| All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" Всеукраїнське об'єднання "Батьківщина" |
|
|---|---|
| Leader | Yulia Tymoshenko |
| Founded | 9 July 1999[1] |
| Headquarters | Kiev |
| Ideology | Liberalism, social liberalism, Liberal nationalism, pro-Europeanism,[2] solidarism[3] |
| Political position | Centre |
| National affiliation | Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc |
| International affiliation | None |
| European affiliation | European People's Party (observer status)[4][5] |
| Official colours | Crimson |
| Website | |
| http://www.byut.com.ua | |
| Politics of Ukraine Political parties Elections |
|
The All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" (Ukrainian: Всеукраїнське об'єднання "Батьківщина", Vseukrayins'ke Obyednannya Bat’kivshchyna) is a political party in Ukraine, led by Yulia Tymoshenko. The party is the core of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and is the Verkhovna Rada resident since the 2002 parliamentary elections. The party's major ally is the Ukrainian Social Democratic Party.[6][7]
Yulia Tymoshenko was originally elected during the 1998 parliamentary elections in the Ukrainian parliament on the party list of Hromada,[3] but after Hromada's party leader Pavlo Lazarenko fled to the United States in the spring of 1999 to avoid investigations for embezzlement[8] various faction members left the party to join other parliament factions, among them Tymoshenko who set up the All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" faction (Vseukrayins'ke Obyednannya Bat’kivshchyna).[8][9]
In July 1999 the party was formed[1] and on September 16, 1999 registered at the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice.[10]
At the 2002 parliamentary elections, the party was the main constituent part of the Yulia Tymoshenko Electoral Bloc alliance.[10]
In March 2005 the Yabluko party was self-liquidated and merged into Fatherland Party.
During the 2006 and 2007 parliamentary elections the party also took part in the Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko,[10] which won 156 out of 450 seats.
Since 2008 the Party has the status of "Observer Member" in the European People's Party.[5]
During the 2010 Ukrainian local elections the party (political blocs were not permitted to compete in the election[11][12]) was defeated by rivals Party of Regions in almost all Ukrainian regions, although it remained the main opposition force.[13] The party won representative in 19 of the 24 regional parliaments, it did not win seats in the Supreme Council of Crimea.[14] In Lviv Oblast and Kiev Oblast as well as in Ternopil the party did not participate in the elections cause it was unable to register their candidates; Yulia Tymoshenko claimed that "fraudulent Batkivshchyna party organizations were registered on orders from Viktor Yanukovych".[15][16][17]
On November 16, 2010 the Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko faction in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) was officially renamed “Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko-Batkivschyna”.[18]
The parties announced that People's Self-Defense Political Party will be merged into All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" in December 2011.[19][20] This process started late December 2011; first deputy head of the party Oleksandr Turchynov stated on 28 December 2011 "I believe that other political forces will join in".[21]