Chief Executive Opts for Shadow Politics

First he drew a line between the two trends of contemporary Ukrainian politics different in principle and thus described the one chosen by Leonid Kuchma, "Unfortunately, our attempt to draw Mr. Kuchzma into the sphere of public politics failed completely. The President made his choice by relying on clan oligarchs and representatives of shadow politics. And today shadow politics fear public politics like a moth fears the light, and this is the reason for everything that is happening on the political map of Ukraine." Having stated his conviction that it would be pointless to support the candidacy of a "weak President," Mr. Matviyenko added, "I must warn the party against such a catastrophic and wrong step."

As for delimitation of forces within the party, Anatoly Matviyenko bitterly admitted that the NDP not only was trying to take power but that "the regime has grabbed the party." Hence, "I will without question never be the leader of a party that decides to support Kuchma, and I will never give my consent to it." He also views the coming party congress quite pessimistically. Mr. Matviyenko thinks that "it is most likely that the congress will be raped" just like the political council was.

In fact, various factions have emerged within the NDP, albeit not yet officially registered. The main question was: if not Kuchma, then who? Whom will those whose interests Anatoly Matviyenko represents support? The answer is, "Moroz is not the worst option. The candidacies of Udovenko and Marchuk are no weaker than the current President's."

It is difficult not to agree to the election strategy Mr. Matviyenko suggests: the Right-Center parties should find a criterion and choose a single candidate, even if he does not suit everyone, because today no party can bring its individual candidacy to power. And if this does not happen, then "not the Reds but a Red-Brown coalition will come to power."

INCIDENTALLY

Anatoly Matviyenko, when speaking at the conference of Kyiv city NDP organization, said that he "sees no difference between the structures of Viktor Pinchuk, Hryhory Surkis, and Oleksandr Volkov that support President Leonid Kuchma and the structures that stood behind Pavlo Lazarenko," UNIAN reported. Anatoly Matviyenko spoke strongly against his party supporting Kuchma's candidacy for reelection. Chairman of Kyiv's NDP city organization, Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Anatoly Tolstoukhov thus commented on his party leader's statement, "Today no further evidence is needed that Anatoly Matviyenko, Oleksandr Moroz, and Petro Symonenko are speaking the same language." Mr. Tolstoukhov considers the NDP conference decision to support the candidacy of Leonid Kuchma "justified morally, historically, and politically." And the decision of the congress of NDP must be the same, he added.