UKRAINE: REGIONS'S PARTY CONGRESS: A HANDSHAKE, A

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KYIV 001940 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL UP SUBJECT: UKRAINE: REGIONS'S PARTY CONGRESS: A HANDSHAKE, A COMMUNIST, AND THE RUSSIANS KYIV 00001940 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Ambassador for reasons 1.4(b,d). ¶1. (C) Summary. The Party of Regions August 4 party congress was the least predictable of the major party congresses, featuring both moderate speeches by Prime Minister Yanukovych and faction leader Raisa Bohatyreva and well-received speeches from Communist Party leader Symonenko and a representative of the pro-Putin Duma party Yedina Rossiya (United Russia). Yanukovych underscored the party's new motto--Stability and Well-Being--and argued that his government was the only one that protected average Ukrainians. Most of the Regions MPs who followed were much more openly critical of President Yushchenko and the opposition calling them "destroyers of democracy;" there were a number of references to the Orange Revolution as a coup. There was also loud applause for special guest Konstantin Zatulin blacklisted from Ukraine after he took part in anti-NATO protests in Feodosiya in May 2006. Regions's new party list includes most of the Yanukovych Cabinet, rewards opposition defectors, and adds new elements like Energy Minster Yuriy Boyko and PM Chief of Staff Serhiy Lyovochkin, both of whom are connected to shadowy gas middleman RosUkrEnergo. ¶2. (C) Comment. At the congress, the party played up its stability and reluctance to go to new elections--trying to contrast its strong leadership with the more chaotic Our Ukraine. However, the surprising presentations by Symonenko and the Russian MP also gave an optic of a pro-Russian party that was proud of its current coalition. Although some in Regions may be uncomfortable with this line, we are being increasingly told that the party leadership feels it must project this image if it is to protect itself from attacks by leftist parties, like the Communists, Socialists, and Progressive Socialists. The congress itself was run in an orderly way, with all votes unanimous and journalists tightly controlled. The composition of Regions's list suggests overall satisfaction with its current team, although its top ten differs from its 2006 top ten with the promotion of Bohatyreva to the second spot, the inclusion of First deputy PM Azarov, and the introduction of non-party members Inna Bohoslovska and Nestor Shufrych. The inclusion of both of the latter suggests accommodations with their political backers, former President Kuchma son-in-law Viktor Pinchuk and former Kuchma chief of staff Viktor Medvedchuk respectively. End summary and comment. The Congress Begins -------------- ¶3. (C) The Congress started off with standing ovations and chants of "Viktor" and "Yanukovych" as the Prime Minister entered the conference hall. The party presidium's 18 members took their seats on the stage--including Yanukovych, Azarov, faction leader Bohatyreva, DPM Klyuyev, oligarch Akhmetov, his political manager Borys Kolesnikov, Yanukovych lawyer Olena Lukash, and MPs Hanna Herman, Taras Chornovil, Viktor Tykhonov, Hryhoriy Skudar, and Vyachesalv Boguslayev. Non-Regions notables at the congress included first Ukrainian President Kravchuk, Economics Minister Kinakh, most of the Cabinet (minus the Socialist and Communist ministers),and defectors to the coalition from the opposition. Yanukovych, Bohatyreva, Herman, and Chornovil were among the only Ukrainian speakers at the conference--they were also among the small minority who seemed to know the words to Ukraine's national anthem. Yanukovych's Speech: We Are Working For Good of the Country -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Yanukovych gave the first speech of the day, a moderate talk that reflected the Party's new slogan: Stability and Well-Being. He praised his Cabinet for its success in working for the good of the country and criticized the opposition for considering itself above the law. Regions had demonstrated its readiness for compromise, but Our Ukraine did not listen. He said his Cabinet stood for a balanced foreign policy, a good economic policy, normal relations with Russia, and closer ties to the EU. His government was on the side of the people, while the "so-called democratic, European President" was using the constitution for his own benefit. His government was trying to improve the lives of the people, but Yushchenko had blocked their efforts. Regions was proposing unity, since there was no alternative, but the opposition wanted absolute power. He claimed that the Orange Revolution had been a political-technical experiment and its proponents were attempting another such experiment now. ¶5. (SBU) Yanukovych then ran through a series of possible KYIV 00001940 002.2 OF 003 social-welfare improvements, such as increasing the minimum wage, giving money to young families to buy their first home, working on a pension fund, increasing salaries for officers in the military, and setting a minimum price for land sales. He said that there needed to be changes to the constitution and a working CabMin law. He mentioned the need for administrative-territorial reform and strong local government. Yanukovych wrapped up his speech with the phrase that became a second slogan of the congress--when the opposition shows a fist (note--a reference to People's Self-Defense fist logo),we will offer them a handshake. The Rest of the Regions: Beware of Orange Coups -------------- -- ¶6. (SBU) A number of Regions officials then made speeches. Key themes were that Regions equaled stability, that the opposition was destructive and selfish, and that Regions was a reluctant participant in the elections. Bohatyreva said that the early elections were revenge by the political minority, who should really blame the situation on their own disorganization and failures. She said Regions's program was "national pragmatism"--including better pension and insurance systems, greater moral values, and patriotism. Many speakers criticized the Orange Revolution, Our Ukraine, and Tymoshenko. There was very little offered in terms of specific program ideas. MP Herman said that the orange forces had caused a split between Ukraine and Russia. She also amended Yanukovych's handshake for a fist line to say that the opposition will feel the force of Regions's handshake--"we won the last battle, we will win again." ¶7. (C) Kravchuk gave a wacky presentation, comparing Yushchenko to Stalin in terms of his meddling in political party affairs. He expressed his pride in becoming a new member of Regions (although he is not included on the party's electoral list) and praised Yanukovych as a great leader. MP Chornovil--who got strong applause, most likely because although he is the son of famous dissident and ardent nationalist Vyacheslav, he had moved from the orange to the blue camp (in 2004)--said that the third round of the 2004 presidential election had been illegal and falsified, but said Regions would do its best to keep this election honest. Fellow MP Boguslayev said that the Orange Revolution and the upcoming Rada elections were both anti-democratic coups. The Russians Are Backing Regions -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Early in the conference, the announcer welcomed very special visitor Russian Duma deputy Konstantin Zatulin, who was put on Ukraine's blacklist in 2006 for participating in the anti-NATO protests in Feodosiya; Zatulin received loud applause. Another Duma MP, Konstantin Kosachev from the pro-Putin Yedina Rossiya party, was invited on stage to give a speech on behalf of Duma Speaker Borys Gryzlov. His speech drew the loudest applause of the day. It underscored the partnership agreement signed between Yedina Rossiya and Regions. (Note. A Regions delegation, including Azarov and Kolesnikov, recently traveled to Moscow to sign the agreement. End note.) Kosachev talked about the eternal and strong friendship between Ukraine and Russia. He said that Regions was a constructive and responsible political force and the Russians had been very pleased with the results of the March 2006 Rada elections. He said democracy was not a color, but respect for the constitution and for the people, no matter where the people live or what language they speak. He said that Russia wants to live in a Europe without borders, but there was still one border--to Ukraine's west. He said that new elections do not answer the needs of the Ukrainians, but they will show how popular Regions is, adding that Regions would build a great state and a great Ukraine. Kosachev closed by saying that Russia is rooting for Regions, once again drawing the loudest applause of the day. Symonenko: Keep the Coalition Strong -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Regions also invited coalition partner and head of the Communist party Petro Symonenko to address the congress. As usual with the Communist leader, Symonenko gave a harsh and fierce criticism of Yushchenko. He said that the Anti-Crisis Coalition had crossed the Rubicon together in 2006 in defeating the orange forces and they must strengthen and solidify the current coalition to fight the usurpation of power by Yushchenko and his circle. He claimed Yushchenko had created a split in the political elite while seeking personal benefit for his family and friends. He said that the coalition must protect Ukraine's national capital, providing jobs for everyone and creating economic KYIV 00001940 003.2 OF 003 independence from all sides. Party Approves Election List and Platform -------------- ¶10. (C) After the speeches, Yanukovych moved on to party business. He proposed that the congress approve the party list as a whole, but only read out the top ten names, leaving delegates to support the list blindly. We also noted that in all votes taken, the assumption appeared to be that all delegates supported the motion and no attempt was made to actually count the votes (this also happened at BYuT's congress; only Our Ukraine publicly counted the votes). In one democratic highlight, however, Yanukovych announced that Regions political committee had finally decided to expel from the party list MP Kalashnikov, who was caught on film in August 2006 roughly pushing a tv cameraman outside the Rada, raising an outcry from freedom of speech proponents. Party List--New Members -------------- ¶11. (C) Comment. The Regions party list approved by the congress starts off with a surprising top five, including two non-party members--Deputy Justice Minister Inna Bohoslovska and Minister of Emergency Situations Nestor Shufrych. Bohoslovska, whose Viche party did not make it into the Rada in 2006, is a political ally of oligarch Viktor Pinchuk, suggesting the Dnipropetrovsk baron may have found an accommodation with his Donetsk neighbors. Shufrych's addition to the list has been attributed to the alliance with Regions of the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united)--known for the anti-democratic, pro-Russian stance of its leaders, such as Kuchma Chief of Staff Medvedchuk. At the same time, the exclusion of Medvedchuk himself from the list, as well as other SDPU(o) members--Medvedchuk boasted to the press that he would get ten spots--is a positive sign. Also reassuring is the absence of Socialists from the list, other than junior oligarch and Kuchma godson Andriy Derkach, who was only a Socialist for the 2006 elections. ¶12. (C) Most Cabinet ministers are on the list, including the politically unaffiliated like Dmytro Tabachnyk, Oleksandr Kuzmuk, and Yuriy Boyko. Regions did reward opposition defectors, giving slots to Economics Minister Kinakh and his allies, former OU MPs Serhiy Holovatiy and Oleksandr Volkov (the basketball player),former BYuT financial backer Vasyl Khmelnitskiy, and on-again off-again Prosecutor General Svyatoslav Piskun. PM Chief of Staff and rumored RosUkrEnergo liaison Serhiy Lyovochkin is also on the list, his first foray into elected politics. ¶13. (U) Visit Embassy Kyiv's classified website: www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev. Taylor