All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland"

All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland"
Всеукраїнське об'єднання "Батьківщина"
Leader Yulia Tymoshenko
Founded 9 July 1999 (1999-07-09)[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]

History

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]

External links

References

  1. ^ a b (Ukrainian) Official Website
  2. ^ POLITICAL BLOC PROFILE: The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (02/26/06)
  3. ^ a b Biography of Yulia Tymoshenko leader of BYUT, Ukraine, Official website of Yulia Tymoshenko
  4. ^ Gasprinsessen, mumien og den faldne helt - Verden
  5. ^ a b Batkivshcyna, European People's Party official website
  6. ^ Korolevska promises not to change ideology of Ukrainian Social Democratic Party, Kyiv Post (24 December 2011)
  7. ^ (Ukrainian) Наталія Королевська: замах на БЮТ, Ukrayinska Pravda (27 December 2011)
  8. ^ a b Revolution in Orange: The Origins of Ukraine's Democratic Breakthrough by Anders Aslund and Michael A. McFaul, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2006, ISBN 978-0-87003-221-9
  9. ^ State Building in Ukraine: The Ukrainian Parliament, 1990-2003 by Sarah Whitmore, Routledge, 2004, ISBN 978-0-415-33195-1, page 106
  10. ^ a b c (Ukrainian) Всеукраїнське об'єднання „Батьківщина“, Database DATA
  11. ^ Ukraine changes election rules before key vote, Kyiv Post (July 28, 2010)
  12. ^ Law: All parties registered in Ukraine will be able to participate in local elections, Kyiv Post (August 30, 2010)
  13. ^ Local government elections in Ukraine: last stage in the Party of Regions’ takeover of power, Centre for Eastern Studies (October 4, 2010)
  14. ^ (Ukrainian) Results of the elections, preliminary data, on interactive maps by Ukrayinska Pravda (8 November 2010)
  15. ^ Westerners, local observers rip Oct. 31 elections as undemocratic, Kyiv Post (November 5, 2010)
  16. ^ European Parliament resolution of 25 November 2010 on Ukraine , European Parliament (25 November 2010)
  17. ^ In Lviv, popular incumbent squares off against Party of Regions-backed candidate, Kyiv Post (October 29, 2010)
  18. ^ (Ukrainian) Фракція БЮТ змінила свою назву, STB (November 16, 2010)
  19. ^ (Ukrainian) Партії Тимошенко і Луценка об’єднаються у середу?, Ukrayinska Pravda (16 December 2011)
  20. ^ (Ukrainian) Батьківщина та Народна самооборона завтра оголосять про злиття, UNIAN (16 December 2011)
  21. ^ Turchynov: Batkivschyna, People's Self-Defense start unification (updated), Kyiv Post (28 December 2011)