The fourth congress of the Party of Regions, held on December 14 in Kyiv, became one more important event in the election campaign. As expected, the party unanimously supported the decision to contest parliamentary seats as part of the For a United Ukraine Bloc and dropped its objection to Volodymyr Lytvyn, Director of the Presidential Administration, leading the bloc perhaps hoping for success in the election. On the other hand, by far the most prominent figure in the bloc’s star team, State Tax Administration Director Mykola Azarov, considered it necessary, contrary to forecasts, to somewhat lighten the heavy administrative weight of the bloc, officially announcing that he is suspending membership in and quits the post of the leader of the Party of the Regions. “I made this decision on my own to ward off all kinds of political speculations. I will be a nonparty man during the elections,” Mr. Azarov thus explained his repudiation of his brainchild. The tax chief’s untraditional step somewhat disarmed the journalists who strongly doubt that clean elections are possible, given the nefarious campaign activities within higher executive echelons. In truth, it is not only the sharks of the pen who were surprised: according to Mr. Lytvyn, most of those attending the congress did not know Mr. Azarov would take such a step.
“Verkhovna Rada is considering six laws that infringe on my rights as a citizen and ban me from political activity. No other political figure is subject to such bills, although many other politicians wield as much power as I do,” the tax administration chief sadly noted.
There is nothing to be done: the specifics of the main job oblige one to put national interests above the personal. Asked by The Day about the likely top five figures on the bloc’s list, Mr. Lytvyn said “the question is under discussion... although the cohesion of all Ukrainian citizens is our main concern.” It looks like the bloc’s member parties have already had their interests “cohered.” In any case, as we have been firmly assured by Prime Minister Anatoly Kinakh (leader of the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs), and Minister of Transport Valery Pustovoitenko (leader of the NDP), all the parties in For a United Ukraine have the same goals.
As to the attitude of the Party of Regions, Mr. Azarov told The Day, “My departure will in no way affect the election campaign. I will support my party and the bloc. In general, it is not ruled out that all the five parties will merge into one after the elections.” Moreover, the tax administration chief refused to make any Sherman statement concerning his future parliamentary career, considering it possible to get into Verkhovna Rada on the party ticket. Yet, by all accounts, Mr. Azarov excludes the possibility of simultaneously occupying the chairs of people’s deputy and the chief tax man.
Speaking of chairs, incidentally, as the saying has it, a holy place is never empty. The last Friday’s congress elected Vice Premier Volodymyr Semynozhenko as leader of the Party of Regions
