“I will do everything possible to nominate a joint opposition candidate able to win in the next presidential election,” said Pavlo Lazarenko, leader of the All-Ukrainian Hromada Union at a press conference in Dnipropetrovsk.
According to him, the political council approved these days a decision that only Hromada’s leader can run for the presidency or the congress next April will consider a joint candidate from another party.
Lazarenko also mentioned that he personally has not declared his presidential candidacy in 1999. There are several reasons why: “prosecutor’s issues should be resolved first, in particular, that with Prosecutor General’s report should be clarified.”
Pavlo Lazarenko also disclosed that party’s political council passed a resolution On the Unity of Hromada despite the opposing viewpoints within the party. This document was voted almost unanimously with only Oleksandr Turchynov abstaining. Another decision was for Hromada not to participate in collecting signatures for a premature presidential election. Lazarenko said that some people “using Hromada as a cover have already begun this work.” However, “those political leaders who from the Verkhovna Rada podium are so insistent talking about it, have a right to do it only on their own behalf,” he added. (Collecting signatures for a referendum to oust the President has been organized by Yuliya Tymoshenko — Ed.)
Dnipropetrovsk
