Andrey Lubensky: The leader of Ukraine’s Party of the Regions says it is the largest in the country

The chairman of the State Tax administration of Ukraine, the head of the Party of the Regions, Nikolay Azarov said that the number of party members reached the level of 420 thousand people. The membership of this party increased fivefold over a very short period of time, and, now, the Party of the Regions is “the largest political force in the country,” Nikolay Azarov said at a the special session of the Union of the Youth of the Regions (the young part of the party allegedly totals 100 thousand people). Azarov also said that the party would have 500 thousand members by the beginning of the pre-election campaign. There is reason to look optimistic into the future.

However, not everything is as simple as that. “The largest political force” is being feverish. The “fever” started from the regions.

The unified conference of the two regional and city organizations of the Party of the Regions in the city of Cherkassy finished its work on the expression of its discredit to the administration of the regional party organization and announced on its dissolution. As the head of the city organization of the Party of the Regions Vladimir Gorban told PRAVDA.Ru, the party members in Cherkassy were not satisfied with the style of the administration, with the absence of the collective nature in the decision-making process, and with the absence of funding and “lively party work.” The divisions of the Party of the Regions in the towns of Kamensky and Smelyansky no longer exist, and there is another such decision likely to be made in Cherkassy.

The “fever” also moved over to the center. The special congress of the young section of the party took place in Kiev on Saturday. This congress actually needed to change the administration of the Union of the Youth of the Regions. The chairman of this organization, Alexander Marchenko, was dismissed from the position and is no longer a member. Because he announced all the young members of the Party of the Regions must change their membership and join Viktor Yushenko’s organization (the ex-premier of Ukraine) “Our Ukraine.” The congress defined Marchenko’s behaviour as “political irresponsibility.” The new chairman of the Union of the Youth of the Regions is Igor Yushko - Ukraine’s deputy, deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee for finance and banking activity, a member of the presidium of the political council of the Party of the Regions. The resolution of the congress stressed out that the Union of the Youth of the Regions would further support the For A Unified Ukraine bloc(some people call it Kuchma’s bloc) after the supervisor of the presidential administration Vladimir Litvin became the leader of the bloc. The congress also called upon all the young people of the country “to realize their personal interest pertaining to their own values in life, to struggle for that interest, and make it bring good for the well-being of the whole community.”

The “adult” congress of the Party of the Regions will start on December 14. The party will elaborate its final positions for participation in the parliamentary elections. The Party of the Regions is included in the For A Unified Ukraine bloc, which is not actually unified, like its title says. Therefore, they will have a lot to talk about on the congress. -dos-

Andrey Lubensky PRAVDA.Ru Ukraine

Reuters photo: Ukrainian Communists shout slogans during a rally in Kiev, November 7, 2001