"Young Politicians" Get Down to Business

Verkhovna Rada Deputy Speaker Viktor Medvedchuk, who is famous for his verbal caution and points to his special attitude towards the Speaker and, even more so, the President, produced last week a host of statements which can be considered a call for his own "succession to the throne."

First, Mr. Medvedchuk has once again offered the "united" shoulder of his party to Leonid Kuchma by stating that President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma is the Left's candidate for the next presidential elections. Anatoly Matviyenko "meant but was ashamed (? - Ed.) to say something different: according to his program, the current head of the state is a Social Democrat." According to Viktor Medvedchuk, "Mr. Matviyenko did not want to say this in order not to give political dividends to another political force competing with the NDP," specifically, the United Social Democrats because this "does not add to the political weight of his party," UNIAN reports.

Second, Mr. Medvedchuk (despite Kuchma's warning) has commented rather harshly on NBU performance.

Third, he has made statements on issues relating to internal and foreign policies. Giving the number of such statements made during one press conference and, most important, in an authoritative tone only the Speaker and President had ventured before, it might be inferred that Viktor Medvedchuk would not mind vying for the highest public post as early as this year.

This possibility is confirmed by a news item in Zakon i Biznes (Law and Business) newspaper (considered to be close to Medvedchuk) to the effect that the author would not be surprised if "the head of the state named as his successor" "a young politician." The argumentation here is especially interesting: "It was Speaker Oleksandr Tkachenko that first mentioned the possibility of a young politician appearing among the presidential candidates... Without doubt, the Speaker, as much as the President, is one of the best informed politicians in this country. He is quite aware of the difficult position the head of the state is in, for the situation in economy, especially the social sphere obviously cannot be improved before the elections. In addition, it is well known that the results of sociological polls conducted by order of the Presidential Administration... promise nothing good for Leonid Kuchma. Thus, we should not rule out the following scenario: the head of the state withdraws from the presidential race and names a young politician his successor."

Virtually nobody has disputed earlier the version according to which SDPU(u) support of Kuchma in this election automatically means the green light for party leader Medvedchuk in the next (if Kuchma wins, of course). And yet, nominating Medvedchuk in this presidential campaign is another possible scenario.

At least, Viktor Medvedchuk has already laid the cornerstone of his next possible edifice: if, according to Medvedchuk, Leonid Kuchma is a Social Democrat, then the latter should not at all be ashamed to give up his place in the presidential campaign to his comrade-in-convictions, the chairman of the SDPU(u).

Apparently, such plan would look especially attractive if Medvedchuk's party comrade Hryhory Surkis were elected mayor of Kyiv.