Nikolai Melnichenko, the author of “cassette scandal” to be proposed as a candidate of majority district

According to chairman of Ukrainian Socialist Party, Alexandr Moroz, who is in the centre of so-called “cassette scandal,” former major of the President’s guard, Nikolai Melnichenko does not exclude his participation in the coming parliament election. At that, Alexandr Moroz referred to his conversation with Nikolai Melnichenko, who as well known received political asylum in the United States after he secretly recorded conversations of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma with visitors of the President’s office. According to Moroz, the Socialist Party is thinking about possible support of Melnichenko’s candidacy by its party structures in a majority district. While answering journalists’ questions about participation of Melnichenko in the election, who is now beyond the bounds of Ukraine, the Socialist Party’s leader noticed that the election law did not interdict representing a candidate’s interests by a person empowered to act for him. It is interesting that the Socialist Party has not included Nikolai Melnichenko in its party pre-election list that was adjusted last Saturday, at the sitting of the party’s Political Council, however it could do it, because according to Ukrainian legislation non-party candidacies also could be included in the list. Nikolai Melnichenko will most likely proposed as a Socialist candidate in Tarascha election district, Kiev region, where in his time, Alexandr Moroz himself was elected, while Alexandr Moroz will be at the head of the party pre-election list, because according to the election law’s new edition, the same candidate cannot be balloted both in a party list and in a majority district. And besides, this election district is significant for Socialist and for the whole opposition. A year ago, not far from the city of Tarascha, body of the killed journalist Georgi Gongadze was found. Moreover, Nikolai Melnichenko originates from Kiev region, while most of his relatives live in Tarascha election district. So he is known to everybody here.

Alexandr Gorobets PRAVDA.Ru Kiev Ukraine

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/12/26/35168.html