Ukraine 2014

[RodPresident]

Fun election between Darth Vader, princess Leia (Tymoshenko) and Willy Wonka (Poroshenko).

[Famous Mortimer]

Full list of candidates:

Yulia Tymoshenko (Fatherland)
Petro Poroshenko (Independent nominated by UDAR)
Dmytro Yarosh (leader of Right Sector, running as independent)
Oleh Tyahnybok (Freedom)
Vasyl Tsushko (member and former leader of the Socialist Party of Ukraine running as independent, previously Minister of Economy and Interior and head of state anti-monopoly committee)
Petro Symonenko (Communist Party of Ukraine)
Mykola Malomuzh (Independent, former head of External Intelligence under President Yushchenko)
Oleh Lyashko (Radical Party, had previously been a member of the Tymoshenko Bloc)
Renat Kuzmin (Former deputy state prosecutor, in charge of case against Tymoshenko)
Vasyl Kuybida (Head of the People's Movement of Ukraine, traditional conservative party of the West, which had merged with Fatherland before the last parliamentary election but is apparently now independent again)
Natalia Korolevska (Leader of Forward Ukraine aka Ukrainian Social Democratic Party but running as an independent, formerly a member of the Tymoshenko Bloc)
Valeriy Konovalyuk (Independent, former leader of Serhiy Tihipko's Labour Ukraine party)
Anatoliy Hrytsenko (Civil Position)
Yuriy Boyko (member of Party of Regions running as independent)
Serhiy Tihipko (member of Party of Regions running as independent)
Oleg Tsarov (member of Party of Regions running as independent)
Vadim Rabinovich (Independent, rich Jew guy)
Olga Bogomolets (Independent, Maidan doctor, refused Health Ministry in interim government, lady referred to in leaked Estonian Minister's phone call)
Oleksandr Klymenko (leader of the Ukrainian People's Party, right-wing splinter of the People's Movement of Ukraine which had previously merged back into the People's Movement but is now apparently independent again)
Zoran Shkiriak (Independent, former Kiev citycouncilman for Our Ukraine)
Andriy Hrynenko (Independent, rando)
Volodymyr Saranov (Independent, rando) 

[politicus]

Full list of candidates:

Yulia Tymoshenko (Fatherland)
Petro Poroshenko (Independent nominated by UDAR)
Dmytro Yarosh (leader of Right Sector, running as independent)
Oleh Tyahnybok (Freedom)
Vasyl Tsushko (member and former leader of the Socialist Party of Ukraine running as independent, previously Minister of Economy and Interior and head of state anti-monopoly committee)
Petro Symonenko (Communist Party of Ukraine)
Mykola Malomuzh (Independent, former head of External Intelligence under President Yushchenko)
Oleh Lyashko (Radical Party, had previously been a member of the Tymoshenko Bloc)
Renat Kuzmin (Former deputy state prosecutor, in charge of case against Tymoshenko)
Vasyl Kuybida (Head of the People's Movement of Ukraine, traditional conservative party of the West, which had merged with Fatherland before the last parliamentary election but is apparently now independent again)
Natalia Korolevska (Leader of Forward Ukraine aka Ukrainian Social Democratic Party but running as an independent, formerly a member of the Tymoshenko Bloc)
Valeriy Konovalyuk (Independent, former leader of Serhiy Tihipko's Labour Ukraine party)
Anatoliy Hrytsenko (Civil Position)
Yuriy Boyko (member of Party of Regions running as independent)
Serhiy Tihipko (member of Party of Regions running as independent)
Oleg Tsarov (member of Party of Regions running as independent)
Vadim Rabinovich (Independent, rich Jew guy)
Olga Bogomolets (Independent, Maidan doctor, refused Health Ministry in interim government, lady referred to in leaked Estonian Minister's phone call)
Oleksandr Klymenko (leader of the Ukrainian People's Party, right-wing splinter of the People's Movement of Ukraine which had previously merged back into the People's Movement but is now apparently independent again)
Zoran Shkiriak (Independent, former Kiev citycouncilman for Our Ukraine)
Andriy Hrynenko (Independent, rando)
Volodymyr Saranov (Independent, rando) 

That's a rather depressing field.

[Zanas]

So that's it ? Only two candidates ? Poroshenko and Timoshenko ?

Ok, so you see this post of mine above ? Well, I had posted it because that is exactly how I heard the field reported here in France on the radio. Two candidates.
When there are seemingly 22.

This, by itself, depresses me.

[Zuza]

Why two? If we'll count those who can win, then there is almost certainly only one candidate. If those who can go into second round, then 3 candidates. In the most recent poll (the first after Klitshchko withdrew), Tihipko took second place, so he can go into runoff. By the way, 4th place (after Poroshenko - 38.3%, Tihipko - 17.9 % and Tymoshenko - 11.6 %) unexpectedly goes to Yuriy Boyko (6.9 %). According to the same poll, 60% of those who voted for Yanukovych in the 2010 run-off still undecided, so Tihipko has room to grow, and 65% of those who then supported Tymoshenko now intend to vote for Poroshenko.

Tihipko and Boyko refused to withdrew, so Party of Regions threatens to expel them. It is very possible that PoR will split and what remain of it will become more extreme pro-Eastern party controlled by Rinat Akhmetov (it seems that Dobkin was nominated because he is Akhmetov's protege).

[Famous Mortimer]

I'm interested to hear what Olga Bogomolets' actual ideology is. Although I fear she's probably just a neo-liberal with a slightly more sincerely than usual anti-corruption bent.

[RodPresident]

Is main reason of Poroshenko support because he's a rich guy, then he won't be a corrupt?

[Famous Mortimer]

Is main reason of Poroshenko support because he's a rich guy, then he won't be a corrupt?

I can't see any other reason to support him. He stands for nothing. This is a man who founded both the Party of Regions and Our Ukraine.

[Velasco]

Is main reason of Poroshenko support because he's a rich guy, then he won't be a corrupt?

I can't see any other reason to support him. He stands for nothing. This is a man who founded both the Party of Regions and Our Ukraine.

Aren't those enough reasons to be the Man of the Hour?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

...and his hair must be worth at least half the gross national product of Ukraine. Consider the possibilities.

[Citizen Hats]

I'm interested to hear what Olga Bogomolets' actual ideology is. Although I fear she's probably just a neo-liberal with a slightly more sincerely than usual anti-corruption bent.

And what would be so terrible about that?

[Enno von Loewenstern]

To be hypothetical a ukrainian with the plan to vote for a candidat who fulfills the following criteria: market economy orientated, against oligarchs, conservative, but with the understanding that the Ukrainie can function only federally respectively ethnic Russian-born should not be pushed to the edge: who would be my choice. Does anyone have any idea?

On the other hand, it maybe could lead to a more longterm peace, if a more radical pro western and/or ukrainian patriotic formation wins and the eastern parts are following the Krim. I see no other solution than either the splitting of the ukraine, or if they want to stay together, the need of a government with the empathy for the historical situation and the ethnic heterogeneity which has to lead into a federative order.

[swl]

source: http://www.iri.org/

Polled before Klitschko withdrew.

135 pages of survey: http://www.iri.org/sites/default/files/2014%20April%205%20IRI%20Public%20Opinion%20Survey%20of%20Ukraine%2C%20March%2014-26%2C%202014.pdf

[Antonio the Sixth]

Darth Vader is obviously the correct choice in this race.

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

Darth Vader is obviously the correct choice in this race.

His candidacy was rejected. http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-26882664

[Famous Mortimer]

No less a source than Radio Free Europe suggests Poroshenko's surprise status as front runner is probably due to him bribing pollsters:

http://www.rferl.org/content/poroshenko-profile-ukraine-presidential-candidate/25314782.html

[politicus]

No less a source than Radio Free Europe suggests Poroshenko's surprise status as front runner is probably due to him bribing pollsters:

http://www.rferl.org/content/poroshenko-profile-ukraine-presidential-candidate/25314782.html

That actually sounds like a conspiracy theory I could believe in (for once).

[jaichind]

Darth Vader is obviously the correct choice in this race.

His candidacy was rejected. http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-26882664

This gives Putin the excuse the claim the entire election in May is a sham since not all candidates were allowed to run.  After the election Putin could claim that Darth Vader is the legitimate president of Ukraine since he was clearly defrauded of his rightful position due to the fraud of the ruling clique to stop the real choice of the people from taking office.

[Famous Mortimer]

Olga Bogomolets endorsed by the Socialist Party of Ukraine. I'm liking her more and more.

[ag]

Olga Bogomolets endorsed by the Socialist Party of Ukraine. I'm liking her more and more.

Has she also been endorsed by the US Anti-Masonic party? What about the good old Constitutional Democratic Party that did so well in the First Russian Duma back in 1905?

Socialist party of Ukraine has for a while been a cold dead corpse.

BTW, nothing against Madame Bogomolets herself. My dad, actually, knows her personally, it seems

[Famous Mortimer]

I like what it says about her ideologically though. The SPU are just barely reformed Communists (they actually endorsed Simonenko in the last presidential election). It looks like there's finally a candidate who's both pro-Revolution and unambiguously left-wing.

[RodPresident]

I like what it says about her ideologically though. The SPU are just barely reformed Communists (they actually endorsed Simonenko in the last presidential election). It looks like there's finally a candidate who's both pro-Revolution and unambiguously left-wing.

SPU supported Orange Revolution, but they made a corrupt bargain with Yanukovich supporting him for PM in exchange of Parliamentary speakership. Then, party started to go down. When I was in Kiev, in Maidan, there were places getting signatures for Bogomolets nomination. I read in Wikipedia that she's very rich by her side, being Ukrainian top dermatologist, with some patents.

[Famous Mortimer]

Also, the Party of Regions expelled all the non-Dobkin members running for president.

[Zuza]

The SPU are just barely reformed Communists (they actually endorsed Simonenko in the last presidential election).

How exactly did they endorse him? Their leader Moroz ran independently of the KPU (and got 0.38% of votes).

[Famous Mortimer]

The SPU are just barely reformed Communists (they actually endorsed Simonenko in the last presidential election).

How exactly did they endorse him? Their leader Moroz ran independently of the KPU (and got 0.38% of votes).

My bad. You're right. I was thinking of Social Democratic Party (United). Still, the SPU are very hard left economically.