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Ukrainians Vote in Parliamentary Elections With Far-Reaching Implications Ukrainian President Claims Victory for Pro-Western Parties
(about 4 hours later)
KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainian voters streamed to the polls on Sunday to choose a new Parliament, as the country, still on a war footing against pro-Russian separatists in the east, moved to complete a transformation that began when President Viktor F. Yanukovych fled in February amid bloody street protests. KIEV, Ukraine — Pro-Western parties won an overwhelming majority in Ukraine’s Parliament, President Petro O. Poroshenko declared on Sunday, citing exit polls.
The outcome will have far-reaching implications not just for this country’s 45 million people, but also for the United States and its European allies, which have staked a huge political and financial bet on Ukraine’s ability to emerge from the crisis as a stable state. The results, if confirmed by official tallies expected on Monday, would complete a transformation of the government that began in February when the former president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, fled following sustained, bloody street protests over his decision to align more closely with Russia.
The makeup of Parliament, and the ability of lawmakers to overcome a long tradition of dysfunction, will factor heavily in the ability of President Petro O. Poroshenko to deliver on his promise to unshackle Ukraine from the Kremlin’s grip. The country remains on war-footing against pro-Russian separatists in the east.
He has also pledged to end the worst violence on the Continent since the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s and to resolve the most dangerous dispute between the West and Russia since the Cold War. Expanded power for pro-Western parties is certain to be cheered by the United States and its European allies, which have staked a huge political and financial bet on Ukraine’s ability to emerge from its current crisis as a stable state, and especially to be able to repay its debts.
“It’s crystal clear that we have to reset the Parliament, the government, and to establish the new rules in my country,” Prime Minister Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk said after casting his ballot in Kiev, the capital. “This is a first tremendous and crucial step to make Ukrainian politics more clear, more transparent, more responsible and more accountable.” The United States and European nations are also eager to end the worst violence on the Continent since the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s, and to resolve the most dangerous dispute between the West and Russia since the Cold War. That however, is likely to hinge as much on President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia as on Mr. Poroshenko, who has promised voters to unshackle his country from the Kremlin’s grip.
While voter polls have shown a coalition party led by Mr. Poroshenko as a strong front-runner throughout the race, he is not expected to win a controlling majority. That means he would have to form a coalition with one or more minority factions, including with Mr. Yatsenyuk, who has his own party but has been allied with Mr. Poroshenko in the new government. An overwhelming pro-Western majority may also pose a challenge for Mr. Poroshenko as he tries to convince residents of the embattled east that their interests are also a priority in Kiev. Such skepticism is likely to be heightened because of the inability of so many residents of eastern Ukraine to participate in Sunday’s election.
The precise makeup of Parliament, including the number of seats won by Mr. Yatsenyuk’s party, People’s Front, will determine if he is named again as prime minister, a job that he described as “political suicide” when he accepted it in March. Between the war zone and Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March, international election observers said as many as five million people were unable to cast ballots.
The exit polls showed Mr. Poroshenko’s own coalition party running first in the polls but falling far short of winning a controlling majority on its own. That means he would be forced to form a coalition, most likely in partnership with People’s Front, the party led by Prime Minister Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk.
“It’s crystal clear that we have to reset the Parliament, the government and to establish the new rules in my country,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said after casting his own ballot here in Kiev, the capital. “We strongly believe that the new government, together with the new Parliament and the president will deliver real changes.”
Mr. Yatsenyuk, standing with his wife, Tereza, and 10-year-old daughter added, “This is a first tremendous and crucial step to make Ukrainian politics, more clear, more transparent, more responsible and more accountable.”
If his party, People’s Front, posts as strong a showing as the exit polls suggest, it would increase the likelihood that Mr. Yatsenyuk would remain in the prime minister’s post in a new government. According to the Constitution, the government must resign and a new government must be chosen by the Parliament, called the Verkhovna Rada.
One party that is generally regarded as pro-Russian appeared in a position to clear the threshold for forming a faction in the Parliament, according to the exit polls. That party, the Opposition Bloc, includes some of Mr. Yanukovych’s former allies with strong ties to the embattled east.
The party could ultimately prove crucial to future negotiations with Mr. Putin and to resolving the simmering conflict in the east.
The party is led by Yuri Boiko, a former deputy prime minister and energy minister under Mr. Yanukovych. Mr. Boiko also has served as energy minister and was head of the Ukrainian national energy company, Naftogaz, from 2002 to 2005, giving him extensive business dealings with Russia.
The Opposition Bloc was also heavily supported by Sergiy V. Liovochkin, a former chief of staff to Mr. Poroshenko and one of Ukraine’s wealthiest businessmen. Mr. Liovochkin had a falling out with Mr. Yanukoych over the response to the protests last fall and attempted to resign.
To supporters of the uprising in Ukraine, including Mr. Yatsenyuk, the vote on Sunday represents the chance to secure a pro-European path, fulfilling ambitions that were thwarted when Mr. Yanukovych, under Russian pressure, broke a promise to sign political and trade accords with the European Union last November.To supporters of the uprising in Ukraine, including Mr. Yatsenyuk, the vote on Sunday represents the chance to secure a pro-European path, fulfilling ambitions that were thwarted when Mr. Yanukovych, under Russian pressure, broke a promise to sign political and trade accords with the European Union last November.
Although a new president, Mr. Poroshenko, was elected in May, the membership of the legislature, called the Verkhova Rada, did not change. As a result, Parliament still includes allies of Mr. Yanukovych who had pushed through draconian laws in January aimed at stopping the protests by curtailing rights to free speech and assembly. Although a new president, Mr. Poroshenko, was elected in May, the membership of the legislature did not change. As a result, the Parliament still included allies of Mr. Yanukovych who had pushed through draconian laws in January aimed at stopping the protests by curtailing rights to free speech and assembly.
To opponents of the protests, the vote was an attempt to seal an illegal overthrow of the government, with the legitimacy of the balloting further clouded by the inability of many residents of the embattled east to participate.To opponents of the protests, the vote was an attempt to seal an illegal overthrow of the government, with the legitimacy of the balloting further clouded by the inability of many residents of the embattled east to participate.
International observers said the election was technically well organized in the areas of the country that remained under the control of the Ukrainian government, but they conceded that perhaps five million people would be unable to cast votes in the east and in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March. International observers said the election was technically well organized in the areas of the country that remained under the control of the Ukrainian government.
Clearly sensitive to this, and to the government’s continuing lack of control in the war zone, Mr. Poroshenko did not appear as expected at a polling station in Kiev on Sunday morning. Instead, his wife, Maryna, appeared alone and announced that her husband had made a surprise trip to the east to observe voting there.Clearly sensitive to this, and to the government’s continuing lack of control in the war zone, Mr. Poroshenko did not appear as expected at a polling station in Kiev on Sunday morning. Instead, his wife, Maryna, appeared alone and announced that her husband had made a surprise trip to the east to observe voting there.
Mr. Poroshenko visited two polling stations in the city of Kramatorsk, then returned to the capital to cast his vote, his office said. “As we already have a new Ukraine and new president after the Revolution of Dignity,” Mr. Poroshenko told reporters, “I hope that now we will have a new government, Parliament and a pro-European coalition.” Mr. Poroshenko visited two polling stations in the city of Kramatorsk, then returned to the capital to cast his vote, his office said.
The exact makeup of that coalition depends on how voters responded to a ballot that included several new options, among them a new party called the Opposition Bloc that includes some of Mr. Yanukovych’s former allies, with ties to the embattled east. Any deal with the Opposition Bloc could ultimately prove crucial to future negotiations with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and to resolving the simmering conflict in the east. There are 450 seats in the Rada. Half will be filled by candidates on party lists, with seats apportioned according to the percentage of votes each party receives in nationwide balloting. The other half will be filled by direct election in local districts. Candidates can run with a party’s endorsement or independently; once elected, they can choose to join with a party. Parties need to cross a 5 percent threshold to form a faction in the Parliament.
The party is led by Yuri Boiko, a former deputy prime minister and energy minister under Mr. Yanukovych. Mr. Boiko also served as energy minister under President Viktor A. Yushchenko, and was also head of the Ukrainian national energy company, Naftogaz, from 2002 to 2005, giving him extensive business dealings with Russia.
The Opposition Bloc was also heavily supported by Sergiy V. Liovochkin, a former chief of staff to Mr. Poroshenko and one of Ukraine’s wealthiest businessmen. Mr. Liovochkin had a falling out with Mr. Yanukoych over the response to the protests last fall and attempted to resign.
Among the other parties expected to cross the 5 percent threshold needed to form a faction in the Parliament were the populist Radical Party, led by a flamboyant lawmaker, Oleh Lyashko; Self-Help, a new party led by the mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, and a young civic activist, Hannah Hopko; Fatherland, led by a former prime minister, Yulia V. Tymoshenko; and the nationalist Svoboda party.
There are 450 seats in the Rada. Half will be filled by candidates on party lists, with seats apportioned according to the percentage of votes each party receives in nationwide balloting. The other half will be filled by direct election in local districts. Candidates can run with a party’s endorsement or independently; once elected, they can choose to join with a party.
In Kiev, voters seemed fatigued by the events of the last year, but many expressed hope that the parliamentary elections would open a new chapter in the country’s history, propelling Ukraine to a European future that many of them view as their destiny.In Kiev, voters seemed fatigued by the events of the last year, but many expressed hope that the parliamentary elections would open a new chapter in the country’s history, propelling Ukraine to a European future that many of them view as their destiny.
Marta Yuzkiv, 44, who arrived to vote with her husband, Serhiy Chornyy, 36, and 6-year-old twin sons, said that she had voted for Self-Help, which focuses on government reform, because she was drawn to “new faces.” She said she was in good spirits because “we didn’t vote against somebody; now, we could choose somebody we like.” Marta Yuzkiv, 44, who arrived to vote with her husband, Serhiy Chornyy, 36, and 6-year-old twin sons, said that she had voted for a new party named Self-Help, which emphasizes government reform, because she was drawn to “new faces.”
Ms. Yuzkiv added, “I don’t really trust that we can change the system immediately, but eventually we will do it.” “I don’t really trust that we can change the system immediately, but eventually we will do it,” she said, adding “We would like to have it quicker, because I really believe that Ukrainian people deserve better authorities.”
Mr. Chornyy, who like his wife works as a clinical researcher, said that he had voted for the nationalist Svoboda party, as he did in 2012, because he believed it was the one truly “Ukrainian” party that would not make inappropriate compromises with Russia.Mr. Chornyy, who like his wife works as a clinical researcher, said that he had voted for the nationalist Svoboda party, as he did in 2012, because he believed it was the one truly “Ukrainian” party that would not make inappropriate compromises with Russia.
Valentina I. Lukashena, 80, said that she had voted for Mr. Poroshenko’s party on the reasoning that the country had already entrusted itself to him. “Poroshenko is in power,” Ms. Lukashena said, standing with her friend Lidia K. Ivanova, 92.Valentina I. Lukashena, 80, said that she had voted for Mr. Poroshenko’s party on the reasoning that the country had already entrusted itself to him. “Poroshenko is in power,” Ms. Lukashena said, standing with her friend Lidia K. Ivanova, 92.
“If you chose him, then you need to count on him and make sure so that he stays in power.”“If you chose him, then you need to count on him and make sure so that he stays in power.”
Ms. Ivanova chimed in: “He is well read, educated, smart, right? What else do you need? We’ll see what happens.” Ms. Ivanova chimed in: “He is well read, educated, smart, right? What else do you need? That’s it. And we’ll see what happens.”