Presidential candidates Yevhen Marchuk, Oleksandr Moroz, Oleksandr Tkachenko, and Volodymyr Oliynyk made public a statement addressed to Lord Russell, President of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, requesting a team of observers from the CE Monitoring Committee be sent to study the situation in Ukraine.
In June, the Parliamentary Assembly noted that the principle of the division of powers among the branches of government was ineffective in this country, that the executive meddles in legislative and judicial affairs, and that the freedom of speech was threatened. At present, reads the Kaniv Four's statement, the situation is going from bad to worse. Among the reasons, the authors point to President Kuchma's total control over nationwide television and radio and the Cabinet's unlawful halting of broadcasting Verkhovna Rada plenary sessions. “In the course of the presidential campaign the executive branch of Ukraine has resorted to acts that are incompatible with the Constitution, the laws of Ukraine, and norms and standards recognized by the European democratic community.” The four candidates are further alarmed by the presence of persons at the President's election headquarters with regard to whom “judicial authorities in certain European countries are conducting investigations aimed at ascertaining their involvement in acts of corruption and laundering huge amounts of money.” Precisely these persons are financing Leonid Kuchma's election campaign, the statement notes.
The General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine “is obstructing efforts to bring these people to justice.” Under the circumstances the four presidential candidates thought it necessary to address a message to the PACE. It would be worthwhile to schedule the Monitoring Committee observers' visit in early October, so this “would secure law and order in the final stage of the election campaign,” reads the statement.
At a September 13 news conference, the Kaniv Four confirmed their being prepared to pull out in favor of a single candidate representing their bloc. Yevhen Marchuk stressed that if the Kaniv Four were not prepared to make this move they would have never reached an agreement among themselves. He further noted that in their message the four candidates, “having different views on a number of issues, showed a tolerant attitude toward each other's stand and can unite for the sake of fair elections, because they have the same goal in mind.”
Oleksandr Tkachenko confirmed that the four candidates are negotiating not only on a single nominee, but also “who will be in charge of this or that branch of power and how they will be coordinated by combined efforts.” It will not be just another allocation of portfolios, as the Kaniv Four's opponents try to portray their tactic. Volodymyr Oliynyk feels sure that after putting forth a single candidate the signatories of the Kaniv accord will coordinate the main clauses of their election concepts as a basis on which to develop a joint action plan. “In mid-October you will have a clear view of the foundation on which our final association will take place,” he said. “And this is not an attempt to get the best place in the sun but a guarantee that our election programs for which people have cast their ballots will actually be implemented.”






