Last Friday Yevhen Marchuk was registered as presidential candidate
By Inna KOLESNYKOVA
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has registered Yevhen Marchuk, Chairman
of the Verkhovna Rada Social Policy and Labor Committee, as a presidential
candidate. Mr. Marchuk is the third candidate for President to be registered
by the CEC. Many observers think he has every chance to become Ukraine's
third President. The CEC has officially endorsed 1,369,000 signatures collected
for Mr. Marchuk throughout Ukraine.
On May 15, Mr. Marchuk was nominated as presidential hopeful by the
Our President Yevhen Marchuk electoral bloc.
"Receiving this identity card, I am only too well aware of the serious
responsibility one assumes when entering the political fray. Our people
deserve a much better fate and expects basic changes," Mr. Marchuk noted.
According to him, whoever decides to carry out these changes will only
be able to implement them if supported by the entire nation. Speaking of
the political struggle, the candidate pointed out that "very many things"
will become clear in the elections. In his opinion, this may be accompanied
by official impropriety, but the people have already got to know the regime's
handwriting.
"We will all survive this. After the registration of the last candidate,
we will draw up a code of honor for the presidential candidates and suggest
that all adhere to it. Our society is already full of political standoffs,
and I do not think the candidates will contribute to tension in society.
The political struggle should be honest and fair," he noted.
Mr. Marchuk told journalists that all the candidates would change their
campaign techniques after registration.
As to the economy, the candidate said that the current situation should
be radically changed in order to create necessary conditions for riding
out the crisis. In his words, the past few months have displayed some tendencies
that can undermine the foundations of our statehood.
"The current corrupt officials and criminal godfathers have established
a terrible symbiosis. It has penetrated all authorities from top to bottom,
thus posing a direct threat to democratic transformation," he said.
Mr. Marchuk expressed a hope that the people would make the right choice
on October 31.
The candidate also said he was certain of his victory.







