Conundrums of Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych, Poroshenko, Zelensky. A political science note.
Many different things were written about Viktor Yanukovych, but who knows what is true and what is false?
Nevertheless, there are obvious facts-he seems to have been a supporter of equality of Russian and Ukrainian languages, was a supporter of allied (close) relations with Russia.
Voted for him a considerable part of voters of Ukraine – what part exactly? ...
Apparently, he enjoyed the support of some part of voters before leaving Kiev under the pressure of Maidan participants.
But since his departure, we have seen the evasion of even the "Party of regions" from political contacts with him.
Now in Ukraine there are new political forces, somehow conceptually connected with the bygone "Party of regions". These forces participated in the elections. But these forces do not seem to seek cooperation with Viktor Yanukovych.
There is the legal aspect and there is the actual popularity. Legally, the situation is that Viktor Yanukovych cannot return to Ukraine-without risking his freedom.
But his actual popularity seems to be not far from zero…
Can it be considered as a riddle that a man who scored (once upon a time) in elections about 50 percent of the vote, now ceased to be popular?
After Viktor Yanukovych, Petro Poroshenko came to the presidency (2014). He lost the next presidential election (2019). However, he was able to form a faction in the Ukrainian Parliament. In spite of the legal processes, he lives and works in Ukraine.
Petro Poroshenko was replaced by Vladimir (Volodymyr) Zelensky.
For a person, who not involved, closely, into a theme of Ukrainian political processes, there is uncertainty. With the overwhelming majority of votes that Vladimir Zelensky received in the elections, those who previously voted for Viktor Yanukovych voted for him? If among its voters there were those who earlier voted for Victor Yanukovych, - it turns into a new riddle. Why did they vote for Vladimir Zelensky, and not for those political forces that are conceptually associated with the" party of regions", who also participated in the elections?
Is there still a commitment of some Ukrainian voters to the equality of Russian (and other) and Ukrainian languages?– most likely, yes.
Is there still a commitment of some Ukrainian voters to allied (close) relations with Russia? It’s possible. Although ... what are the results of opinion polls?
Are there any forces in the political field of Ukraine that are conceptually connected with the pre-existing "party of regions"? – There is an opposition faction in the Ukrainian Parliament. No electoral filters prevented the respective candidates from going to the elections and presenting their program goals to the voters. Moreover, in the Ukrainian Parliament there is no chamber, formed similarly to the so-called Federation Council - with usage of a some unusual for the USSR way of voting (it's not clear (looking at half of its members) - is it legitimate to call a procedure of empowerment them with the word a "voting" ?).
(There was such a historical figure - Grigory Potemkin. He was engaged in definition, setting borders of the territory of the Don Host Oblast. But Potemkin's activity does not concern "riddles" of Victor Yanukovych).
Things are moving forward. A lot of changes. As for the "mysteries of Viktor Yanukovych" ... they seem to still remain .
December 6, 2019 17:01
Translation from Russian into English: December 7, 2019 11:00.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский “Загадки Виктора Януковича. Янукович, Порошенко, Зеленский. Политологическая заметка”.