United Centre
Encyclopedia
United Centre is a Ukrainian
political party. It is an offspring of Our Ukraine. It will participate in the next Ukrainian parliamentary election
independently. Legally United Centre is the successor of the Party of Private Property , registered with the Ministry of Justice on September 24, 1999. The party changed its name too United Centre in March 2008. At this time the parties goals where: "assisting President Viktor Yuschenko to realize its program of actions" and "to unite Eastern Ukraine and Western Ukraine".
The party rejects any possibility of joining a parliamentary coalition with the Communist Party of Ukraine
.
Because Ukrainian law does not allow members of the Verkhovna Rada
(the Ukrainian parliament) create a (new) parliamentary faction with less than 15 members (United Centre was created after the 2007 parliamentary elections
) there is no United Centre faction in the Verkhovna Rada; 5 United Centre members are part of the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc faction.
Party leader Viktor Baloha was appointed Minister of Emergencies and Minister of the Protection of the Population from the Chernobyl disaster
on November 12, 2010 by President Viktor Yanukovych
. According to Baloha this did not mean his party would join the coalition Government
.
the party endorsed incumbent President Leonid Kuchma
.
During the Ukrainian parliamentary elections 2002
it was part of the electoral alliance
Team of Winter Generation
. Team of Winter Generation won 2.0 % of the popular vote and no seats.
Party of Private Property did not participate in the Ukrainian parliamentary elections of 2006
and 2007
.
At the sixth Party Congress of the Party of Private Property, held on 20 March 2008, the party decided to change its name too United Centre. At this time the parties goals where: "assisting President Viktor Yuschenko to realize its program of actions" and "to unite Eastern Ukraine and Western Ukraine
".
On March 27, United Centre held the founding meeting in Kiev. On July 8, Presidential Secretariat's Chief Baloha entered the United Centre party. On July 12, 2008 United Centre re-elected Verkhovna Rada
deputy Ihor Kril of Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense bloc as its leader. The merger of United Center with the Democratic Party of Ukraine
failed to materialize prior to the congress. Administrative pressure by governors upon state employees to sign up to United Centre is said to be ongoing. Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defence Bloc did complain that members of its regional branches are being poached by United Centre.
In October 2008 Social Christian Party merged with United Centre.
On October 21, 2008 the presidium of People’s Union Our Ukraine decided not to team up with any other party then the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc for the 2008 snap parliamentary poll and called the idea of teaming up with United Centre "impossible". On 20 November 2008, the United Centre leader Ihor Kril said the party will participate independently in the next parliamentary elections and that he "fully support the view that the format of Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc, as it exists now, is not realistic or effective. Every political force should take responsibility for their actions before the electorate".
According to UNIAN the People’s Union Our Ukraine and United Centre parties was to carry out a unifying congress on January 17, 2009. The People’s Democratic party
was reported to join the move. However nothing like this happened.
After Viktor Baloha resigned as Head of the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine
he claimed he resigned from this post as he is totally against President Yuschenko's decision to run for president for a second term
, the second reason behind his resignation was nepotism
. "I'm confident that you have no moral right to participate in the presidential elections. I'm not your supporter here," Baloha said in a statement made available from the United Centre party's press service to Interfax-Ukraine
on May 19, 2009.
in March 2010 because the Communist Party of Ukraine
was a part of that coalition.
A March 2010 poll predicted that the party would get 0.2% of the vote at the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election.)
Early August parliamentarian Kyrylo Kulykov joined the party, thus as of August 2010 6 United Centre members are lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada
. Kulykov had switched from Yuriy Lutsenko's People's Self-Defense
. This is 9 too short to form a United Centre faction in the Verkhovna Rada.
In the 2010 local elections the party won a few representative in regional parliaments but achieved a stunning victory in the Zakarpattia Oblast
.
On November 12, 2010 President Viktor Yanukovych
appointed party leader Viktor Baloha was Minister of Emergencies and Minister of the Protection of the Population from the Chernobyl disaster
. According to Baloha this did not mean his party would join the coalition Government. According to Ukrayinska Pravda
the United Centre deputies in parliament already quietly voted with the Party of Regions
(the main component of the Azarov Government). Deputy Lesya Orobets left the party after Baloha's appointment because the party never informed her about it.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
political party. It is an offspring of Our Ukraine. It will participate in the next Ukrainian parliamentary election
Next Ukrainian parliamentary election
On February 1, 2011 the Verkhovna Rada set the election date for the next Ukrainian parliamentary election for October 28, 2012. The elections will use a mixed voting system with a 5% election threshold and the participation of blocs of political parties will not be allowed anymore...
independently. Legally United Centre is the successor of the Party of Private Property , registered with the Ministry of Justice on September 24, 1999. The party changed its name too United Centre in March 2008. At this time the parties goals where: "assisting President Viktor Yuschenko to realize its program of actions" and "to unite Eastern Ukraine and Western Ukraine".
The party rejects any possibility of joining a parliamentary coalition with the Communist Party of Ukraine
Communist Party of Ukraine
The Communist Party of Ukraine is a political party in Ukraine, currently led by Petro Symonenko.The party fights the Ukrainian national self-determination by identifying any Ukrainian national parties as the National-Fascist ones The Communist Party of Ukraine is a political party in Ukraine,...
.
Because Ukrainian law does not allow members of the Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
(the Ukrainian parliament) create a (new) parliamentary faction with less than 15 members (United Centre was created after the 2007 parliamentary elections
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007
Early parliamentary elections in Ukraine took place on 30 September 2007. The date of the election was determined following agreement between the President Viktor Yushchenko, the Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Moroz on 27 May 2007, in an attempt...
) there is no United Centre faction in the Verkhovna Rada; 5 United Centre members are part of the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc faction.
Party leader Viktor Baloha was appointed Minister of Emergencies and Minister of the Protection of the Population from the Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
on November 12, 2010 by President 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...
. According to Baloha this did not mean his party would join the coalition Government
Azarov Government
The first Azarov Government was appointed on March 11, 2010 as part of the "Stability and Reform" coalition between the Party of Regions, Lytvyn Bloc and the Communist Party of Ukraine in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament...
.
Party of Private Property
The Party of Private Property was registered with the Ministry of Justice September 24, 1999. At the 1999 Ukrainian presidential electionUkrainian presidential election, 1999
The Ukrainian presidential election, 1999 was a presidential election held in 1999 in Ukraine.There were 15 candidates originally with two withdrawing prior to election ....
the party endorsed incumbent President Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma was the second President of independent Ukraine from 19 July 1994, to 23 January 2005. Kuchma took office after winning the 1994 presidential election against his rival, incumbent Leonid Kravchuk...
.
During the Ukrainian parliamentary elections 2002
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2002
Ukrainian parliamentary election of 2002 took place on March 31. Half of the deputies to Verkhovna Rada were elected on proportional basis, while the other half were elected by popular vote in single-mandate constituencies...
it was part of the electoral alliance
Electoral alliance
An electoral alliance may take the form of a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc. It is an association of political parties or individuals which exists solely to stand in elections...
Team of Winter Generation
Team of Winter Generation
The Team of Winter Generation was an electoral alliance in Ukraine.At the parliamentary elections on 30 March 2002, the alliance won 2.0 % of the popular vote and no seats.The alliance had the following members:...
. Team of Winter Generation won 2.0 % of the popular vote and no seats.
Party of Private Property did not participate in the Ukrainian parliamentary elections of 2006
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2006
The Ukrainian parliamentary election took place on March 26, 2006. Election campaigning officially began on July 7, 2005. Between November 26 and December 31, 2005 party lists of candidates were formed....
and 2007
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007
Early parliamentary elections in Ukraine took place on 30 September 2007. The date of the election was determined following agreement between the President Viktor Yushchenko, the Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Moroz on 27 May 2007, in an attempt...
.
Viktor Yuschenko Presidency
In February 2008 several prominent members left Our Ukraine. Viktor Baloha, Head of the President's Secretariat resigned on February 15 (to lift the issue of the correlation between the authorities as the President’s Chief of Staff and as a member of the OU-PSD presidium). Roman Bezsmertny, high ranked party official, along with people’s deputies, Mykhaylo Polyanchych, Ihor Kryl, Viktor Topolov, Oksana Bilozir and Vasyl Petevka resigned on February 20, in a joint statement the declared that: "some of the leaders of the party play their own game, coming from personal interests and it has nothing to do with responsibility, pluralism and norms of democracy."At the sixth Party Congress of the Party of Private Property, held on 20 March 2008, the party decided to change its name too United Centre. At this time the parties goals where: "assisting President Viktor Yuschenko to realize its program of actions" and "to unite Eastern Ukraine and Western Ukraine
Western Ukraine
Western Ukraine may refer to:* Generally, the territories in the West of Ukraine* Eastern Galicia* West Ukrainian National Republic...
".
On March 27, United Centre held the founding meeting in Kiev. On July 8, Presidential Secretariat's Chief Baloha entered the United Centre party. On July 12, 2008 United Centre re-elected Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
deputy Ihor Kril of Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense bloc as its leader. The merger of United Center with the Democratic Party of Ukraine
Democratic Party of Ukraine
The Democratic Party of Ukraine is a political party in Ukraine registered in 1991.-History:The Democratic Party of Ukraine is one of the oldest political institutions of Ukraine. DemPU was founded in 1990 by a group of famous Ukrainian dissidents....
failed to materialize prior to the congress. Administrative pressure by governors upon state employees to sign up to United Centre is said to be ongoing. Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defence Bloc did complain that members of its regional branches are being poached by United Centre.
In October 2008 Social Christian Party merged with United Centre.
On October 21, 2008 the presidium of People’s Union Our Ukraine decided not to team up with any other party then the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc for the 2008 snap parliamentary poll and called the idea of teaming up with United Centre "impossible". On 20 November 2008, the United Centre leader Ihor Kril said the party will participate independently in the next parliamentary elections and that he "fully support the view that the format of Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc, as it exists now, is not realistic or effective. Every political force should take responsibility for their actions before the electorate".
According to UNIAN the People’s Union Our Ukraine and United Centre parties was to carry out a unifying congress on January 17, 2009. The People’s Democratic party
People's Democratic Party (Ukraine)
-History:The party had a flying start, at the parliamentary elections 1998 the party gained 5% of the votes and 28 seats in Parliament. At the time of the election the party's leader, Valeriy Pustovoitenko, was prime minister....
was reported to join the move. However nothing like this happened.
After Viktor Baloha resigned as Head of the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine
Secretariat of the President of Ukraine
The Presidential Administration or unofficially Bankova is an administrative body set up to assist the President of Ukraine, Ukraine's head of state. The main purpose of the Administration is to provide administrative, advisory, analytical, and legal assistance to the President...
he claimed he resigned from this post as he is totally against President Yuschenko's decision to run for president for a second term
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...
, the second reason behind his resignation was nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
. "I'm confident that you have no moral right to participate in the presidential elections. I'm not your supporter here," Baloha said in a statement made available from the United Centre party's press service to Interfax-Ukraine
Interfax-Ukraine
The Interfax-Ukraine News Agency is a Kiev-based Ukrainian news agency founded in 1992, the company belonging to the international group Interfax Information Services. The company publishes in Ukrainian, Russian and English....
on May 19, 2009.
Viktor Yanukovych Presidency
The party did not join the parliamentary coalition which supported the Azarov GovernmentAzarov Government
The first Azarov Government was appointed on March 11, 2010 as part of the "Stability and Reform" coalition between the Party of Regions, Lytvyn Bloc and the Communist Party of Ukraine in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament...
in March 2010 because the Communist Party of Ukraine
Communist Party of Ukraine
The Communist Party of Ukraine is a political party in Ukraine, currently led by Petro Symonenko.The party fights the Ukrainian national self-determination by identifying any Ukrainian national parties as the National-Fascist ones The Communist Party of Ukraine is a political party in Ukraine,...
was a part of that coalition.
A March 2010 poll predicted that the party would get 0.2% of the vote at the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election.)
Early August parliamentarian Kyrylo Kulykov joined the party, thus as of August 2010 6 United Centre members are lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
. Kulykov had switched from Yuriy Lutsenko's People's Self-Defense
Yuriy Lutsenko's People's Self-Defense
The Yuriy Lutsenko's People's Self-Defense is a Ukrainian electoral bloc.In the parliamentary elections on 30 September 2007, the bloc was part of the Our Ukraine alliance, that won 72 out of 450 seats.Yuriy Lutsenko is the party leader.-History:...
. This is 9 too short to form a United Centre faction in the Verkhovna Rada.
In the 2010 local elections the party won a few representative in regional parliaments but achieved a stunning victory in the Zakarpattia Oblast
Zakarpattia Oblast local election, 2010
Zakarpattia Oblast local election, 2010 is a local election in Zakarpattia Oblast that took place on October 31, 2010. Seats were split among eight political parties.- Results :Chairman of the council elections* Ivan Baloha...
.
On November 12, 2010 President 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...
appointed party leader Viktor Baloha was Minister of Emergencies and Minister of the Protection of the Population from the Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
. According to Baloha this did not mean his party would join the coalition Government. According to Ukrayinska Pravda
Ukrayinska Pravda
Ukrayinska Pravda is a popular Ukrainian internet newspaper, founded by Georgiy R. Gongadze in April, 2000...
the United Centre deputies in parliament already quietly voted with the Party of Regions
Party of Regions
The Party of Regions is an Ukrainian political party created on October 26, 1997 just prior to the 1998 Ukrainian parliamentary elections under the name of Party of Regional Revival of Ukraine. It was reformed later in 2001 when the party united with several others...
(the main component of the Azarov Government). Deputy Lesya Orobets left the party after Baloha's appointment because the party never informed her about it.
See also
- 2008 Ukrainian political crisis2008 Ukrainian political crisisThe 2008 Ukrainian political crisis started after President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc withdrew from the governing coalition following a vote on a bill to limit the President's powers in which the Prime Minister's Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko voted with the opposition...
- Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007Early parliamentary elections in Ukraine took place on 30 September 2007. The date of the election was determined following agreement between the President Viktor Yushchenko, the Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Moroz on 27 May 2007, in an attempt...
- List of Ukrainian Parliament Members 2007