Prime Minister Fails to Persuade NDP Leader

Meanwhile Mr. Matviyenko told The Day that "not everything is actually as definite as the Premier attempts to present it. On the other hand, if Mr. Pustovoitenko says so he must have his reasons." Indeed, he has, considering that "there are enough people in the leadership of regional NDP organizations who occupy responsible and important posts in executive structures."

Volodymyr Filenko admitted that currently the situation in the regions is such that in private conversation local party leaders voice doubts about the wisdom of backing Leonid Kuchma, but that objective and subjective factors will force them to do so. At the district level, the NDP situation is entirely different, but it is difficult to give these anti-Kuchma institutional expression.

However, despite this "internal slavery," the NDP's nomenklatura segment actually does not want a rift, as much as the democrats, and no personal example given by Mr. Pustovoitenko will make them change their attitude. "The Premier will not walk around collecting millions of signature," say oblast and district party functionaries. Perhaps many of them realize that if the final breakup occurs the NDP structure will find themselves under double or even triple strain, since "there is an increasing number of 'parties in power' like SDPU(u), Labor Ukraine, and so on," said Mr. Filenko.

That the NDP nomenklatura is afraid of a rift is evidenced by the desire of a number of regional party leaders to pass a "soft," halfway resolution at the next convention: nominating and supporting no one in the May leg of the presidential race, then see what is what after all the candidates have been nominated and registered, selecting the one best suiting the NDP. At least this is what People's Deputy Serhiy Pidhorny, member of the Coordinating Council, proposes. However, there are serious doubts about whether this tactic will work, considering that those in power need a certain turnout of definite ayes. Yet a resolution unambiguously supporting Leonid Kuchma would mean a sure rift, Mr. Filenko believes. They are now looking for "other formulas for a convention resolution," yet the choice is limited, as in an old fairy tale: turn right and you will your horse (i.e., the party); turn left and you lose your head.

In the party leader's words, "if we decide to support Kuchma this will mean the end of the party, because if the President wins his shadow entourage will  turn the NDP into a puppet on a string; if Kuchma loses the party will be reduced to powder by the people's wrath, and no one will vote for NDP in 2002."