OLIGARCHS CONSOLIDATE POWER IN WESTERN UKRAINE IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS — MAY PASS LAWS TO MAKE EAST UKRAINIANS SECOND CLASS CITIZENS

“Oligarchs Consolidate Power in Ukraine after Parliamentary Elections” Interview Dr. Ivan Katchanovski by Anton Woronczuk on the The Real News Network October 31, 2014

Click for Video and text of Interview on The Real News Network

Dr. Ivan Katchanovski teaches at the School of Political Studies and the Department of Communication at the University of Ottawa in Canada and author of “Cleft Countries: Regional Political Divisions and Cultures in Post-Soviet Ukraine and Moldova” and is coauthor of the “Historical Dictionary of Ukraine.”

ANTON WORONCZUK, TRNN PRODUCER: One year since protest waves and demonstrations known as the Euromaidan began in Ukraine. Since then 100s of protesters were murdered, some by snipers. Atrocities mainly in Eastern Ukraine left 3,700+ dead and created 1+ million refugees. Violence continues despite the signing of a ceasefire agreement in September 2014.

Western Ukraine parliamentary elections on October 26 were as expected pro-Western dominated twith a coalition to support Oligarch Petro Poroshenko and the People’s Front, led by current prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Rebel-controlled Eastern Ukraine (Donetsk and Luhansk) will hold separate elections on November 2, with Russia saying they will support the outcome, while the Ukrainian central government in Kiev says that election violates the terms of the ceasefire.

WORONCZUK: USA MSM focused on the outcome of these Western Ukraine elections supporting the West. The current president, Petro Poroshenko, an oligarch called for these early parliamentary elections to purge members of the parliament that were connected to the former president, Yanukovych.

KATCHANOVSKI: Yes these elections purged out those against Poroshenko including the Communist Party was eliminated them from Western Ukrainian parliament.

WORONCZUK: All of the political parties that gained the most in the parliamentary elections, had not run in the previous election for Ukrainian Parliament. The Fatherland Party, led by, oligarch Yulia Tymoshenko, the first female prime minister of Ukraine, and leader of the Orange Revolution, lost 82 seats. What’s the significance of this?

KATCHANOVSKI: This is a major development in Ukraine, which is dominated by oligarchic parties, like the Fatherland Party, established by Tymoshenko, an oligarch since the 1990s. Poroshenko’s oligarchic party, represents the interests of Poroshenko and his friends. Political parties in Ukraine often change their orientation, ideology, communication, political alliances, and their views on many major issues, and even their names to gain in elections.

The Fatherland Party suffered a major split before the elections as associates of Tymoshenko split from Front Zmin Party led by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk who established a new Party called the People’s Front and won (22%) very big support in these elections, similar to Petro Poroshenko.

WORONCZUK: Most of these parties are dominated by oligarchs that relabel themselves and pop as a different party. Do these elections represent any significant change by the ruling oligarchs in the parliament?

KATCHANOVSKI: They basically consolidated control over the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian politics by a new set of political oligarchs. Besides Poroshenko, oligarchs like Ihor Kolomoyskyi, became governor of Dnipropetrovsk region and provided significant financial support to political parties which are now represented in the parliament — He now has various separatists representatives in the parliament appearing from different political parties. Individual rich businessmen or associated with oligarchs won election races. So this was a big victory for oligarchic political parties in Ukraine. The far-right Radical Party (old Svoboda) failed to enter the parliament.

WORONCZUK: Those far right wing parties, like Svoboda or the Right Sector, lost much of their influence. Svoboda just passed the necessary amount to be able to enter into parliament, and as I understand, Right Sector didn’t even make it into the parliament.

KATCHANOVSKI: Svoboda failed to enter the parliament because they received about 4% and 7% of national vote. But several of Svoboda members were elected to the parliament in majoritarian districts. And the same applies to the Right Sector. Right Sector received about 2% of the popular vote, but its leader, Yarosh, and some of its members were elected to the parliament in the regional districts — So they have representation in the Ukrainian parliament. The Radical Party, a combination of different ideologies has very strong far-right component and some members were elected to the parliament — Including a leader of neo-Nazi Social National Party of Ukraine.

WORONCZUK: Will these Far Right parties cooperate closely with Poroshenko and the People’s Front?

KATCHANOVSKI: It’s difficult to say now because Ukrainian politics is based on kind of closed door deals and not very transparent. Both Poroshenko and People’s Front said they would be open to Radical Party joining their coalition.

WORONCZUK: Do you see the new parliament as representing the interests of the Euromaidan protesters that Toppled the previous government?

KATCHANOVSKI: Most of the political parties which won the elections represent former opposition and former Maidan protesters — Including Poroshenko’s Bloc + Fatherland + People’s Front + Right Sector + Social National Assembly = Big victory for the Maidan forces. But this is NOT a very positive development in terms of politics as the opposition is very weak now, so the current government just consolidated its control over Ukrainian politics — Eliminated any possible challenges. Remember they came to power not as a result of democratic elections, but as a result of violent overthrow of the former democratically elected government of Yanukovych, which was corrupt and violated various human rights when dispersing protesters last year when the Euromaidan rebellion started.

KATCHANOVSKI: Evidence I collected and analyzed for my research shows this was a violent overthrow of the government and was achieved with help of Right Sector-Maidan oligarch combined opposition who organized the sniper massacres against police and demonstrators– Not as a result of peaceful protests.

Click for Part 2 of Video and text of Interview on The Real News Network

WORONCZUK: Other major issues facing Ukraine now are economic as it suffered a significant decline in standard of living the last two decades. The currency has collapsed in value, and the economy is shrinking. What economic policies are likely by the new parliament?

IVAN KATCHANOVSKI, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA: The new parliament will basically continue the old policies — Same economic members of government are likely to stay in their positions, perhaps with changes in their titles. They have created the economic crisis in Ukraine by promising a lot of benefits — politician corruption, of corruption, widespread corruption + EU promised Membership with promised economic growth for being pro-European — All to win popular support. But their policies provide the opposite results with declining industrial output in all sectors of the economy and a declining currency.

KATCHANOVSKI: Ukraine Economy is hurt by the major crisis in the East as Donbas, a major center of industrial production was the major area of Ukraine investment is now in decay. Ukraine faces not only declining production in terms of major sectors of the economy, but also an energy crisis — Making it hard to heat houses and apartments in the winter.

WORONCZUK: The ongoing rebellion continues centered in cities of Donetsk and Luhansk and elections are set in these rebel-controlled areas for November 2. And what do you expect the outcome to be?

KATCHANOVSKI: Likely the separatists will win in East Ukraine. The same issue as in West Ukraine is are the elections democratic, free, and fair. The major result of the East’s elections would be a recognition by the national government. The Russian government basically said they’re going to recognize such elections, and they supported such elections taking place.

West Ukrainian government said East’s elections would escalate the conflict, and resumption of the war. Most Donbas citizens did not participate in West Ukraine elections which took place on Sunday — only certain regions controlled by West Ukrainian forces participated — very real low turnout in Donbas.

Elections in Donbas are not going solve international recognition of these regions, but Russia will recognize election results. This is a de facto breakup of Ukraine while pretending to be a united country with control over large parts of Donbas by separatists, who do not recognize the West Ukrainian government — Similar situation to Moldova or Georgia, which means basically de facto breakup of country.

WORONCZUK: This conflict in mostly Eastern Ukraine Displace 1+ million Ukrainians — Half a million fled to Russia, and the rest displaced within Ukraine. Is there any policy that the parliament is putting forth to deal with this issue, this crisis?

KATCHANOVSKI: Mostly they are focused on Ukrainians displaced within Ukraine. They promised a lot of support in finding them housing, and providing money and other resources for people who move from Donbas to other regions of Ukraine. Fact is most displaced people in Ukraine receive very limited support in finding housing or jobs. Also, hey are perceived as political outsiders in the western Ukraine.

Western Ukraine Government is trying to introduce Registration on even academics who supported separatists or who had not moved to other regions of Ukraine — Repression against professors and so on who move to other areas of Ukraine. I see a lot of people who move from the Donbas to other regions of Ukraine that have a problem with finding a job — A law applied very broadly against displaced people for political reasons.