"I'm not a serf to be given with the land." - The Russian court heard from Crimean director Oleh Sentsov who is being under remand now in Moscow taken into custody on fabricated charges. The "rooting" of occupation government in Crimea proved that few representatives of political elite on the peninsula follow similar principles of self-respect.
Photos: EPA/UPG
The Party of Regions became a basis for two main Russian parties in Crimea. The United Russia party, led by Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, has recruited at least half of its members in Crimea from the ex-governing Ukrainian party.
A party led by the ex-Head of the Political Federation Council of the RF Sergey Mironov, which is formally in opposition to Putin's, became the second top for ambitious ex-members of the Party of Regions. Local cells of the CPU have automatically joined the KPRF, and added their length of party membership to the history of Zyuganov's party. The most odious individuals from Vadym Kolesnichenko's headquarters had also found a place in the sun. Thus, it turned out that the "Russian spring" didn't generate new heroes, but used "Ukrainian" ones.
Crimean political leaders, who rose in the independent Ukraine, massively joined occupation structures, what is another proof of a deep crisis of political and party system in Ukraine. Situation in Crimea is the largest self-exposure of the "elite" in Ukraine, which internal and external sides fitted together.
Ukrainian society, including citizens of Crimea, had been paying betrayers out of their own pockets for more than 23 years. Betrayers, who were ready to rush from Kuchma to Yushchenko, from Yushchenko to Tymoshenko, from Yanukovych to Putin. It's not only a great disappointment for our society, but also a basis for realization of Putin's aggression in Crimea, and it's further spreading over Ukraine.
Unfortunately, Ukrainian government failed to draw a conclusion from behavior of Ukrainian politicians in Crimea. If it influenced these professional defectors in timely and determined manner during deployment of Russian aggression in Donbass, these tragic events we face today could have been avoided. Those individuals, who pushed Crimea to the annexation, as well as Donetsk and Luhansk to casualties, keep thinking in that direction.
Political parties, members of which became the basis for government staffing in occupied Crimea, hadn't apologized to the society yet. In other words, the problem wasn't even formally recognized to determine a solution. Political leaders, who pushed the career of today's adherents of Putin in Crimea, not only stayed in the game, but also are confidently planning to participate in early elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. However, the situation on the occupied territories needs active interference of the government. If it doesn't take proper measures, Ukraine will continue to pay aggressors on its territory.
"Elections" to the so-called parliament of occupied Crimea ("State Council of the Republic of Crimea") will consolidate Russian political regime on the territory of annexed peninsula. Till this date, Crimean government system was a mix of Ukrainian and Russian political and legal procedures. Besides that, was largely influenced by local elites. After the "voting", Ukrainian procedures will vanish, replaced by the Russian-styled governance on the basis of specific Crimean features.
Photo: SovetMinistrov/Facebook
Serhii Aksionov is a person considered to have grabbed God by the beard in occupied Crimea. A politician, who didn't manage to get even 10% in Simferopol on 2012 elections, and his party Ruska Yednist received only 4% on elections to the local parliament, is considered to be the driving force of seizure of Ukrainian territory. Besides that, Aksionov is actively using this status in his favor. Putin's decree made Aksionov the so-called Acting Head of the Republic until new parliament is elected (with big chances to keep his position in the future), and the top public officials of Crimea were allowed to continue business activities till 2015.
Such opportunity to combine commercial business and public service became Kremlin's approval for uncontrolled enrichment for local winners. Taking into consideration the criminal experience of new Crimean leaders, there is no doubt that they can use this chance.
"Elections" to the State Council of the Republic of Crimea will be conducted by the proportional majoritarian system. 75 mandates chosen from party lists, and 25 MPs from single-mandate districts.
Similarly to Russia, the United Russia party became a monopolist in political process of the occupied Crimea. It has nominated 74 candidates by party lists and deployed its representatives to every single-mandate district.
Serhii Aksionov leads the Russian party to the top of occupation government. To sound more accurate, Aksionov leads his family to this very top. Besides the Acting "Head of the Republic" himself, who is number first in the list of the United Russia, his father and wife's sister is also nominated by the party. Valerii Aksionov is nominated in Simferopol, and sister-in-law of the party leader, who is also a business partner of the family, Yevheniia Dobrynia, is #10 in the party list of the UR.
Ex-members of the Party of Regions became the basis for Putin's party in Crimea. 43% of candidates nominated by the United Russia were members of the PR. It should be mentioned that the percentage of former PR members in top of the party list is even higher. In particular, the first twenty places contain 50% of ex-members of the Party of Regions.
Infographics: Civil Network OPORA
Before the occupation, 40% of UR members that are nominated by the list now belonged to government structures supporting the Party of Regions or pro-Russian organizations. 10% of the United Russia party list consists of former Ukrainian party led by Aksioniv, the Ruska Yednist. Some members of the Ruskyi Bloc, the Unity party, the People's Movement of Ukraine, and representatives of the VRU Member Lev Myrymskyi are also in the party list of the UR.
Besides Serhii Aksionov, the top five candidates in the party list of the UR are: former leader of the Party of Regions in Crimea and Speaker of the illegitimate Crimean parliament Volodymyr Kostiantynov; ex-Deputy Head of the Majlis Remzi Iliasov, former member of the Party of Regions and the Ruska Yendist Serhii Tsekov; and Deputy Speaker of the Crimean parliament and ex-member of the PR Konstiantyn Bakhariev.
Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people didn't approve nomination of Remzi Iliasov to occupation government bodies. However, yet in May, Iliasov was appointed as the Deputy Head of the "State Council of the Republic of Crimea" by the "quota" of the Crimean Tatar people.
The odious Crimean politician Serhii Tsekov, who is the representative of the annexed Crimea in the ederation Council of the Federal Assembly of the RF, is also nominated as MP candidate. By the way, Olha Kovitidi, ex-assistant to the Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olena Lukash, who was also a member of the Party of Regions and adherent to the Kunitsyn's Bloc, became the "senator" representing Crimea.
As for Volodymyr Kostiantynov being in the top of the UR party list, it's interesting that candid adherents of the Crimean referendum are still writing to Putin, asking to remove the corrupt "leftovers" of the Party of Regions on the peninsula. At the same time, Kostiantynov gives top places in the party list of the UR for employees of his company Konsol Ltd., and claims that Crimeans trust only him and Aksionov. The leftovers, as we can see, are alive and blooming.
Photos: EPA/UPG
Participant of the local self-defense called Samvel (Armen Martoian), ex-Head of the International Cooperation and Tourism Department of the Lviv OSA Serhii Strelbytskyi, ministers of the youth government under the Crimean Council of Ministers Vladyslav Hanzhara and Anna Hryhorian etc., are also in the top list of the UR party. Lentun Bezaziev, Head of Council of representatives of Crimean Tatar people under the President of Ukraine, is #19 in the party list of the United Russia. It should be mentioned that Yanukovych's decree on the membership of the Council of representatives of Crimean Tatar people is still in force.
52% of candidates nominated by Putin's party in single-member districts are former members of the Party of Regions. A lot of them were also nominated in the same districts on 2010 elections to the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. For example, Director General of the Crimean Soda Plant PJSC is running in district #2 (Simferopol), nominated by the United Russia. The Crimean Soda Plant belongs to the Group DF of Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash. In June, Firtash's Group registered its enterprise in accordance with Russian legislation, explaining the decision by unstable situation in Kyiv.
Infographics: Civil Network OPORA
The Just Russia party led by Serhii Myronov is represented in Crimean elections by non-local politician - MP of the State Duma of the RF Oleksandr Terentiev.
Under the wing of the Just Russia, former Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea Anatolii Hrytsenko returns to the politics in Crimea, who was arrested for abuses related to land issues in January 2011, when he was the Head of Leninsk RSA of the ARC. Before the referendum, Hrytsenko was relieved of responsibility by a local court due to the decriminalization of similar actions. It's interesting that Hrytsenko is publicly in opposition to the United Russia, as long as representatives of the Party of Regions sit firm in local organization of Putin's party, who are responsible for disorder and crimes in Crimea. Such claims of the #2 candidate of the Just Russia can be explained by a desire to get satisfaction for criminal persecution during Yanukovych's time, as long as the basis of Myronov's party is also formed by the PR.
Ex-members of the Party of Regions filled 36% of the Just Russia's party list, and are the most recognized candidates in the local party office. However, 44% of candidates in the party list were either unaffiliated or their affiliation was not widely known before the annexation. There are also representatives of the Strong Ukraine (5%), AUU Batkivshchyna, and the Ruska Yednist party (3%).
For example, the Just Russia nominated candidates who belonged to the Yuliia Tymoshenko Block in the Verkhovna Rada of the ARC in 2006, Serhii Beim and Valerii Belozerov; ex-Deputy Head of the Kherson OSA Anatolii Rozenko; former Military Commissar in Mykolaiv oblast Anatolii Kostenko. Anton Raskin, owner of the TES gas station network in Crimea, which is one of the largest, and is going to be bought by oligarch Serhii Kurchenko, is #24 in party list of the Just Russia.
According to the local media, Mykola Kotliarevskyi, allegedly the member of the “Seilem” organized crime gang, became the member of the Just Russia in Crimea. By the way, in 2010, MP of Ukraine Hennadii Moskal sent the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov an information request about appointment of Kotliarevskyi as an adviser to the Minister of Transport and Communications of Ukraine. Today's "President" of Crimea Serhii Aksionov was also involved in the “Seilem” gang, according to the media.
Photos: www.agatov.com
Quite expectedly, the KPRF has the largest number of candidates ex-members of the CPU - 88%. They were leaders in local offices of the party, local councilors. Crimean CPU members added their length of party membership to the history of the KPRF. Thus, it turns out that adherents of Symonenko were formally members of the KPRF for all years of independent Ukraine.
The Deputy Head of the KPRF party faction in the State Duma of the Russian Federation Mykola Kolomoitsevis #1 in the party list of the KPRF.
Leader of Crimean communists Oleh Solomakhyn is #3.
Leonid Hrach, the opponent of Petro Symonenko has appeared again in political life of the annexed Crimea. The leader in Crimean political life, he headed the republican list of the Russian Communists party, which is competing with the KPRF for supporters of left-wing parties. Despite new horizons, Hrach remembers about Symonenko, and constantly tells about unknown before details of his political and social life.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky leads the LDPR in elections to the so-called State Council of the Crimea. Sergey Shuvannikov, one of the ex-leaders of the Ruska Yednist party, is second in the list after Zhirinovsky. The LDPR turned out to be the best of all Russian parliamentary parties that satisfied political ambitious of barely known Crimeans. Before Russian intervention, 88% of LDPR members were ordinary politicians. Almost 20% of candidates nominated by Zhirinovsky's political party are temporarily unemployed.
Besides Russian parliamentary parties (the United Russia, KPRF, Just Russia, LDPR), 8 more parties will fight for votes in Crimea. In particular, the Rodina party with Vadym Kolesnichenko as #1 candidate, and CPSJ (Communist Party of Social Justice) with Andrei Brezhnev, the grandson of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, as the man candidate. The situation with candidates from the Russian Party of Pensioners for Justice is almost anecdotic. The absolute majority of candidates from this party live in Tulska oblast of the RF, and only some local candidates were included in the party list. While some Crimeans were voting for the right to die in Russia during the pseudo-referendum, "pensioners" in Tulska oblast had similar interest in picturesque lands of the peninsula.
Photos: EPA/UPG
It's difficult to name everybody who wants to come to the power on occupied territory. However, it's obvious that Crimeas will see no "new Russian Crimea". Those who were impudently cashing in on Crimean resources, parasitized on local and State Budget of Ukraine, running from party to party, and following lucrative impulses, will continue governing the peninsula. They were appointed to top positions by various Ukrainian presidents; they received and are still receiving profit from business all over Ukraine. They keep state rewards, and will continue awarding them to Ukrainian heroes.
Such imitation of voting on the annexed territory should be interpreted as the violation of international law and general principles of the election process. However, Ukraine should do more than appealing to the international community. The government should make real steps and draw to account individuals who voluntary implemented unlawful plans of the foreign aggressor. These steps should be the following:
- to include all "candidates" nominated by occupation political parties in Crimea in wanted list, and secure its jurisdiction as soon as possible;
- to apply sanctions against business and other activities on Ukrainian territory for every "candidate".
And it's not a tactic. It's the survival issue.
Oleksandr Kliuzhev,
Analyst of the Civil Network OPORA
specially for the LB.ua