Despite the efforts by the leaders of what was once the mightiest national democratic political force in Ukraine, all the talk about the unification of Rukh remains just talk, creating the impression that the rift between the two officially registered Rukh organizations led by Yuri Kostenko and Hennady Udovenko, is widening.
Until now, speaking about the schism in Rukh, analysts have dealt with only these two organizations which had emerged following the breakup of the party headed by the late Vyacheslav Chornovil. At that time, the split affected mainly the leadership. Many rank-and-file Rukh members had no idea what had really happened in February 1999, finding themselves on the fringes of a now two-lane party process.
A constituent assembly which, according to its organizers, convened last Saturday in response to the initiative of those “grassroots Rukh structures that did not recognize the split” gives good reason to speak of the emergence of a new third Rukh. All this is despite the fact that about 600 delegates from all of Ukraine’s oblasts who came to the assembly called For the Unity of Rukh said their goal was to “restore a single Rukh organization.” According to a cochairman of the For the Unity of Rukh committee and member of the Udovenko Rukh parliamentary fraction but not party, People’s Deputy Bohdan Boiko, he has been talking about unification with the leaders of both Rukhs throughout this year, but without any visible results. “We want a single party list, and we want Rukh members to know who their allies are,” he said, adding that entering a coalition with other parties might pose problems. As he stressed, “Ukraine’s voters will not tolerate three Rukhs” and if both parties fail to heal the rift they will have to leave the political arena. As shown by a recent survey, following the split, 40% fewer Ukrainians are prepared to vote for the Rukh than in 1998.
It is significant that mainly Udovenko Rukh members attended the assembly, responding to the call of their leader. Their presence in the presidium, judging by the reaction in the audience, gave quite a boost to the members of the newly created organization. Kostenko Rukh was hardly mentioned at the assembly, although, according to Udovenko Rukh press secretary, Dmytro Ponomarchuk, about 70% of Kostenko followers were represented at the conference.
The Dayinterviewed Yuri Kostenko the day before the assembly opened. His comments could hardly be interpreted as support for the high-minded initiative of the grassroots. “To create new public organizations, no matter how attractively you package them, would mean to complicate the unification process,” his party’s press secretary, Iryna Lukomska, said, relaying the opinion of her boss who she said was ill. Let us recall that Kostenko Rukh also ignored another unification proposal to set up a coalition involving the Reforms and Order Party, Rukh, and the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists, where both Rukhs would have continued as separate entities. Then, in his answer to a proposal by the national democrats to join forces, Kostenko replied he had to take up the issue with the Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) Party. Since there has not been any response from Kostenko so far, the consultations with Batkivshchyna must be still under way, Oleksandr Lavrynovych assumed, he told The Day.
In an interview with The Day, chairman of the All-Ukrainian Unity-2000 Organization, cochairman of For the Unity of Rukh committee, and independent Verkhovna Rada Deputy Heorhy Fylypchuk declared that he is aware of the attitude of some Kostenko Rukh representatives regarding the unification of the twin movements. This is a mistaken attitude in that it invites accusations that the new Rukh is becoming a pro- Kuchma party. “Rukh should never be afraid to work with the President,” he said. “It is as though we are again being guided by the ideology of 1989 when we lived in a stateless environment, and when fighting the Communists and a regime, which did not represent the Ukrainian people, this was exactly the right thing to do. But now, with the Ukrainian state a reality, we allow ourselves to start on completely unjustified opposition projects and publicly insult the President, rather than seeking a political compromise and constructive cooperation.” This is why Fylypchuk believes one of the new Rukh’s top priorities is to fight “for a strong Ukrainian state.”
Speaking about the unification of Rukh, given Kostenko’s opposition to the idea, Mr. Fylypchuk said that after bringing together all the Rukh splinters “relationships with ideological and political allies could be established that could take the form of a coalition in the future election campaign. If they (Kostenko Rukh — Ed.) and we are not together, they or we will soon join forces with somebody else.”
Udovenko Rukh Deputy Chairman Vyacheslav Koval, who was present at the parley, reiterated that his party was ready for unification. “The fact that delegates from all of Ukraine’s oblasts are here is ample proof that we will be able to create a mighty monolithic organized force by 2002,” he said, suggesting that Rukh’s potential allies gather at a unification congress as soon as possible. Addressing the assembly, Udovenko Rukh Deputy Chairperson and People’s Deputy Liliya Hryhorovych said she expects her Rukh and the newly created organization will soon merge.
On the eve of the assembly, Rukh (Udovenko) faction member Oleksandr Lavrynovych (whose recent defection from Kostenko to Udovenko has provoked much speculation that he is a likely replacement for Udovenko) said, commenting on the grassroots conclave, that “this process will lead to the creation of a new public organization which will shortly merge with Rukh (U) enabling the latter to recover a considerable part of its formerly lost members.”
Finally, the constituent assembly of grassroots Rukh organizations has approved a resolution to create a political party called the People’s Movement of Ukraine for Unity. Since new Rukh members believe it would be appropriate to elect a sole leader only after the unification of the three Rukhs, they have just elected three cochairmen, Bohdan Boiko, Heorhy Fylypchuk and Eduard Krech. The assembly has also elected other executive bodies, a central committee, secretariat, heads of oblast organizations, as well as approving the program and the charter of this “new” Rukh.
