Snap elections will clear the way to VR to more pro-presidential parties, political expert opines

September23200821:11

In case of snap parliamentary elections, more pro-presidential parties will make it to Verkhovna Rada. BYUT and Party of Regions will lose some ground, while Our Ukraine will suffer substantial losses, political expert Kost Bondarenko said, speaking to ZIK Sept. 23.

Lutsenko’s People Self-Defense party may not make it to VR, while some of its members will be elected to VR on the BYUT roster. Simultaneously, the Yatseniuk’s party and the Svoboda party may clear the bar to VR.

“I do not believe the president will implement his declared project of getting together all his supporters into a single team. This team will be more reminiscent of The Titanic, Kost Bondarenko says, because more pro-presidential parties may get elected to the new Rada. At the same time, he believes Lutsenko’s party and the United Center party have no political future.

As for the Lytvyn bloc and Communists, they are likely to gain more seats in the legislature as their present ratings are growing.

Snap elections are possible, but not a certainty, Bondarenko notes, because (1) there is still a chance of a coalition being formed in VR, and (2) the dissolution of parliament is not the president’s duty but rather his right.

“None of the options for a coalition are viable. Even if any coalition gets off the ground, it will soon collapse, given its artificial status,” Kost Bondarenko says.