The new object of the confrontation was the chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko.
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The new object of the confrontation was the chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko.
Onopenko’s group played its role – it became a kind of ideological locomotive, which gave the appropriate color to the party in the election. After the election, Onopenko, like Schiller’s Moor, did his job and had to leave.
At the XIII Congress of the SDPU (o) (which was planned to be held behind closed doors), the question arose of replacing the party leader. Most of the 247 delegates to the congress condemned Vasyl Onopenko, calling him a political intriguer who "certain finance political forces to make it "barking" on SDPU (o) and its individual members"… Representatives of regional organizations, who did not know anything about the intra-party situation in the morning, because at the opening of the congress, for half an hour vigorously condemned "formal leader"
V. Onopenko" and almost unanimously voted to expel him from the party. At the suggestion of the representative of the Nikolaev regional organization of SDPU (o) for the chairman of party Victor Medvedchuk was nominated – "leader by nature"… During the voting for Viktor Volodymyrovych, 247 delegates voted, 2 abstained. No one voted against. Alexander Zinchenko became the deputy chairman of party who at once declared that similar voting – "this is really a sign of unity of opinion in the party"…
Vasyl Onopenko’s supporters did not accept defeat and registered the Ukrainian Social Democratic Party. In the 1999 presidential election, Vasyl Onopenko even tried to run for the top state post …
After Medvedchuk headed the SDPU (o), he decided to work actively in the field of social democratic ideology. Indeed, the Ukrainian Social-Democracy lacked qualified and original developments in the ideological sphere. Yu. Buzdugan, for example, took the classic European Bernsteinian models of ideology as a model.
V. Onopenko generally paid little attention to the issue of ideological identity. Victor Medvedchuk published in "Mirror of the week" articles "In search of new frontiers" (1999, # 1) and" What will happen tomorrow?" (1999, no. 42). These two articles became the basis of the ideology of the SDPU (o). But a more detailed analysis shows that Medvedchuk’s ideological developments are a kind of eclecticism in various areas of political thought. Rukhiv newspaper "Time-Time" after the second stage of the XIII Congress of the SDPU (o) (December 1998) noted that "V. Medvedchuk did not prudently delve into the substantiation of the charms and advantages of the ideology of social democracy.
After the third paragraph of the report, the delegates realized that their leader was unable to distinguish social democracy from liberalism or conservatism. It seemed that not one or the other "change" adopts the thoughts of the party leadership, and only such sweet words as "power" and "money"… How to keep a fraction of what has already been traded, and how to buy in the future"…
Immediately after the XIII Party Congress, a debate broke out among the SDPU (o) over which of the presidential candidates to support in the 1999 elections. A large number of delegations nominated Yevhen Marchuk, then head of the SDPU (o) parliamentary faction. Marchuk, for example, was supported by leaders of the Odessa and Nikolaev organizations. At the same time, Vinnytsia residents came up with the idea to nominate Viktor Medvedchuk for the post of President. However, it seems that Leonid Kravchuk was the first to put forward this idea.
Viktor Medvedchuk thanked the Vinnytsia delegation and noted that it was too early to nominate a presidential candidate from the party. However, it was from the beginning of 1999 that Medvedchuk’s thesis that the next President of Ukraine (in the 2004 elections) must be a member of the SDPU (o) began to circulate in the media. Since then, political scientists and buy essay compare and contrast analysts have linked any of Medvedchuk’s steps solely to preparations for the 2004 election campaign. Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote:" A number of sources in both the SDPU (o) and the Presidential Administration state that the head of state is not against the leader of the United Social Democrats becoming the leader of the country. He is only against this happening in this millennium"…
At the beginning of 1999, another conflict broke out among the SDPU (o). Due to various circumstances (primarily due to disagreement with Viktor Medvedchuk’s line and the party’s refusal to support Marchuk’s candidacy in the elections), the head of the SDPU (o) parliamentary faction, Yevhen Marchuk, is breaking with the environment. Not being formally a member of the SDPU (o), he still takes with him part of the party membership. In January 1999, Marchuk announced the formation of a new party – the Social Democratic Union, in fact the fourth social democratic force in Ukraine. The SDPU (o) faction in the parliament was headed by Oleksandr Zinchenko at the request of V. Medvedchuk.
As early as the beginning of 1999, Viktor Medvedchuk understood that it was necessary to bet on Leonid Kuchma. The President’s support in the conditions of the oligarchic regime (which developed during 1997-1998) could ensure both the inviolability of business interests, and the forecasted political future, and a fairly stable position. "at the yard"… But Viktor Medvedchuk dared to speak about his support for Leonid Kuchma only in April 1999.
While in Transcarpathia, on April 8, 1999, Viktor Medvedchuk stated:" As a leader, I want to officially declare that I will do everything possible to convince first the political council, and then the congress to nominate L. Kuchma as a candidate from the party. I’m sure it will work"… Two days later in an interview with the newspaper "Day" to the question "Are you sure that your initiative to nominate Kuchma for a second term will be supported by the SDPU (o) party?" Medvedchuk replied:" I am the leader of the party, and if the leader of the party has stated his position today, it means that the leader has taken responsibility for such a decision. And if this does not happen, then, of course, there can be no such leader in the party and he must resign voluntarily. Therefore, I have no choice but to do everything to ensure that the SDPU (o) supports Leonid Danilovich in the presidential election."
In an interview with the newspaper "Facts and comments" Viktor Medvedchuk stated:" The name of the person who will be supported by the United Social Democrats will finally be named by the congress. But I will be with those who will vote for Leonid Kuchma’s candidacy. Yes, the President has made many mistakes and deserves criticism. But show me the perfect politician, magician and magician who can easily and quickly solve all our current difficulties and problems. I don’t know that. Observing the President all these years, I can now say that he is a hard worker who does not spare himself in search of a way out of the crisis. He bears his heavy burden in good faith, understanding the responsibility for the situation in the country. I completely agree with Leonid Kravchuk when he says that the current Kuchma is a statesman who thinks in much broader categories and who has grown as a politician. He is often criticized for the lack of very drastic decisions. But it seems to me that this is a big plus, which will avoid extremes, confrontation and pressure"…
As expected, on May 15, 1999, the SDPU (o) Congress nominated Leonid Kuchma as a candidate for President of Ukraine. However, Medvedchuk was unlucky: his party was not the first in the process of nominating Kuchma. A new candidate for oligarchs, Viktor Pinchuk, who most likely organized a voter rally in Dnipropetrovsk, crossed the SDPU (o) road. However, the SDPU (o) was the first political party to support Leonid Kuchma – and this was also taken into account.
During the election campaign, Viktor Medvedchuk was different "perversion" supported Kuchma. However, and without excessive zeal. He, for example, did not create various funds and other election structures, did not spend crazy money in vain. He simply declared his support – and that was enough.
Julia Mostova and Sergey Rachmanin in "Mirror of the week" wrote that Medvedchuk and Surkis’ contribution to Kuchma’s victory was only one-twentieth of the total campaign expenditure (according to the same data, the total election fund was $ 200 million). "Without becoming an independent headquarters, the Social Democrats worked for victory with either Pustovoitenko or Volkov. Viktor Medvedchuk was tasked with dealing with youth in its official manifestations – he oversaw the Ukrainian National Committee of Youth Organizations. But he could not compete with Pinchuk, Bagraev and Derkach" – wrote informed "ZN"…
At the same time, Medvedchuk had many problems at the front of the internal political confrontation. The new object of the confrontation was the chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko. On the sidelines of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, it was rumored that the Vice Speaker was soon "will eat" Yushchenko, and the new chairman of the National Bank will be a member "wonderful seven" Bohdan Hubsky. The issue of V. Yushchenko’s abuse of office was raised at the Verkhovna Rada session. However, Yushchenko managed to gain the support of some deputies, including the influential politician Alexander Volkov.
Viktor Medvedchuk and his supporters were defeated. Medvedchuk himself said almost through his teeth that Yushchenko’s case should not be dealt with by the Verkhovna Rada, but by law enforcement agencies. However, it was clear that no one would return to this confusing case …
In Yushchenko, Medvedchuk probably saw a rival in the 2004 election. That is why Medvedchuk could not allow the growth of the popularity of his probable opponent. The duel in 1999 was lost. It was necessary to prepare to meet face to face in five years …
After the presidential election, Viktor Medvedchuk was counting on significant dividends – business, political, media. However, the situation developed in such a way that he had to face the harsh realities of life. Leonid Kuchma, faced with the possibility of default and international sanctions against Ukraine, appointed not only Medvedchuk himself as Prime Minister (as discussed on the sidelines of the Verkhovna Rada) and not a nominee "Slavutich" Mykola Azarov, and Viktor Yushchenko. The SDPU (o) faction had to vote for its former opponent – there was no other way out. It was hoped that Yushchenko was a temporary figure in the prime minister’s chair.
Especially since the relations between the two leaders of the candidate countries for the title have worsened again "party of power" Viktor Medvedchuk and Valery Pustovoitenko. The SDPU (o) and the NDP still did not get along well with each other – only the presidential election could reconcile them.
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