Law, Order and Justice

Regarding the difference of the SDU from other parties advocating Social Democratic principles, SDU Chairman Serhiy Peresunko pointed out that immediately after its establishment, the SDU clearly stated its opposition to the current regime. Mr. Peresunko said, "We promote different forms of ownership, but we are against the sale of industrial land (that is areas used for agriculture). On the other hand, the SDU does not oppose the sale of land occupied by industrial facilities and buildings. SDU policy proposals include free public and higher education and state-supported medical insurance. To ensure the further growth of parliamentary democracy, the SDU advocates creating a bicameral parliament. Currently, the Union consists of 48,000 members and has organizations in all Ukrainian oblast centers and 320 district centers."

Philosopher Myroslav Popovych stressed that Social Democratic ideas are typical for the Ukrainian mentality. At the same time, he noted that when reading a policy proposal by Mr. Zinchenko, one of the SDPU(o) leaders, he could not find two important words there: poverty and wage labor. "But Social Democracy as a political trend emerged in order to help the poor in some way," said Prof. Popovych. "Hence, I support Serhiy Peresunko who said, 'We cannot feel at ease when there is such mass poverty'."

The SDU stated that in the presidential elections it will support Yevhen Marchuk, on whom Ukrainian Social Democrats pin their hopes for social and economic transformations in Ukraine.