Three tendencies

Ukraine made its choice on Sept. 30. As this feature was being prepared, we had no final results from the Central Election Commission, although the following three trends could be safely assumed:

First, Ukraine now has the “Against All Party”; there were also people who visited polling stations to declare that they would not cast their ballots for anyone, period.

Second, there is no denying Yulia Tymoshenko’s success. The electorate must have duly appreciated her principled and consistent stand. Yulia is consistent in her choice of color range, in terms of clothes and politics.

Third, the low Our-Ukraine- People’s-Self-Defense (NU-NS) ratings. A pro-presidential party finding itself reduced to the status of a junior business partner offers one quite some food for thought. In fact, they had it coming, considering their habitual oscillations, searching for fleeting political benefits, resulting in an overall popular disillusionment. Also, NU-NS turned out an apparently weak campaign. It was rooted in subjects about which the masses did not feel concerned. Then they discarded the NATO membership issue, something some of the electorate could regard as political cowardice. Hence the result.

YULIA TYMOSHENKO: GETTING READY FOR PREMIERSHIP

The conference hall of the five-star Hyatt Hotel in Kyiv was jammed, what with some 180 foreign journalists accredited to Ukraine. The atmosphere was reminiscent of an international forum. One could hear English, German, and French. All of them were there to watch Yulia Tymoshenko, although all marveled at the standing buffet; no one had expected to be offered strawberries with whipped cream, seafood, exotic fruits, and all kinds of meat courses, including a variety of Chinese dishes. All of this was quickly and generously served by omnipresent waiters.

Now and then the guests noticed excited BYuT people racing through the crowd. Ms. Tymoshenko was expected to appear at 22.00 Kyiv time. Instead, the audience was greeted by Oleksandr Turchynov and Bohdan Hubsky. Both immediately proceeded to a large TV screen with voting results, now flashing exit poll findings. There were cries of joys and applause. Turchynov, however, displayed a reserved attitude, perhaps because he expected BYuT to get ahead of the Party of Regions.

It was then Yulia Tymoshenko put in her appearance. She was greeted with applause. She made statements befitting a prime minister. She promised that one of the first bills to be passed by the Verkhovna Rada would be one dealing with parliamentary opposition: “We will make every effort for the opposition to bale to form the Accounting Chamber, so as to have all the official sources of finance under control.”

Those of The Day’s readers who watched nighttime news releases must have seen Yulia Tymoshenko receive congratulations from President Viktor Yushchenko on the phone, also from the President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia. About an hour later she received a bouquet of roses and kisses from Yurii Lutsenko.

Yulia Tymoshenko said: “We have marched in two columns, indeed... All our arrangements remain effective. We will act in strict accordance with these arrangements.” She further assured those present that the agreed fifty-fifty status would be observed when assigning posts.

PARTY OF REGIONS: A BLUE MONDAY

The atmosphere at the PR campaign headquarters could be best compared to the mood of soccer fans after the shattering defeat of their most favored team.

Even before the exit poll results were made known that Sunday evening, something interesting happened at the Zoriany Hotel, the PR campaign HQ: power cutoff. Was it a banal power supply breakdown or maybe a sign from heavens? Our forefathers regarded solar eclipses as a bad sign.

Midnight. Although the PR leader’s speech was scheduled and mentioned in a press release, none of the organizing committee members was sure he would deliver it until the very last moment. Viktor Yanukovych looked tired. By then the exit poll results had been made public knowledge, indicating that a BYuT-NU-NS alliance could theoretically form a parliamentary majority, even without any other political forces that would get seats in parliament. He spoke about the government’s achievements in the economic and social political spheres, the result of which is an improvement in the election dynamics compared to 2006.

00:30 a.m. PR HQ. The atmosphere is that of dejection. No trace of the festive mood on a similar night during the previous campaign. The press center is practically deserted.

The Central Election Commission’s tentative results are known: 63.22% ballots cast as of 22.00 p.m. As predicted by experts, the electorate is showing a lower rate of activity than during the previous campaign.

01:00 a.m. Raisa Bohatyriova makes a statement at the press center for television. She is calm, but there are signs of fatigue. She congratulates all supporters of the Party of Regions with winning the campaign and urges them to assemble on the Maidan at 16:00 p.m., Monday. She says it will be a “festive Maidan.” Does this mean that the Regionals are prepared to challenge the election results? Are they counting on their tent city as a means of exerting pressure on the president? Looks as though no final decision has been made. Anyway, their statements are calm. About 03:00 a.m. Viktor Yanukovych and Rinat Akhmetov leave the Zoriany Hotel. Cold neon lights on the tired faces of journalists and hotel personnel. About three hours from the beginning of this blue Monday for the Regionals.

Dmytro Tabachnyk appears on television, saying that the formation of a democratic coalition will be a gift for the Party of Regions on the eve of presidential elections; also that the Regionals are prepared to work as part of the opposition.

A frank statement, at long last.