Whether or not you agree with the changes to the electoral laws that passed through the RADA at the end of last year, you will recall that both the current ruling PoR party and the biggest opposition party, BYuT, voted for the changes. As I wrote at the time, it was the death of the small parties.
And so it comes to pass that the Civil Position Party, headed by a very capable Anatoliy Hrytsenko, has been forced to join the United Opposition coalition, recognising that failing to do so will lead to political oblivion because the CPP is unlikely to gain the required 5% or more threshold of national votes under the new laws.
A scenario no doubt envisaged when the BYuT voted the new laws through with their arch rivals PoR. Indeed, for the BYuT, which calls itself the leaders of the “democratic forces”, the forced partnerships the bill they voted for will create is somewhat less than democratic and will eventually lead to borg-like assimilation of the smaller parties in the years ahead, ultimately reducing voter choice.
It is quite clear from Hrytsenko’s statements on Kanal 5, that joining the “United Opposition” was not something he or his party wanted to do, but with only 1 million or so dependable voters and small financial backing, the survival of the party came first. That said he remained highly critical of the “United Opposition” (and ruling PoR naturally).
Once again, the “United Opposition”, just as when they were in power only a few years ago, seems to be forming from a coalition of pressed men rather than volunteers. As the saying rightly goes, 1 volunteer is better than 10 pressed men, and the last time the pressed men of the now opposition ran the country, there was nothing but in-fighting and political stagnancy.
Even if the “United Opposition” manage to hold themselves together long enough to get through the elections, should they win, one wonders just how long these pressed men can stay together before the internal fault lines reappear and this coalition falls apart - again.
Pressed men have a tendency to resent their situation and occasionally mutiny. Don’t be surprised to see this happen sooner or later amongst this begrudging coalition.