2007 Ukrainian Election Preview

A short overview of the upcoming 2007 Ukrainian Parliamentary election, with brief descriptions of the five leading political parties and their leaders.

The Ukrainian Parliamentary election is two weeks away. This is the last chance to seek out people's opinions on which party they favor before casting their actual votes.

There are 21 different political organizations seeking to win support prior to the election. Of those parties, only five have a realistic chance of success:

• Communist Party of Ukraine: Led by Petro Symonenko, this party holds many traditional communist values, and is said to be anti-market, anti-American, and pro-Russian.
• Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense Bloc: Led by President Viktor Yushchenko, this group favors reform and is pro-West.
• Party of Regions: Led by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, this party held the parliamentary majority until President Yushchenko dissolved parliament in April.
• Socialist Party of Ukraine: Led by Verkhovna Rada Speaker Oleksandr Moroz, this group has separated itself from communist tendencies toward European-style social democracy.
• Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc: Led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, this organization believes in radical reform and is pro-West.

If you had the chance to vote today, which of these Ukrainian political groups would you like to see win a majority of seats in the upcoming election?