“Political projects are short-term political unities based on administrative resource. They flourish when backed by the regime. Recall NDP, SDPU. They were all political projects,” Tarasiuk noted.

If UC is created at the expense of NUNS, the president and the democratic forces stand nothing to gain. It is just a repackaging,” Tarasiuyk claimed.

“It’s a destructive project as it undermines the existing party NUNS which was and will be a support base for Pres Yushchenko. We cannot sit on our hands as Rukh is part of NUNS,” B. Tarasiuyk explained.

The presidential secretariat is continuously sending instruction to the regions, notably to oblast governors, ordering them to pressure officials affiliated to other political parties to join United Center. If they refuse, they are typically threatened with dismissals from work, Borys Tarasiuk said.