| Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc Блок "Наша Україна–Народна Самооборона" |
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| Leader | Viktor Yuschenko[1] |
| Chief of Political Council | Valentyn Nalyvaichenko |
| Parliamentary leader | Mykola Martynenko |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Kiev, Ukraine |
| Ideology | Liberalism,[2][3] Conservatism,[4] Reformism,[5] Pro-Europeanism |
| International affiliation | none |
| European affiliation | European People's Party (observer only; NSNU and Rukh as separate member parties)[6] |
| Official colours | Orange |
| Verkhovna Rada |
65 / 450
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| Website | |
| http://www.razom.org.ua/ | |
| Politics of Ukraine Political parties Elections |
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The Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc (Ukrainian: Блок Наша Україна–Народна Самооборона, Blok Nasha Ukrayina-Narodna Samooborona, NUNS) is an electoral alliance active in Ukraine, associated with former President Viktor Yushchenko. Since 2005, the bloc has been dominated by a core consisting of the People's Union "Our Ukraine" party and five smaller partner parties.
The Our Ukraine Bloc is most closely associated with the Orange Revolution and continues to use orange as its political colour. In July 2007, the old Our Ukraine bloc had been reorganized into the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc for the 2007 parliamentary election in September 2007.[8] The member parties had planned to merge into a single party in December 2007[9] but on November 16, 2007 People’s Self-Defense decided to end its participation in the process of forming a united party[10] since then that process was unclear.[11] On 17 November 2011 the Ukrainian Parliament approved an election law that banned the participation of blocs of political parties in parliamentary elections.[12] Since then several members of the Bloc have since merged with other parties.
The alliance currently holds 65 out of 450 parliamentary seats.[7]
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The current members of the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc include:
The original Our Ukraine Bloc was formed in Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine in 2001 in preparation for the 2002 parliamentary elections. At the time of its formation, the leader of the bloc was Viktor Yushchenko.
At the 2002 legislative elections, won 23.6% of the popular vote and 112 out of 450 seats. It was the first time when Communists failed to take the first place in vote. Final poll results in 2002 had predicted the bloc to win 27-28% of the total votes.[19] The alliance included the following parties:
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In September 2002 the bloc was negotiating with nine pro-presidential (Kuchma) factions to form a coalition, a draft of a coalition agreement prepared by Our Ukraine faction member Yuri Kostenko and Labor Ukraine leader Serhiy Tyhypko was received by all faction leaders on September 20, 2009 (except by the leaders of the Socialist Party of Ukraine, the Communist Party and the Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko).[20][21] However the coalition never materialised.
During the election campaign some Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc members suspected Our Ukraine to be responsible for leaflets aimed against Yulia Tymoshenko, like fake invitations to celebrate her birthday at McDonald's.[22][23]
The "Our Ukraine" bloc was soundly defeated in the 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election with only 13,95% of the recorded vote came in third place behind the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc - 22% 156 seats, and the Party of Regions -33% 175 seats.[24] It won 81 out of 450 seats.
The alliance included the following parties:
Following the elections there has been calls for Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko who was closely aligned and spokesperson for Our Ukraine during the March Parliamentary election to resign from Our Ukraine and to stand independent.
During the early parliamentary elections held on September 30, 2007, the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc was placed in third place, after the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Party of Regions.[25] Our Ukraine-People's Self Defence bloc won 72 seats and received 14.16%[26] of the vote, 236964 less votes in 2007 than the Our Ukraine bloc received in 2006, representing an overall swing of 0.20%.
The alliance included the following parties:
The Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists refused to join the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc in August 2007[28] and did not run in the 2007 parliamentary elections.[29]
On October 15, 2007, despite the Party of Regions gaining the most seats of all participating political parties, Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc agreed to form a majority coalition in the new parliament of the 6th convocation.[30] On November 29, a coalition was signed between the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc (representing 45% of the national vote[31]). On December 18, 2007, Yulia Tymoshenko, with a margin of two votes, was elected Prime Minister.[32]
In February 2008 several prominent members resigned from the party.[33] Viktor Baloha, Head of the President's Secretariat resigned on February 15 (to lift the issue of the correlation between the authorities as the President’s Chief of Staff and as a member of the OU-PSD presidium).[34] Roman Bezsmertny, high ranked party official, along with people’s deputies, Mykhaylo Polyanchych, Ihor Kryl, Viktor Topolov, Oksana Bilozir and Vasyl Petevka resigned on February 20, in a joint statement the declared that: "some of the leaders of the party play their own game, coming from personal interests and it has nothing to do with responsibility, pluralism and norms of democracy."[35] Some of them formed United Centre[36] who are expected to participate in the next parliamentary election independently.[37] One of the main goals of this new party is: "assisting President Viktor Yuschenko to realize its program of actions".[38]
On October 21, 2008 the presidium of People’s Union Our Ukraine party decided not to team up with any other party for the upcoming snap parliamentary poll and called the idea of teaming up with United Center Party "impossible".[39][40] According to UNIAN the People’s Union Our Ukraine and United Centre parties will carry out a unifying congress on January 17, 2009. The People’s Democratic party may join the move.[41]
On October 23 the Christian Democratic Union left the alliance and became part of the Leonid Chernovetskyi Bloc.[42]
After a coalition was formed mid-December 2008 between Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc (OU-OSD), Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) and Lytvyn Bloc (LB) Yushchenko told journalists: "The fact is that the so-called coalition was formed on basis of political corruption, this coalition will be able to work only if the Communist Party will join it. Speaking about such a type of coalition, it is even more shameful." Victor Yushchenko also stated that Yulia Tymoshenko’s desire to keep the Prime Minister's job was the main motive for creating the coalition and that he wanted to expel the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc lawmakers who supported the creating of the OU-PSD, BYuT and LB coalition from the list of members of parliament. According to the President Our Ukraine decided earlier at a party confession that it was impossible to resume its coalition with BYuT.[43][44] Yuschenko described this as "a positive process, a process of purification. I have long waited that our people decide on their political choice, on their place in the party. They have made their choice, and I respect it".[45]
During the January 2010 presidential election some bloc members did not endorse the Bloc leader Viktor Yushchenko; Christian Democratic Union,[46] European Party of Ukraine,[47] Civil Movement "People's Self-Defense"[48] and Forward, Ukraine![48] endorsed Yulia Tymoshenko.
Early March 2010 37 (of the 55) Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc faction members had voted for the continuation of the Second Tymoshenko Government coalition.[49] The faction did reserve the right to negotiate a possible majority coalition with other parliamentary factions apart from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, according to faction leader Mykola Martynenko the faction had offered to appoint its representative to the post of prime minister to prevent the concentration of power in one pair of hands and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc faction had flatly refused to surrender the post of prime minister.[50]
On March 11, 2010 the Our Ukraine- People's Self Defense faction officially announces that it would be in opposition to the newly formed coalition.[51] Martynenko stated the faction "did not intend "to play under a scenario," which proposes changes to the law on the regulations amending a procedure for the creation of the coalition".[51]
On May 12, 2010 the parliamentary faction officially went into opposition.[52]
The Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense faction wanted to expel its seven members who backed ratification of the 2010 Ukrainian–Russian Naval Base for Natural Gas treaty in May 2010.[53] In October 2010 one deputy of the Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense Bloc faction joined the Lytvyn Bloc faction.[54]
Twelve parliamentarians where expelled from the fraction in September 2011 for joining the governing coalition and/or for voting for the 2010 Ukrainian–Russian Natural Gas treaty.[55] However since only one of those twelve left the faction when Oleksandr Omelchenko left voluntary.[56] Also in September faction leader Mykola Martynenko joined Front of Changes.[57]
On 17 November 2011 the Ukrainian Parliament approved an election law that banned the participation of blocs of political parties in parliamentary elections.[12] Hence the bloc could not participate in the 2012 parliamentary election. Our Ukraine and Ukrainian People's Party, Ukrainian Republican Party "Sobor" and People's Self-Defense Political Party (formally Forward, Ukraine!) have since merged with other parties.[58][59][60]
| Parliamentary since 2002[26] (year links to election page) |
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| Year | Votes | % | Mandates | |||||
| 2002 |
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| 2006 |
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| 2007 |
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| Presidential since 2004 (year links to election page) |
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| Year | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| 2004 | Viktor Yushchenko |
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| 2010 | Viktor Yushchenko |
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| 2010 | Yulia Tymoshenko (endorsed by Christian Democratic Union,[46] European Party of Ukraine,[47] Civil Movement "People's Self-Defense"[48] and Forward, Ukraine!.[48] |
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| 2002 | 2006 | 2007 |