Serhiy Ratushniak
Encyclopedia
Serhiy Mykolayovych Ratushnyak is a former Mayor of Uzhhorod
and was a self-nominated candidate in the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election
. During the election Ratushnyak received 0,12% of the votes.
. He entered politics in 1994 after creating RIO, a syndicate of enterprises engaged in beverage sales, the production of cured meats and taxi service. Ratushnyak was charged in 2000 with embezzlement, but released after the charges were dropped.
In August 2009, Ratushnyak was alleged to have beaten a female campaigner of fellow presidential candidate, Arseniy Yatseniuk (Front of Change
) A criminal case was soon opened against Ratushniak, he was accused of hooliganism, abuse of office and the violation of racial and national equality of citizens, Ratushniak denies the claims. Ratushniak was not previously known to be anti-Semitic. Following his nomination Ratushniak told a local paper that the Jews
were to blame for all his country's troubles. Ratushnyak has also called Yatsenyuk “a nasty Jew mason” and an "impudent little Jew" who was "successfully serving the thieves who are in power in Ukraine and is using criminal money to plough ahead towards Ukraine's presidency". The mayor told the Associated Press
in a telephone interview: "Is everybody obliged to love Jews and Israel
? If I don't like Jews and Israel, does that make me an anti-Semite?".
Late December 2009 Ratushniak called on President
Viktor Yushchenko
to declare war on Somalia
; referring to the taking hostage of Ukrainian sailors by Somali pirates. Ratushniak also believes Americans
should atone for killing native Indians
before meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs. He also wants to tax the rich, develop nuclear arms and oblige all Ukrainians to learn another foreign language, apart from Russian
.
After the first round of the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election where Ratushniak gained only 0.12% of the votes he called upon his voters to support Yulia Tymoshenko
against Viktor Yanukovych
in the second round: "She will be accepted by the international community and European governments, while every second of those will shut the door in front of Yanukovych."
During the 2010 Mayoral elections Ratushniak ended in second place.
Uzhhorod
Uzhhorod or Uzhgorod is a city located in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. It is the administrative center of the Zakarpattia Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Uzhhorodskyi Raion within the oblast...
and was a self-nominated candidate in the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election
Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
The Ukrainian presidential election of 2010 is Ukraine's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The first round was held on January 17, 2010...
. During the election Ratushnyak received 0,12% of the votes.
Biography
Ratushniak was born in Uzhgorod, Ukrainian SSRUkrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
. He entered politics in 1994 after creating RIO, a syndicate of enterprises engaged in beverage sales, the production of cured meats and taxi service. Ratushnyak was charged in 2000 with embezzlement, but released after the charges were dropped.
In August 2009, Ratushnyak was alleged to have beaten a female campaigner of fellow presidential candidate, Arseniy Yatseniuk (Front of Change
Yatsenyuk's Front for Change
Front for Change is a Ukrainian public organization and a political party in Ukraine. Both are led by Arseniy Yatseniuk.-History:The political party Front for Change was registered with the Ministry of Justice on June 26, 2007 and entered in the Register of political parties under number 140.In...
) A criminal case was soon opened against Ratushniak, he was accused of hooliganism, abuse of office and the violation of racial and national equality of citizens, Ratushniak denies the claims. Ratushniak was not previously known to be anti-Semitic. Following his nomination Ratushniak told a local paper that the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
were to blame for all his country's troubles. Ratushnyak has also called Yatsenyuk “a nasty Jew mason” and an "impudent little Jew" who was "successfully serving the thieves who are in power in Ukraine and is using criminal money to plough ahead towards Ukraine's presidency". The mayor told the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in a telephone interview: "Is everybody obliged to love Jews and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
? If I don't like Jews and Israel, does that make me an anti-Semite?".
Late December 2009 Ratushniak called on President
President of Ukraine
Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic, while the...
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
to declare war on Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
; referring to the taking hostage of Ukrainian sailors by Somali pirates. Ratushniak also believes Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
should atone for killing native Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
before meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs. He also wants to tax the rich, develop nuclear arms and oblige all Ukrainians to learn another foreign language, apart from Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
.
After the first round of the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election where Ratushniak gained only 0.12% of the votes he called upon his voters to support Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
against Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
in the second round: "She will be accepted by the international community and European governments, while every second of those will shut the door in front of Yanukovych."
During the 2010 Mayoral elections Ratushniak ended in second place.