Third Ukrainian Republic (party)

For other uses of the phrase "Third Ukrainian Republic", see Third Ukrainian Republic.
Third Ukrainian Republic
Третя Українська Республіка
LeaderRoman Bezsmertnyi.[1]
FoundedFebruary 6, 1999 (1999-02-06)[2]
Headquarters10a Lesya Ukrainka Boulevard in Kyiv[3]
Political positionCentre-left
ColoursRed
Website
http://www.3republic.org.ua

Third Ukrainian Republic (Ukrainian: Третя Українська Республіка) is a political party in Ukraine. The party was formally named (from its creation in May 1999 till April 2010[3][4]) Forward, Ukraine![5] (Ukrainian: Вперед, Україно!; Vpered, Ukrajino!) and (from April 2010 till July 2014) People's Self-Defense Political Party (Ukrainian: Політична партія Народна Самооборона).

In December 2011 the party announced it would be merged into All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland".[6][7][8] However, in July 2014 the party was re-energised and renamed.[1]

History

For another Ukrainian political party with a similar name, see Ukraine – Forward!

Forward, Ukraine! electoral bloc

Originally, the party takes its roots from the electoral bloc "Forward, Ukraine!" that was formed on April 3, 1997.[9] Composed out of several political formations such as the parliamentary faction "Reforms", the Christian-Democratic Party of Ukraine (leader V.Stretovych), the Christian Democratic Union, the Ukrainian Christian Democratic Party, Hromada (led by Oleksandr Turchynov), Christian Democratic Youth of Ukraine, the trade union "Our Right", the charity fund "Ukrainian Perspective", Ukrainian fund in support of reforms, and the political association "Young Ukraine".[9] The leading section of that bloc was the parliamentary faction "Reforms" led by Serhiy Sobolyev.[9] In June 1997 the faction changed its name to "Forward, Ukraine!" as well whose unofficial leader became the deputy speaker Viktor Musiyaka.[9]

Right before the 1998 Ukrainian parliamentary elections however the bloc fell apart, out which was created the Reforms and Order Party of Viktor Pynzenyk.[9] The rest of the bloc consisting of the Christian Democratic Union, the Ukrainian Christian Democratic Party and the Young Ukraine went to the elections under its original name and led by the former deputy speaker of the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) Viktor Musiyaka.[9] The bloc "Forward, Ukraine!" proved to be an unsuccessful political project gathering only 1.73% at the elections and receiving no representation. Next year Viktor Musiyaka transformed the bloc into a party with the same name.[9] In 2012 another party with the same name Ukraine - Forward! led by Natalia Korolevska copied the statute of the "Forward, Ukraine!" and also failed to place any representation in parliament in 2012.[9]

Forward, Ukraine!

Forward Ukraine party logo

As a political party "Forward, Ukraine!" was registered by the Justice Ministry on May 13, 1999.[3][4]

At the 2002 elections, the party was part of the Viktor Yushchenko Bloc Our Ukraine.[4] "Forward, Ukraine!" in parliament was represented only by its leader Viktor Musiyaka.

At the 2006 elections it decided to participate alone gathering only 6,934 votes (0.02%).[4]

At the 2007 elections, the party joined Viktor's Yushchenko Bloc once more within the Yuriy Lutsenko's People's Self-Defense. Being part of the Our Ukraine alliance[4] the party received 6 out of 72 parliamentary seats that were won by the alliance. Parliamentary mandates were received by Oleh Novikov, Kateryna Lukianova, Kyrylo Kulykov, Serhiy Kharovsky, Yuriy Hrymchak, and Serhiy Lutsenko.

In an interview with the Silski Visti (Village News) newspaper on 29 January 2009 interior minister Yuriy Lutsenko declared that Civil Movement "People's Self-Defense" as an insurgent, protesting, and not very structured civil movement has ceased to exist". Lutsenko also said he was planning to direct the organisational changes of Forward, Ukraine!.[10]

The party supported Yulia Tymoshenko as presidential candidate in the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election.[11] The party did not support the dismissal of the second Tymoshenko Government.[12][13]

People's Self-Defense Political Party

At the ninth congress of the Forward, Ukraine! Party on February 26, 2010 the decision was taken to rename the party.[3] Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych signed a relevant decree April 20, 2010.[3]

On August 4, 2010 party leader[14] Yuriy Lutsenko declared that the party would participate in the 2010 local elections in collaboration with All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" on joined lists.[15] But eventually the party did independently participate in the election.[16][17] Now with much success, the party won no representatives in Oblast Councils (regional parliaments); its biggest success was winning seats in the city council of several towns in the Lviv Oblast.[16][17][18]

The party announced it will be merged into All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" in December 2011.[7][8] This process started late December 2011.[6][19] As of mid-April 2013 there have been no reports about the party holding a congress to pass a decision on this merge.[20] And the party was still registered at the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice.[21]

The party competed on one single party under "umbrella" party "Fatherland", together with several other parties, during the 2012 parliamentary elections[22][23][24][25][26][27] During the election this list won 62 seats (25.55% of the votes) under the proportional party-list system and another 39 by winning 39 simple-majority constituencies; a total of 101 seats in Parliament.[28]

Third Ukrainian Republic

On 1 July 2014 the party was officially renamed "Third Ukrainian Republic".[1] New party leader Roman Bezsmertnyi (that day) stated to materialise the "ideas of Yuriy Lutsenko" by active citizens who had rallied around Lutsenko".[1] Instead, he also said that Lutsenko was not a member of the party; but he would head the party if Lutsenko would not join the party Solidarity.[1] According to Bezsmertnyi Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was at the time negotiating with Lutsenko to make him party leader of Solidarity.[1] Bezsmertnyi assured that if Lutsenko would become party leader of Solidarity he and his fellow and Third Ukrainian Republic members would "think whether to go to the polls without our leader".[1] On 27 August 2014 Lutsenko was elected party leader of Solidarity (that party was renamed Bloc of Petro Poroshenko the same day).[29]

The party did not participate in the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election.[30]

Elections history

Year Popular vote Percentage Overall seats Change Government Remarks
2002 Our Ukraine
1 / 450
 Increase 1 Opposition as Forward, Ukraine!
2006 6,934 0.02
0 / 450
 Decrease 1
2007 Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc
6 / 450
 Increase 6 Government
2012 United Opposition Opposition as People's Self-Defense Party
2014 Did not participate
Date Party leader Remarks
1999–2001 Viktor Musiyaka
2001 Volodymyr Sivkovych
2001–2007 Viktor Musiyaka
2007–2011 Yuriy Lutsenko
2007–present Roman Bezsmertnyi

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g (in Ukrainian) For Lutsenko registered party, Ukrayinska Pravda (1 July 2014)
    (in Ukrainian) Ministry of Justice registered political party "Third Ukrainian Republic." Archived 2014-07-07 at the Wayback Machine, TVi (channel) (1 July 2014)
  2. ^ Юрий Луценко меняет вывеску, Kommersant (30 January 2009) (in Russian)
  3. ^ a b c d e Forward, Ukraine! Party changes name to People's Self-Defense, Kyiv Post (April 21, 2010)
  4. ^ a b c d e (in Ukrainian) Політична партія „Народна Самооборона“, Database DATA
  5. ^ Party's name was sometimes translated as Go Ahead Ukraine!
  6. ^ a b Turchynov: Batkivschyna, People's Self-Defense start unification (updated), Kyiv Post (28 December 2011)
  7. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Партії Тимошенко і Луценка об’єднаються у середу?, Ukrayinska Pravda (16 December 2011)
  8. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Батьківщина та Народна самооборона завтра оголосять про злиття, UNIAN (16 December 2011)
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Секонд-хенд для Наталі Королевської (Second hand for Nataliya Korolevska). Korrespondent.net. April 1, 2012
  10. ^ Interior minister planning to set up full-fledged political force, Interfax-Ukraine (29-01-2009)
  11. ^ Interior Minister takes short leave, urges voters to support Tymoshenko, Kyiv Post (December 11, 2009)
  12. ^ Kyrylenko: For Ukraine! group of deputies not to vote for government's dismissal, Kyiv Post (March 3, 2010)
  13. ^ For Ukraine! group of deputies not in coalition talks, Kyiv Post (February 25)
  14. ^ Prosecutor's office refuses to release Lutsenko on bail, says People's Self-Defense, Kyiv Post (March 1, 2011)
  15. ^ (in Ukrainian) «НС» на місцевих виборах об’єднається із «Батьківщиною», Party's official website (August 4, 2010)
  16. ^ a b Підрозділи МР, Official website of Truskavets
  17. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Львівська «НС»: перші перемоги Archived 2012-03-08 at the Wayback Machine, Party's official website (November 2, 2010)
  18. ^ (in Ukrainian) Results of the elections, preliminary data, on interactive maps by Ukrayinska Pravda (November 8, 2010)
  19. ^ Tymoshenko, Lutsenko aware of their parties' unification, Kyiv Post (29 December 2011)
  20. ^ People’s Self-Defence 2.0, The Ukrainian Week (14 April 2013)
  21. ^ (in Ukrainian) Єдиний реєстр громадських формувань Unified Register of community groups, Ukrainian Ministry of Justice (as viewed on 25 October 2013)
  22. ^ (in Ukrainian) Соціально-християнська партія вирішила приєднатися до об'єднаної опозиції, Den (newspaper) (24 April 2012)
  23. ^ Opposition to form single list to participate in parliamentary elections, Kyiv Post (2 March 2012)
    (in Ukrainian) "ФРОНТ ЗМІН" ІДЕ В РАДУ З "БАТЬКІВЩИНОЮ", Ukrayinska Pravda (7 April 2012)
    Yatseniuk wants to meet with Tymoshenko to discuss reunion of opposition, Kyiv Post (7 April 2012)
  24. ^ (in Ukrainian) Tymoshenko and Yatsenyuk united ("Тимошенко та Яценюк об'єдналися"), Ukrayinska Pravda (23 April 2012)
  25. ^ Civil Position party joins Ukraine's united opposition, Kyiv Post (20 June 2012)
  26. ^ Ukrainian opposition parties agree to form single list for 2012 elections, Kyiv Post (23 January 2012)
  27. ^ Opposition to form single list to participate in parliamentary elections, Kyiv Post (2 March 2012)
  28. ^ (in Ukrainian) Proportional votes Archived 2012-10-30 at the Wayback Machine & Constituency seats Archived 2012-11-05 at the Wayback Machine, Central Electoral Commission of Ukraine
    % of total seats, Ukrayinska Pravda
  29. ^ Poroshenko wants coalition to be formed before parliamentary elections, Interfax-Ukraine (27 August 2014)
    Solidarity Party to be renamed Bloc of Petro Poroshenko – congress, Interfax-Ukraine (27 August 2014)
  30. ^ Alphabetical Index of parties in 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Central Election Commission of Ukraine