• Українська
  • Русский
  • English
Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Ukrainian Politics: Still the Silly Season?

3 November, 1998 - 00:00

The For a Beautiful Ukraine Party will be headed by two cochairmen, Hennady
Balashov and Leonid Chernovetsky, the group's first convention decided
in camera last Friday). Mr. Balashov says the doors were kept closed at
the insistence of "influential people" who took an interest in the party
and attended its convention. Mr. Chernovetsky noted that "the party was
established in conjunction with the next parliamentary elections and its
task at this stage is to form a circle of outstanding personalities to
collect at least 50% of the vote," reports Interfax Ukraine.

Both leaders of the new party are known in the business circles better
than in the political domain, as evidenced by their acts and statements.
Mr. Balashov, for example, mentions the presence of "influential people"
at the party convention who wanted no publicity. A statement only a political
greenhorn would make (those with a need to know are only too well aware
of who was present and said what, while the media simply does not buy such
statements). And the same is true of collecting "at least 50% of the votes."
The two businessmen are not likely to make good politicians, because politics
is a different line of business, something they appear to know very little
about. However, the most disheartening aspect is that businessmen are getting
into politics, apparently because they are not satisfied by the existing
"professionals."

While the party conclave took place behind closed doors, a meeting in
support of the party was quite open, although it failed to gather any impressive
audience.

 

 

Rubric: