Twenty years of Independence is enough to make certain conclusions, to observe tendencies. We'll try to follow the development and perspectives of Ukrainian parliament system by the next scheme: electoral trend – electoral system – personalities. We'll try to analyze who is chosen in Luhansk oblast. So, let's start...
VR-I (Verkhovna Rada of the first convocation) (1990-1994)
Electoral trend: alternative
Electoral system: majoritarian
Personalities: Bazilianskyi Lev Leonidovych, Bondarenko Viktor Stepanovych, Borzykh Oleksandr Ivanovych, Havrylenko Mykola Mefodiiovych, Holovach Volodymyr Mykhailovych, Didorenko Eduard Oleksiiovych, Dorofieiev Volodymyr Mykolaiovych, Ioffe Yulii Yakovych, Kvasov Volodymyr Illich, Kozarenko Vasyl Ivanovych, Lishchyna Bohdan Mykolaiovych, Lobach Viacheslav Ivanovych, Liakhov Ivan Andriiovych, Ostapenko Oleksandr Fedorovych, Popov Mykola Mykhailovych, Salnichenko Vitalii Mykolaiovych, Steshenko Oleksandr Mykolaiovych, Terianyk Viktor Ivanovych, Tykhonov Viktor Mykolaiovych, Fomenko Hennadii Petrovych, Khananov Eduard Akhatovych, Tsert Mykola Petrovych, Shvedenko Mykola Mykolaiovych, Shulha Mykola Oleksandrovych, Yahoferov Anatolii Mykolaiovych, Yaryshev Mykola Mykhailovych
The first Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine became the last, twelfth (!) Verkhovna Rada of URSR at the same time. After the Perestroika movement (political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during the 1980s), the elections could be conducted alternatively, not like in the Soviet Union, when citizens had to choose one candidate from "the Communist Bloc and Unaffiliated". Luhansk oblast was quite well represented in the Verkhovna Rada of first convocation - 26 MPs (25 election districts (ED), in ED #071 were conducted special elections which O.Steshenko had won). Unfortunately, the influence of the region on the State policy (based on the quantitative representation) became lower in the future. The average age of MPs in Luhansk - is around 50 years, today this is not a young age, but in USSA, where gerontocracy flourished, it could be the start of career. MPs from Luhansk oblast – are stable members of CPSU, particularly – the Directorate of the Red Army, chairmen of large enterprises, or chairmen of executive committees in Local Councils. Some of them hold their positions from that time, but the majority had lost the influence not only at the national level, but also at the regional. It was a "big migration" of property and funds, which results we can still notice today.
VR-II (Verkhovna Rada of the second convocation) (1994-1998)
Electoral trend: pragmatic
Electoral system: majoritarian
Personalities: Aksenenko Serhii Ivanovych, Yeskov Valentyn Andriiovych, Iliushyn Volodymyr Oleksiiovych, Kocherha Volodymyr Semenovych, Levchenko Anatolii Ivanovych, Petrenko Dmytro Dmytrovych, Ulanov Valentyn Mykolaiovych, Tsybenko Petro Stepanovych, Cherenkov Oleksandr Pavlovych, Churuta Mykhailo Ivanovych, Stepanov Petro Stepanovych, Hmyria Serhii Petrovych, Annenkov Yehor Ivanovych, Kryzskyi Yurii Oleksiiovych, Steshenko Oleksandr Mykolaiovych, Bondarenko Viktor Stepanovych, Dyneikin Hryhorii Ivanovych, Dmytrenko Oleksii Ivanovych, Yahoferov Anatolii Mykolaiovych, Sinchenko Serhii Hryhorovych, Borzykh Oleksandr Ivanovych, Kolomoitsev Valerii Eduardovych, Ioffe Yulii Yakovych, Stepanov Mykhailo Volodymyrovych
Mid 90's: economic collapse and simultaneous formation of new economic realities, government is loosing total control over all economic branches. The biggest post-Soviet neighbor, the Russian Federation, had already changed the form of the government into presidential (by forceful suppression of the Russian parliament in 1993), had gone through brigandage and the beginning of "oligarchy", black market, economic growth and default in 1998. For Ukraine it was only the beginning...
Five aforementioned politicians are elected to the second convocation of the VR – Viktor Bondarenko, Oleksandr Borzykh, Yulii Ioffe, Oleksandr Steshenko, Anatolii Yahoferov. All of them, besides O.Steshenko (nominated by the the Communist Party of Ukraine), were presented as unaffiliated candidates, what was favorable for their successful campaigns, not counting the abuse of administrative resources. However, 80 percent representatives from Luhansk oblast were new. At the same time, the Communist party of Ukraine (KPU), which had 15 representatives from Luhansk oblast, became obviously dominant. At the same time, Mr. Kuchma and his team were trying to supersede communists by substituting them with more loyal socialists - Oleksandr Moroz and his team. And indeed, M. Stepanov was elected to the Parliament - a representative of newly-created SPU (Socialist Party of Ukraine).
VR-III (Verkhovna Rada of the third convocation) (1998-2002)
Electoral trend: huge demolition
Electoral system: mixed
Personalities: Berezhnyi Viktor Hryhorovych, Hmyria Serhii Petrovych, Donchenko Yurii Hryhorovych, Yeskov Valentyn Andriiovych, Maramzin Fedir Andriiovych, Petrenko Dmytro Dmytrovych, Tsybenko Petro Stepanovych, Cherenkov Oleksandr Pavlovych, Borzykh Oleksandr Ivanovych, Davydov Volodymyr Vasylovych, Ioffe Yulii Yakovych, Kolomoitsev-Rybalka Valerii Eduardovych
Change in the electoral system makes us put a question: who's to be a representative in Luhansk? This time, we'll take into consideration only those deputies which were chosen in regional majoritarian districts.
The period from 1998 to 2002 was the best for the Communist Party, which representative P.Symonenko reached the second round of Presidential election in 1999 and competed with then-current President Leonid Kuchma. However, he had lost.... Luhansk oblast was the only which had given the majority of votes to Symonenko. Oligarchs in neighboring Donetsk oblast understood all the changes which would bring the CPU (Communist Party of Ukraine), and did everything possible to secure a second victory for the incumbent president. Since that time, the rating of communists started gradually but steadily decreasing. Besides their electorate was dying out, the biggest part of those who believed in sincere intentions of Communists were disillusioned. A big breakdown - the best words for describing those period.
VR-IV (Verkhovna Rada of the fourth convocation) (2002-2006)
Electoral trend: Ukrainophilia
Electoral system: mixed
Personalities: Astrov-Shumilov Hennadii Kostiantynovych, Budahiants Mykola Abramovych, Hapochka Mykola Mykhailovych, Ioffe Yulii Yakovych, Kyryllov Viktor Dmytrovych, Kyrychenko Liudmyla Fedorivna, Melnykov Mykola Petrovych, Nadraha Vasyl Ivanovych, Topolov Viktor Semenovych, Fomenko Kateryna Oleksandrivna, Tskitishvili Enver Omarovych, Sinchenko Serhii Hryhorovych
After winning the Presidential election, L.Kuchma has got an alluring chance of receiving the full power. The State Bank finally managed to gain control over the VR in 2002. The Presidential Administration creates a bloc For United Ukraine, which representatives received seats in the parliament through elections in majoritarian districts (with the help of administrative influence, of course), and form the pro-presidential majority. The bright example of such political technology was noticed in Luhansk oblast.
Thanks to wide active campaign organized by the Head of Luhansk oblast council V.Tykhonov and of Oblast State Administration O.Yefremov, only one representative of CPU - S.Sinchenko in TED #109 - managed to get a seat in the Parliament. Representatives of United Ukraine had won in other majoritarin districts.
VR-V (Verkhovna Rada of the fifth convocation) (2006-2007)
Electoral trend: return match
Electoral system: proportional
Personalities: Landik Volodymyr Ivanovych, Tykhonov Viktor Mykolaiovych, Fesenko Leonid Ivanovych, Yefremov Oleksandr Serhiiovych, Ivanov Volodymyr Mykhailovych, Illiashov Hryhorii Oleksiiovych, Kyrychenko Liudmyla Fedorivna, Kunchenko Oleksii Petrovych, Korolevska Nataliia Yuriivna, Danilov Oleksii Miacheslavovych, Kurylo Vitalii Semenovych, Shamanov Valerii Viktorovych, Kilinkarov Spiridon Pavlovych, Poliakov Vasyl Leonidovych
In accordance with new Constitutional and electoral reforms in 2005, 100% of deputies were elected by party lists. Therefore, it was problematic to identify which district a candidate belonged to. In this research the group of Luhansk representatives included individuals which were residing on the territory of the region according to the official data. The number of representatives considerably lowered, because many citizens of Luhansk, or politicians which started their carrier here, had moved to the capital and were listed as Kyiv citizens.
VR-VI (Verkhovna Rada of the sixth convocation) (2007-2012)
Electoral trend: extraordinary
Electoral system: proportional
Personalities: Yefremov Oleksandr Serhiiovych, Illiashov Hryhorii Oleksiiovych, Landik Volodymyr Ivanovych, Fesenko Leonid Ivanovych, Kunchenko Oleksii Petrovych, Kurylo Vitalii Semenovych, Korolevska Nataliia Yuriivna, Shamanov Valerii Viktorovych, Kilinkarov Spiridon Pavlovych
Viktor Yushchenko unexpectedly took a decision regarding the dissolution of the VR of 6th convocation. Therefore, party lists of leading political parties (their membership), and voting results in the region were almost the same as previous. However, S. Poliakov wasn't elected - his SPU party (Socialist Party of Ukraine) didn't manage to overcome the threshold because voters were disappointed with behind-the-scenes policy of O.Moroz. Oleksii Danilov, Liudmyla Kyrychenko and Volodymyr Ivanov were not listed at the top of the list because of idealogical divergences and personal conflicts with leaders of political forces.
VR-VII (Verkhovna Rada of the seventh convocation) (2012-?)
Electoral trend: team sports
Electoral system: mixed
It's 20 Years since Ukraine is independent, and politicians in power are intended to keep their positions. The most influential understand: in order to keep, or even increase their influence on political and economic life of the country, they need not only come to the power, but also bring the team, which will execute their will even after "political retirement". Not taking into consideration the United or Patriotic opposition of the region - because of their small quantity and the absence of leaders able to go "upstream" - the Parliamentary seats are to be divided between the certain influential groups within the Party of Regions - the real "team struggle". The team of Spyrydon Kilinkarov - the First Secretary of Oblast Committee of the KPU - was built upon the principles of the Communist party, and has no truly charismatic candidates except Mr. Kilinkarov himself. Northern districts, which have large area but small population, were chosen for promotion of V. Tykhonov and V. Demyshkan. The main participants are the following: the team of S. Shakhov (analysts think it's connected to the President's son O. Yanukovich) - Mr. Shakhov himself, O.Makarov, Yu.Furman, O.Bukhalov; the team of O. Yefremov (Head of the Party of Regions faction in the current composition of the Verkhovna Rada) - V.Honcharov, S.Horokhov, V.Medianyk, Yu.Ternykov; teh team of Yu.Boiko (and his business partner and a chemicals magnate Dmytro Firtash) - O.Kunchenko, Yu.Ioffe, S.Dunaiev.
Despite the old age, V.Tykhonov ta Yu.Ioffe, which are deputies from the first (!) convocation of the VR, and O.Kunchenko ta S.Kilinkarov, which were also elected several times, plan to participate in the forthcoming elections.
Let's summarize. We can see that regional representatives in the highest legislative body are almost the same due to the certain objective and subjective reasons. The new blood is on board only after the certain national changes - like gaining Independence or the Orange Revolution.
The table given below shows politicians which were elected to the Parliament many times - in yellow; which were elected successively few times - in green; which entered the VR by party lists or from the other regions some time later - in pink.
The above chart illustrates the domination of individuals which are in the politics from the Soviet times. At the same time, we can see that there are no new MPs - Parliament of the fourth convocation.
The question is: will the electorate choose really new politicians on the forthcoming elections?