the campaign "For Unity Against Federalization" is to explain the concept of a federal state system and the negative consequences it could have for Ukrainians.

"We consider this concept extremely wrong; given the present state of affairs it could lead to confrontation and conflicts between regions," said Mr. Tomenko.

The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc supports a different concept that would strengthen institutions of local authority and give them more power.

The federalization idea is promoted by the same politicians who called for the establishment of autonomy for Ukraine's southeastern region during a meeting in Severodonetsk in November 2004, said Mr. Tomenko.

The Tymoshenko Bloc wants to appeal to Ukrainian billionaire Rynat Akhmetov, one of the Party of Regions' candidates and the "real chair of the party," to ask him to get rid of separatists from the party's ranks.

"If they (the Party of the Regions) bet on Akhmetov as the future president or prime minister, it would be better if he cleared the party of separatists," Mr. Tomenko said. "This would lessen fears that the 'Donetsk structure' wants to split the country."

It was also revealed at the press conference that the Tymoshenko Bloc wants to conclude an agreement with former allies Our Ukraine and the Socialist Party that will oblige them not to unite with either the Party of the Regions or the Communist Party.

That would prevent Viktor Yanukovych, Mr. Akhmetov and the leader of the Communist Party, Petro Symonenko, from winding up in the majority of the future Parliament, Mr. Tomenko said.

Among the first steps of the Tymoshenko Bloc in the new Verkhovna Rada elected in March will be bringing action against former President Leonid Kuchma and his circle, Mr. Tomenko said.

"We are disturbed by the fact that the Kuchma case has been limited to check-ups of his charitable fund's activity," he noted. "It looks as if Kuchma devoted himself to charity during the last 10 years and didn't rob the country. The Kuchma case is a litmus test for all the promises that we gave."

Mr. Kuchma, his son-in-law Viktor Pinchuk and other former officials must face trial for participation in the illegal privatization of strategic enterprises of Ukraine, Mr. Tomenko said.

"Fortunately, Leonid Danylovych [Kuchma] is not a candidate [in the parliamentary elections], so we will begin with him and then proceed to Yanukovych and Pinchuk and all those officials who used their positions and stole state property," he said.

In the nearest future, Mr. Tomenko said the Tymoshenko Bloc will name the criminal cases that were closed after President Viktor Yushchenko signed a memorandum of understanding with Mr. Yanukovych in September 2005.

Two articles of the memorandum referred to barring political repressions against the opposition and providing amnesty for petty violations of the law during the presidential elections of 2004.

"The Procurator General's Office and investigating authorities received instructions to stop investigations on the basis of the memorandum," Mr. Tomenko claimed.

Though President Yushchenko recalled his signature on January 12, many political criminal cases, such as the Kryvorizhstal case, were suspended because of the memorandum, Mr. Tomenko said.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 22, 2006, No. 4, Vol. LXXIV

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