- Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united)
The Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) or SDPU(u) or SDPU(o) (Ukrainian: "Sotsial-Demokratychna Partiya Ukrayiny [obyednana] ", Соцiал-демократична партiя України (об`єднана) or СДПУ(о)), is a Ukrainian political party.
SDPU(o) was created in 1996 and was originally led by former Ukrainian president
Leonid Kravchuk , head ofLeonid Kuchma 's presidential administrationViktor Medvedchuk and by Ukrainian oligarchHryhoriy Surkis . During the presidential term of Leonid Kuchma the party portrayed itself as a centrist, social-democratic moderate political force that advocated integration with Europe and supported the president. Its traditional stronghold is Trans-Carpathian Ukraine; the party was closely linked to presidential administration and big business. During 2002 parliamentary elections SDPU(o) won 6.2% of the national vote.SDPU(o) opposed
Viktor Yushchenko 's coalition of liberal and nationalist movements and in March 2002 it blamed nationalist elements linked to the pro-Yushchenko "Our Ukraine " alliance for the murder of the vice-governor ofIvano-Frankivsk Oblast , who was an SDPU(o) member.During the
Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 SDPU(o) also took a strongly pro-Russian and anti-Western stand and backed the candidacy ofViktor Yanukovych . In the aftermath ofViktor Yushchenko 's "Orange Revolution ", SDPU(o) declared itself to be in opposition to the new government. Analysts say that TV channels and other media controlled by the party have started a sharp anti-U.S./anti-NATO campaign in response to Yuschenko's pro-Western policies.Ivan Rizak , the head of the Trans-Carpathian SDPUo branch and governor of theTrans-Carpathian Oblast , was arrested in May 2005 and charged with abuse of public office and driving a pro-opposition university rector to suicide last year. That same month, the party was accused of involvement in the2000 murder ofGeorgiy R. Gongadze , with the journal "Ukrayina moloda" (April 14, 2005) accusing party members of using the dead journalist's corpse in a plot to discredit President Leonid Kuchma and force early elections, which could have led to party leader Medvedchuk succeeding Kuchma.SDPU(o) claims this to be a part of the political campaign of persecution from the new authorities. Supporters of the "Orange Revolution" on the other hand claim that the party enjoyed privileged status under the old regime and was closely associated with big business, organized crime, corruption, and media bias in favour of President Leonid Kuchma.
Despite being one of the most active political parties with a wide range of political activities and a significant number of student and youth members, SDPU tend to lose a significant amount of votes due to the notoriety of its leaders for their business and political practices.
At the last
legislative elections, 26 March 2006, the party was part of theOpposition Bloc "Ne Tak" and failed to clear the 3% minimum to get into parliament. It is has thus disappeared from the national political stage. Currently the party is working on draft Concepts who will determine it's future. [ [http://www.sdpuo.org.ua/eng/news/sdpuu-news/44475420570cd/] ] The current leader isViktor Medvedchuk . [ [http://www.sdpuo.org.ua/eng/] ]References
ee also
*
Politics of Ukraine External links
* [http://www.sdpuo.com/ United Social Democratic Party of Ukraine] official site
* [http://www.medvedchuk.com.ua/ Personal web-site of Viktor Medvedchuk]
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