Ukraine: low election support for nationalist parties
- 10 years ago
Russian media is said to have blamed much of Ukraine’s unrest on nationalist and radical parties, even claiming that fascist ideas were popular amongst voters.
Ihor Miroshnichenko, a nationalist Svoboda party candidate who got just over
one percent of the vote in Sunday’s election, says that’s not the case.
“I don’t know what Putin will dream up next, but I’m sure he will find something. He will find some way of intimidating Russians,” said Miroshnichenko.
Political expert Yevhen Mahda, said the president’s first round electoral win is a stab in the back of Russia’s propaganda.
“Demand for stabilisation in Ukraine is more important than the demand for radical appeals. The Svoboda party didn’t manage to do anything new. And their approval rating shows the level of their political influence,” he said.
Many Ukrainians said they did not vote for nationalists because they wanted their country to have a rational, moderate president who would cool tensions with Russia and reestablish peace in the east.
In Kyiv, one woman said: “Svoboda party is highly regarded among western and central Ukrainians. But we did not vote for its candidate, not because of its poor approval rating, but because we wanted to have Poroshenko – for conciliation.”
Another commented: “...the candidate who ran for president from a radical organization [Pravii Sektor] said his aim was not to become president, but to show people, who they were and that they could defend Ukraine’s interests.”
Solving the Ukraine crisis may take more than the snappy marketing that’s made Poroshenko’s chocolate a market leader.
Ihor Miroshnichenko, a nationalist Svoboda party candidate who got just over
one percent of the vote in Sunday’s election, says that’s not the case.
“I don’t know what Putin will dream up next, but I’m sure he will find something. He will find some way of intimidating Russians,” said Miroshnichenko.
Political expert Yevhen Mahda, said the president’s first round electoral win is a stab in the back of Russia’s propaganda.
“Demand for stabilisation in Ukraine is more important than the demand for radical appeals. The Svoboda party didn’t manage to do anything new. And their approval rating shows the level of their political influence,” he said.
Many Ukrainians said they did not vote for nationalists because they wanted their country to have a rational, moderate president who would cool tensions with Russia and reestablish peace in the east.
In Kyiv, one woman said: “Svoboda party is highly regarded among western and central Ukrainians. But we did not vote for its candidate, not because of its poor approval rating, but because we wanted to have Poroshenko – for conciliation.”
Another commented: “...the candidate who ran for president from a radical organization [Pravii Sektor] said his aim was not to become president, but to show people, who they were and that they could defend Ukraine’s interests.”
Solving the Ukraine crisis may take more than the snappy marketing that’s made Poroshenko’s chocolate a market leader.