Regime Gives Nod to "Right" Rukh

Also surprising was the fast national democratic career of Mr. Udovenko who, according to eyewitnesses, did not display any noticeable national awareness while working in the Ukrainian SSR diplomatic service. Now it seems possible to answer the question if the "no-go" presidential candidate Udovenko has been hyped up on purpose in order to rob the "go" candidates of votes.

The Day's Tetiana KOROBOVA asked the immediate participants to comment on this.

Hennady UDOVENKO, leader of Rukh:

"I told my colleagues immediately after the decision that we should not shout about a victory or a gain. What amounts to a loss is the fact that our internal party affairs are the subject of court proceedings. Yes, the quashing of Mr. Kostenko's suit by the Supreme Court at last gives us a chance to work in a somewhat quieter situation. I believe this ruling is in favor of NRU, the one called Chornovil's. However, Rukh has, of course, received a serious blow from forces that do not want to reconcile with the existence of a political entity which assumed the positions of Ukrainian statehood and independence."

Ivan ZAYETS, former member of NRU:

"I think this is another political decision, one of the series of all the political decisions made hitherto. The task to bury Rukh by means of splitting it is being fulfilled, and, unfortunately, the main role here has been played by the Ministry of Justice which is supposed to safeguard the law. A decision like this shows that the judicial system still exists in Ukraine only on paper and requires a major overhaul. This is the narrowest bottleneck in the whole system of power.

"Rukh is being besieged from two sides. On the one hand, the Left, on the other hand, the Mafia-type clans, that is, the part of the executive branch that does not need Rukh. I think the President is also against Rukh. No doubt, this ruling is aimed at weakening the positions of our presidential contender Yuri Kostenko. He has been registered as nominated by a meeting of citizens, with a note that he is an NRU member. But, as is known, he, as well as we founders of the party were expelled from Udovenko's Rukh. Now Kostenko is sure to face problems, when being registered as a presidential candidate."

PS: Yuri Kostenko told The Day that he will continue his legal struggle for Rukh. In particular, the party's "unrecognized" activists plan to approach the Speaker, because he is entitled, by way of procedural supervision, to handle the Rukh case at a plenary meeting of Verkhovna Rada. And if this does not work, the former Rukh members will turn to the European Court of Human Rights Court for a legal expert examination of the situation that has developed.