Ukrainiana

Election Warfare: PRU Wants an E-Day of Its Own

BYuT’s drive for new parliamentary elections and the annulment of Politreforma has provoked a response from with PRU.

As Tymo packs audiences in Washington, MP Vasyl Kyselyov, PRU, has announced a bill that would lump together parliamentary and presidential elections and slate them for Sept. 30.

Yanukovych, still sitting on the fattest pack of approval ratings, has no intention of detoxing himself from the political steroids of Politreforma. He has recently mentioned the idea of indirect presidential elections, that is, having the president elected by parliament. Yet, even if the Anticrisis-controlled Rada passes that chimeral bill, it will most likely lack the votes to override the presidential veto.

All of which suggests a rather blunt publicity stunt. The PRU, whose electoral fat reserves are dwindling in inverse proportion to Ukrainians’ rising costs of living, seeks post-hybernation relief. The list of countermeasures varies from courting Tymoshenko with a two-party system to terrorizing lame duck Yushchenko with early retirement. The trick is to keep the two from flying in formation.