Wikipedia

Opposition Bloc (2019)

For the now defunct party of the same name founded in 2014, see Opposition Bloc.

Opposition Bloc (Ukrainian: Опозиційний блок, Russian: Оппозиционный блок), formerly called Opposition Bloc — Party for Peace and Development (Ukrainian: Опозиційний блок — Партія миру та розвитку, Russian: Оппозиционный блок - Партия мира и развития) until June 2019, was a Ukrainian political party that was founded in 2019. On 8 June 2022, the party was banned in court.[14] The party officially ceased to exist on 25 July, due to not appealing the ban.[15]

Opposition Bloc
Опозиційний блок
Оппозиционный блок
LeaderYevheniy Murayev
Deputy LeaderOleksandr Vilkul
ChairmanBorys Kolesnikov
Parliamentary LeaderVadym Novynskyi
Founded7 June 2019 (2019-06-07)
Registered26 December 2018 (2018-12-26)
Banned25 July 2022 (2022-07-25)
Merger ofOpposition Bloc (2014) (Akhmetov's wing)
Party for Peace and Development
Preceded byOpposition Bloc (2014)
Succeeded byUkraine is Our Home
HeadquartersKyiv
IdeologySocial liberalism[1][2][3]
Regionalism[4][5]
Russophilia[6][7][8]
Euroscepticism[4]
Political positionCentre[9] to centre-left[10][11][12]
Affiliate partiesNashi
Revival
Trust Deeds
Strong Ukraine
Christian Socialists
Kernes Bloc
Agrarian Party (united)
For Case Studies
Oligarch associationDonetsk Clan[13]
Colours  Blue   White
Party flag
Website
opposition.com.ua

The creation of the party was the result of a schism in the Opposition Bloc party, a party of the same name founded in 2014. By January 2019, two wings of this party had nominated two different candidates for the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election.[16][17][18] Yuriy Boyko was nominated by the party wing called Opposition Platform — For Life,[19] while a competing party wing wanted to nominate Oleksandr Vilkul as its candidate. The party wing supporting Vilkul formed a new party, Opposition Bloc — Party for Peace and Development. That new party proceeded to nominate Vilkul as its presidential candidate.[16] In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, the new party won six single-seat constituencies, and its nationwide list won 3.23% of the votes, failing to overcome the 5% election barrier.[20]

Legally, Opposition Bloc — Party for Peace and Development is the successor of the Industrial Party of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Індустріальна Україна, Russian: Индустриальная Украина)[16] founded in 2014.[21]

History

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In 2014, six parties that did not endorse Euromaidan merged into a new party called Opposition Bloc,[22][23] which was social-liberal and pro-Russian.[1] In the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election, the party won 29 seats, predominantly in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kharkiv oblasts.[24][25]

According to Ukrainska Pravda, in the summer of 2018, negotiations began regarding the unification of the parties For Life (which had split from Opposition Bloc in 2016) and Opposition Bloc.[18] Ukrainska Pravda reported that these talks were instigated by Serhiy Lyovochkin, who, along with Dmytro Firtash, controlled one of the wings of Opposition Bloc;[18] Rinat Akhmetov controlled the other wing of Opposition Bloc.[18] In early November 2018, the party members loyal to Akhmetov decided to pause the negotiations.[18]

 
Opposition Bloc — Party for Peace and Development

On 9 November 2018, Opposition Bloc chairman Boyko and Vadim Rabinovich's party For Life signed an agreement for cooperation in the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election and the parliamentary election of the same year, and created the alliance Opposition Platform — For Life.[26][27] The same day, Opposition Bloc leading members Vadym Novynskyi and Borys Kolesnikov claimed that the agreement was a "personal initiative" of Boyko and that the party had not taken any decisions on cooperation with For Life.[28] On 17 November 2018, Opposition Platform — For Life nominated Boyko as its candidate in the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election.[27] The same day, Opposition Bloc member Party of Development of Ukraine joined the Opposition Platform — For Life alliance.[27] On 20 November 2018, Boyko and Serhiy Lyovochkin (the leading member of the Party of Development of Ukraine[29]) were excluded from the Opposition Bloc faction because they "betrayed our voters' interests", according to the faction co-chairman, Vilkul.[30]

 
Opposition Bloc billboard in Kharkiv

On 17 December 2018, an Opposition Bloc congress nominated Oleksandr Vilkul as their candidate in the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election.[31] A Ukrainian court had ruled three days before (in response to a lawsuit filed by People's Deputy of Ukraine for Opposition Bloc Serhiy Larin) that Opposition Bloc's congress, at which Vikul was to be nominated, could not "reorganize the party by any means".[32] On 18 December 2018, the website of Opposition Bloc stated that therefore all of the decisions made at the congress were invalid.[33] On 20 December 2018 the website of Opposition Bloc was down.[34] Vilkul was nominated for the presidency again by Opposition Bloc — Party of Peace and Development (the recently renamed Industrial Party of Ukraine) on 20 January 2019.[16] According to Liga.net, Rinat Akhmetov had renamed Industrial Party of Ukraine to Opposition Bloc — Party of Peace and Development solely to circumvent the court's injunction of 20 December 2018 (which prohibited any changes to the statute of the Opposition Bloc party).[16] The Industrial Party of Ukraine was registered by the Ministry of Justice on 13 June 2014, and Rostyslav Shurma was then the chairman of that party.[21] Shurma was at the time General Director of Zaporizhstal,[21] part of the industrial complex owned by Rinat Akhmetov.[21]

 
Advertising of the Opposition Bloc in Kyiv

In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, an alliance was formed between Rinat Akhmetov's wing in the Opposition Bloc party and Borys Kolesnikov's and Oleksandr Vilkul's Party of Peace and Development. The alliance was later joined by Revival, Nashi, and Trust Deeds; the alliance selected Evgeny Murayev as leader of the united party list.[35][36] In the election, the mayors of Kharkiv (Hennadiy Kernes) and Odesa (Gennadiy Trukhanov) were placed in the top ten of the nationwide party list.[37]

In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, the party won six single-seat constituencies; the nationwide list, with 3.23% of the votes, did not overcome the 5% election barrier, so those six seats were the only seats that the party won in the election.[20]

In the 2020 Ukrainian local elections the party gained 206 deputies (0.48% of all available mandates).[38] It saw success in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where it gained eight seats on the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Council.[39]

By 2021, the party's activities had winded down significantly, and the Ukrainian press announced that the political project itself was de facto closed.[40] The party's leading figure, oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, announced the creation of a new political force in April 2021 on the basis of Opposition Bloc.[41] In early May, one of the other key figures of Opposition Bloc Borys Kolesnikov announced the creation of a new political force Ukraine is Our Home.[42]

 
Yevgeny Balitsky

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, collaborationism has become widespread among party members. So, on March 12, 2022, thanks to cooperation with the Russian army, Galina Danilchenko, a representative of the Opposition Bloc in Melitopol, was proclaimed by the Russians as “acting mayor of the city.” This happened the day after the arrest of Mayor Ivan Fedorov by the Russian military.[43] On the same day, she announced that the city council would be abolished and would be replaced by a “Committee of People's Representatives”.[44] Danilchenko appealed to the city residents to “adapt to the new reality” in order to quickly start living in a new way and thanked the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, for the humanitarian assistance.[45]

On 20 March 2022, Opposition Bloc was one of several political parties suspended by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, along with Derzhava, Left Opposition, Nashi, Opposition Platform — For Life, Party of Shariy, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialist Party of Ukraine, Union of Leftists, and the Volodymyr Saldo Block.[46]

On 9 May 2022, the head of the Opposition Bloc in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Yevgeny Balitsky, appointed to the post of head of the Zaporozhye military–civilian administration.[47]

On 8 June 2022, the Eighth Administrative Court of Appeal banned the Opposition Bloc.[14] The property of the party and all its branches were transferred to the state.[14] The decision was open to an appeal at the Supreme Court of Ukraine.[14] But the decision was not appealed, so on 25 July 2022 the party ceased to exist.[15]

Party leaders

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Political Council

Fraction in Verkhovna Rada leader

Election results

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Verkhovna Rada

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Year Popular vote % of popular vote Overall seats won Seat change Government
2019 443,200 3.03
6 / 450
   6 Opposition
Top 10 members of Opposition Bloc for the 2019 parliamentary elections
Yevhen Murayev  · Oleksandr Vilkul  · Hennadiy Kernes  · Gennadiy Trukhanov  · Vadym Boychenko
Rostyslav Shurma  · Bohdan Andriyev  · Volodymyr Buryak  · Anatoly Vershina  · Vitaliy Khomutynnik

Presidential elections

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Year Candidate First round Second round Won/Loss
Votes % Rank Votes %
2019 Oleksandr Vilkul 784,274 4.15% 8th Eliminated Loss

Local councils

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Election Performance Rank
% ± pp Seats +/–
2020
0.61%
 New
216 / 42,501
 New 7th

Notes

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Tadeusz A. Olszański (17 September 2014). Centre for Eastern Studies (ed.). "Ukraine's political parties at the start of the election campaign".
  2. ^ Первоочередные шаги ОППОЗИЦИОННОГО БЛОКА по выходу из кризиса – восстановить мир и поднять экономику
  3. ^ Проект Конституции
  4. ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2014). "Ukraine". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019.
  5. ^ "Anti-recessionary Program of the Opposition bloc". Opposition.org.ua. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  6. ^ (in German) Selenskyjs Triumph birgt ein hohes Absturzrisiko, Wiener Zeitung (22 July 2019)
  7. ^ (in German) Ukraine: Präsident Selenskij steuert auf seinen zweiten Wahlsieg zu, Tageblatt (21 July 2019)
  8. ^ (in German) Kiew in der Hand der "Diener des Volkes", Schwäbische Post (23 July 2019)
  9. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Ukraine". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  10. ^ Yakymenko, Yury (2017). Transformation of the party system: Ukrainian experience in the European context (PDF) (in Ukrainian). Razumkov Center. p. 64-65.
  11. ^ Первоочередные шаги ОППОЗИЦИОННОГО БЛОКА по выходу из кризиса – восстановить мир и поднять экономику
  12. ^ Проект Конституции
  13. ^ "Rinat Akhmetov was one of the most powerful oligarchs in Ukraine with his own media empire. Why is he refusing her now?". Meduza. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d "The court banned the Opposition Bloc party". babel.ua. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  15. ^ a b "The Sharia Party and the SPU are challenging their ban on appeal". Chesno (in Ukrainian). 25 July 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d e (in Ukrainian) Presidential elections: Kivu, Vilkul and Hnapa have been nominated, Korrespondent.net (20 January 2019)
    (in Ukrainian) Kiva and Vilkul surrendered to the Central Election Commission, Ukrainska Pravda (22 January 2019)
  17. ^ (in Ukrainian) Opposition split. How Boyko and Vilkul divide the legacy of "regionalists", Ukrainska Pravda (18 December 2018)
  18. ^ a b c d e (in Ukrainian) "Odd-man-out. Why Leovochkin and Medvedchuk are preparing for the election without Akhmetov", Ukrainska Pravda (20 November 2018)
  19. ^ (in Ukrainian) Boyko began registering as a presidential candidate, Ukrainska Pravda (17 November 2018)
    (in Ukrainian) The association of Boyko-Rabinovich was determined with the presidential candidate, Ukrainska Pravda (17 November 2018)
  20. ^ a b "Новинський і ще 5 "опоблоківців" проходять у Раду, а Колесніков – ні".
  21. ^ a b c d (in Ukrainian) PARTY "INDUSTRIAL UKRAINE" HEADS "MAN AKHMETOV", 5 Kanal (26 August 2014)
  22. ^ Opposition Bloc chooses top ten candidates for parliamentary elections, Interfax Ukraine (23 September 2014)
    Allies of Yanukovych trying for parliament, Kyiv Post (21 September 2014)
    Party Of Regions Will Not Contest Snap Parliamentary Elections Independently Archived 24 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrainian News Agency (14 September 2014)
  23. ^ Opposition Bloc boosts rating by distancing itself from Yanukovych era, Kyiv Post (24 October 2014)
    Development party of Ukraine, 'Ukraine – Forward!' and four more political forces team up in Opposition Bloc, Kyiv Post (15 September 2014)
    Ukraine's Elections: The Battle of the Billionaires, The Daily Beast (10.25.14)
    (in Ukrainian) Non-Maidan parties united into the Opposition Bloc. Radio Liberty. 14 September 2014
  24. ^ Poroshenko Bloc to have greatest number of seats in parliament, Ukrinform (8 November 2014)
    People's Front 0.33% ahead of Poroshenko Bloc with all ballots counted in Ukraine elections – CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
    Poroshenko Bloc to get 132 seats in parliament – CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
  25. ^ (in Ukrainian) "OPPOSITION BLOCK", Civil movement "Chesno" (2018)
  26. ^ Two Russia-friendly parties join forces for presidential election, Kyiv Post (9 November 2018)
  27. ^ a b c (in Ukrainian) The association of Boyko-Rabinovich was determined with the presidential candidate, Ukrainska Pravda (17 November 2018)
  28. ^ (in Ukrainian) Boyko's decision to merge with Rabinovich does not concern the "Opposition" – Novinsky, Ukrainska Pravda (9 November 2018)
  29. ^ (in Ukrainian) The Party of Lyovochkin considers Ukrainian soldiers "punitive" and does not notice the annexation of the Crimea, UNIAN (11 August 2014)
  30. ^ Boiko, Loovochkin excluded from Opposition Bloc faction for betraying voters' interests — Vilkul, Interfax-Ukraine (20 November 2018)
  31. ^ Oleksandr Vilkul to be nominated as candidate for president, Kyiv Post (1817 December 2018)
  32. ^ (in Ukrainian) Split "Opoploko": the court imposed restrictions on the party before the congress, Ukrainska Pravda (14 December 2018)
  33. ^ "В партии "Оппозиционный блок" заявили, что Вилкул не сможет выдвинуться от нее в президенты". gordonua.com. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  34. ^ "Is Opposition down? Check all opposition.org.ua outages". Is It Down Right Now?. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  35. ^ "Parties of Opposition Bloc, Peace and Development, Vidrodzhennia, Ours and Trust Deeds declare unification to participate in Rada snap elections".
  36. ^ "Murayev heads Opposition Bloc's list at elections to Rada".
  37. ^ "Вибори Ради: у списку Опоблоку мери 5 міст".
  38. ^ "Results of the 2020 Ukrainian local elections on the official web-server of the". Central Election Commission of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  39. ^ Results of the 2020 elections of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Council, Central Election Commission of Ukraine
  40. ^ https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/articles/2021/04/26/7291502/ Ахметов идет в нападение. Как олигарх возвращает политическое влияние и забирает аудиторию Медведчука
  41. ^ https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2021/04/26/7291542/ У Ахметова готовят новую партию и отмежевываются от ОПЗЖ
  42. ^ https://inshe.tv/politics/2021-05-04/606636/ Борис Колесников все-таки создает новую партию. Но без Ахметова
  43. ^ Santora, Marc; MacFarquhar, Neil (12 March 2022). "The Russians Might Have Expected a Warm Welcome. Instead the Mayor Labeled Them 'Occupiers.'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  44. ^ "У Мелітополі депутатка від Оппоблоку закликала мешканців співпрацювати з російськими окупантами". nv.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  45. ^ ""Гауляйтер в юбке": оккупанты назначили "врио мэра" Мелитополя". ФОКУС (in Russian). 12 March 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  46. ^ "NSDC bans pro-Russian parties in Ukraine". Ukrinform. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  47. ^ "Окупанти призначили одіозного екснардепа Балицького "губернатором" Запоріжжя". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). 9 May 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
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