Ukraine's Opposition: Tymoshenko and Lyashko
Political Opposition in Kiev: Yulia Tymoshenko and Oleh Lyashko
Wednesday January 28th, 2015
Adheeb Rifdi – Article Author
Martin Eidenberg – Article Editor & Team Leader following Ukrainian Democracy
Keywords: Yulia Tymoshenko, Oleh Lyashko, Ukraine Opposition, Fatherland, Radical Party
Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister of Ukraine and runner up in the 2010 presidential elections, led the way as the closest competitor to President Poroshenko amassing 12.81% of the votes in the 2014 elections. A champion for market-based reforms, the former natural gas tycoon formed her own party, ‘Fatherland,’ in 1999. She was elected as Ukraine’s first female prime minister in 2005, after being a key proponent in the 2004 Orange Revolution. Imprisoned under charges for abuse of power in 2011, Tymoshenko was released following a parliamentary vote in February 2014 and announced her candidacy for presidency as the leader of the Fatherland party. In supporting higher wages and lower taxes, Fatherland advocates anti-corruption campaigns against government officials and seeks Ukrainian membership into the EU. The group has also been one of the most active participants in voicing their opposition to Russian influence.
Oleh Lyashko, the head of the Radical Party, garnered 8.32% of the votes in the 2014 elections giving him a third place finish. Although first elected to Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, in 2006 under Tymoshenko’s party ticket, he was later expelled in 2010. Following his expulsion, Lyashko was elected leader of the Ukrainian Radical Democratic Party, renaming the group the Radical Party of Oleh Lyashko. Advocating a platform of populist policies, the party is focused on, “creating a society of equal opportunity and universal welfare.” Lyashko claims to have received electoral funds from small donations and online platforms, pledging an end to rule-by-money politics. He has called for a fight against corruption, political and economic reforms, and imposing a ban on agricultural land sales.
President Poroshenko’s bloc emerged victorious in the 2014 parliamentary elections, but was unable to secure a majority. A coalition government has since been formed with the People’s Front, The Self Reliance Party, The Radical Party, and the Fatherland party.
Voting in both the presidential and parliamentary elections remain unrepresentative of many of the constituencies in the East and South of the country as threats of violence forced polling stations to remain closed.
