UKRAINE’S SOCIAL DEMOCRATS SHOW THEIR CARDS.

With presidential elections coming up in October, Ukraine’s tiny center-left parties are clearly demonstrating that differences between them are about personalities and personal interests rather than ideology. At a press conference on April 5, Serhy Peresunko–leader of the Social-Democratic Union (SDU), the newest of the Ukrainian parties, which registered on March 30–announced that SDU intends to support the presidential bid of Yevhen Marchuk, Ukraine’s former premier and security service chief. Peresunko claimed that regional organizations of the United Social Democratic Party (USDP)–from which the SDU split over differences regarding Marchuk’s nomination–are also supporting Marchuk’s presidential campaign. USDP leader Viktor Medvedchuk reacted promptly and angrily, calling Peresunko’s statement “sheer nonsense.” The USDP, with which Marchuk broke several months ago, is expected to back incumbent President Leonid Kuchma. Medvedchuk and his crony, USDP’s number two and one of Ukraine’s “oligarchs,” Hryhory Surkis, are both members of the president’s inner circle.

At the same time, Yury Buzduhan–leader of the Social-Democratic Party of Ukraine (SDPU)–announced that the SDPU will nominate Oleksandr Moroz–former speaker and leader of the Socialist Party–for president at its congress in May. Buzduhan called Kuchma “the appointee of oligarchs.” Another party, the Ukrainian Social-Democratic Party (not to be confused with SDU, USDP or SDPU)–led by Vasyl Onopenko–is also expected to support Moroz. These four groups split, at different times, from Ukraine’s first social-democratic party, and all four leaders continue to profess a common belief in the leftist ideal of social justice (Ukrainian agencies, STV, April 5; Den, April 6).

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