A compromise is holding for now…

Before the first session to the new Verkhovna Rada one could observe the usual picture for Ukrainians. The people who gathered at the National Bank were shouting, “Away with the gang!” And in front of the parliament participants of various protest movements called the newly-elected MPs to responsibility. The picture is usual, but after the events of 2013-14 and after the political leaders of the Revolution of Dignity came to power, these slogans were wounding the ear, mildly speaking. The society has put and is putting much effort for the change of the country, but there have been no changes so far.

The limit of credit is fading away with every day passing. However, the power still stands a chance. And the opening of the Verkhovna Rada of the eighth convocation is connected with this. What were the most memorable moments? Without doubt, many right words were said and they really meet the demands of the time and situation in the country. Both the president and the newly-elected speaker of the parliament as well as the prime minister, when they took floor from the rostrum of the parliament, outlined the main directions of reforms in the country. The change of the system is the main message.

In particular, Petro Poroshenko made an emphasis on the following theses: reform of judicial system, reinforcement of defensive capacity, fighting corruption, no federalization (only unitary state), cancelling the non-bloc status, return to the Euro-Atlantic course, integration into the European Union, “Ukrainians, not someone in the East or West, will decide where to go in our foreign policy and what administrative structure to have,” the head of state stated. “I give you my hand, Mr. President, regarding everything you’ve just said,” Arsenii Yatseniuk said to Petro Poroshenko somewhat later.

SELFIES...

“After Maidan 2004 I have been ‘sick,’ it was hard for me to overcome that great disappointment. Now I’m going to do everything so that we did not lose the achievements of the second Maidan. Moreover, unlike 2004, today people are being killed. We must do everything for them,” MP from People’s Front Yurii Bereza commented to The Day. “The utmost efficiency must be squeezed from this parliament. We already see that it won’t be simple. It is hard for me already, because there are many people with diametrically opposite views. One thing is clear: if the new parliament isn’t going to listen to people and the politicians will continue to play their games, they will be simply destroyed.”

In spite of the previous criticism, the first session of the new parliament was opened by the oldest MP Yukhym Zviahilsky from the Opposition Bloc. As it was predicted, the session was led by Volodymyr Hroisman from Petro Poroshenko Bloc. He announced about the creation of six factions: Petro Poroshenko Bloc – 146 MPs (head of faction – Yurii Lutsenko); People’s Front – 83 (Oleksandr Turchynov); Opposition Bloc – 40 (Yurii Boiko); Self Help – 32 (Oleh Bereziuk); Radical Party – 22 (Oleh Liashko), Fatherland – 19 (Yulia Tymoshenko). It was also announced that two deputy groups have been created: People’s Will – 20 (head of the group is Ihor Yeremeiev); Economic Development – 19 (Vitalii Khomutynnik).

COMMANDERS...

Whereas everything is more or less logical with the heads of all factions, which were headed by the leaders of the parties at the elections, there are questions regarding Self Help. Its first number in the election list is Hanna Hopko, but the faction is headed by Oleh Bereziuk (28th), his deputies are Oleh Lavryk (12th) and Yehor Soboliev (13th). Why is there such a state of affairs?

“The specific feature of this political force is that its leader has not become an MP of the new parliament,” says political scientist Oleksandr Solontai, “Sadovy has made the head of faction his close person, a person he trusts. During the election campaign the main attention was paid to speakers of the faction, and Bereziuk was the person who influenced the decision-making process in Self Help. The young people in this party are absolutely different; they have roles of their own and are not independent. Rather they are dependent on the political structure, with which they have concluded an agreement, because they are not the creators of this force. Self Help is a compromise between the old system and the new one, which has not been created.”

PARTING WORDS?..

We will omit the question that the Rada has gathered a month after the elections. The law allows this, but not the situation. What agreements have the politicians made over this time? It was announced that a coalition called “European Ukraine” was been created and includes six faction with a total number of 302 MPs. This is indeed the first time in the history of Ukraine, when there is a constitutional majority in parliament. Volodymyr Hroisman was elected the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada by 359 votes. This is an advantage. But his assistants have not been elected yet, neither have the deputy committees been formed. This is a disadvantage. Another personnel achievement is appointment of Arsenii Yatseniuk the Prime Minister. Several hours before the Cabinet of Ministers resigned before the parliament. Yatseniuk was appointed by 341 votes.

“I can see that our allies have will and desire to carry out serious reforms in the state,” MP from Petro Poroshenko Bloc Oleksii Honcharenko commented to The Day. “Incumbent Verkhovna Rada has no sense in dividing. If its activity isn’t successful, we all will drown. At the moment the question of existence of the state of Ukraine and physical survival of its citizens is the most important. Therefore we have no options otherwise than uniting and holding reforms. Hopefully, faced by such a threat, people are able to put aside their ambitions and work. It is important now that the professionals should take places in the government, but necessarily representatives of some or other political forces. The new Verkhovna Rada will be a conflict one: on the one hand there are commanders of battalions present, and on the other hand, the Opposition Bloc. But that is not the worst thing. Let there be conflicts in the Verkhovna Rada, not among the people of Ukraine, because the parliament exists for various opinions to collide.”

A VERKHOVNA RADA WHICH KUCHMA WAS NOT ASHAMED TO COME TO. A LOT OF FRIENDS?

This Rada is really versatile. “In the new parliament there are many people who have come through Maidan, ATO, and this is what make me optimistic,” People’s Deputy from People’s Front Andrii Parubii told The Day. “Hopefully, the number of people, according to Hegel, will turn into quality. I don’t have a vast experience of an MP, but the coalition in Verkhovna Rada has never been formed in such a quick and transparent way. In fact, there have been no personnel questions in the discussion: there was a discussion of the next steps of the coalition. The new parliament must carry out all necessary reforms, otherwise it should be dissolved. Of course, it is hard to envisage everything, but we will do everything for the changes to take place.”

What is catching the eye? All newly-elected MPs, no matter what their faction is, say that the term of the parliament of this convocation will be short in case they don’t carry out reforms. What are counterarguments? First, according to the Constitution, the Verkhovna Rada cannot be elected in less than a year. The second and the most important thing is that both external and internal factors make the MPs work, otherwise not the parliament will disappear, but there are great risks for the entire country.

What are the observations? The struggle of new and old persons can be felt already. Owing to social changes, many new people have come to parliament. But their main problem from the very beginning was the inability to organize into one powerful structure which would represent the interest of Maidan and society. The chance was lost, they have become a part of the parties from the past. There are many of them. Such parties as Petro Poroshenko Bloc, People’s Front, Fatherland were formed according to the old rules, although they were declaring correct things. For example, Yulia Tymoshenko took the lead: she promised to cancel to non-bloc status and to take the course at NATO. There is no need to say anything about the Opposition Bloc. Everything is clear here. Another bright example is two MP groups, Economic Development and People’s Will. The latter looks like a family contract of Lytvyn-Derkach. In this reality it is very hard to remain a new person. They lost their game in many aspects since the beginning.

“The coalition is made up by very different people: Self Help includes people who were the core of Maidan, ordinary people; Petro Poroshenko Bloc and People’s Front is the ‘stage’ of Maidan,” MP from Self Help Semen Semenchenko commented to The Day. “We have different interests. And there are more old politicians who have already been inserted in the old system. Anything can happen, and young politicians can merge with the old system as well. But I’m sure about myself: I’m ready to change this system, not accept the negative rules of the game. Hopefully, my comrades think the same way. But I will try to resist the system as long as I can.”

By Ivan KAPSAMUN, Dmytro KRYVTSUN, photos by Mykola TYMCHENKO, The Day