Ukraine eyes EU entry treaty ‘by 2008’ despite election test

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 22/12/05

Ukraine's political future hangs in the balance ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for March next year, according to the country's Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk.

"This is a very important internal political event," said Tarasyuk, referring to the vote which looks likely to be a defining moment for Ukraine and its relations with the EU.

"Our partners will make their judgement on the perspective of Ukraine after parliamentary and local elections," he told European Voice.

Tarasyuk insisted that Ukraine remains on a pro-EU course, despite the differences which remain between Kiev and EU capitals on how relations should develop. "If Ukraine is looking for a European agreement, an association agreement with the prospect of membership, in 2008, then the EU side is looking for an enhanced kind of agreement," he said.

"If it is a substitution for a membership perspective then we are not very interested," he added.

Tarasyuk said Ukraine hoped to complete negotiations with the EU on easing visa restrictions for Ukrainians by February next year, in time for the elections, and to start negotiations on a free-trade zone next year.

Scheduled for 26 March, the vote has been described as a new round of last year's presidential elections which prompted the Orange Revolution and which drew pro-democracy parties together behind Viktor Yushchenko and his Our Ukraine bloc.

A year on and the 'Orange coalition' has fractured, with the number of parties in the pro-presidential coalition down from ten to six.

Trailing in the polls, Yushchenko now looks likely to rely on the support of his political ally turned rival Yulia Tymoshenko, whom he sacked as prime minister three months ago and with whom relations remain tense.

Pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of the Regions look set to do well, potentially calling into question Ukraine's policy of pursuing EU, NATO and WTO memberships.

According to a poll Yanukovych enjoys the support of 25% of Ukrainians, 12% more than Our Ukraine.

But Tarasyuk, himself the leader of Rukh - or the People's Movement of Ukraine - a part of the Our Ukraine bloc, said Yushchenko was not to blame for the breakdown of the coalition.

"The president was doing his best... Tymoshenko chose to run on her own," he said, adding that the coalition was now a more coherent entity.

"There has been a split in the Orange team, but I would not over-dramatise the situation...I am sure after the election we will re-unite."

But with allegations of corruption and an ongoing gas dispute with Russia pushing down Yushchenko's poll ratings, Our Ukraine may be unable to gather enough votes to put forward a prime minister.

Reforms to the Ukrainian constitution scheduled to come into force early next year will significantly strengthen the parliament and prime minister's post, at the expense of the president.

Kiev is trying to satisfy EU demands that moves towards democracy are not eroded.

Tarasyuk said that foreign observers would be allowed to monitor the poll, but he added that monitors from the Russian-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) would not be invited: "We experienced last year a biased approach from the observers from the CIS."