What's the deal with Lytvyn? Is he being considered as a potential coalition ally? Or not anymore, now that Moroz seems to be out?
Because if he is, isn't it somewhat fucked up?
Here's a leaflet I've photographed today at Livoberezhna, underneath the metro bridge:
It seems to be one of Lytvyn's campaign statements, addressed to the Kyiv folks. In what looks like lipstick, someone wrote over the thing, in Russian:
Gong[adze]'s Killer
A little bit more on Lytvyn's alleged involvement in Gongadze's disappearance is here.
And there's something else, too. We all know that "the country needs Lytvyn" - that ad was all over the city. But this leaflet also says that "Kyiv needs Chernovetskyi" - and that some "political forces" are pushing for the mayor's resignation, and that Lytvyn's Bloc has always been on Chernovetsky's side, and that Chernovetskyi's not gonna "do harm to anyone" - and so Lytvyn's Bloc is planning to start collecting signatures in support of our poor, beleaguered mayor.
I thought Lutsenko - with his "I don't promise, I guarantee" bravado - was against Chernovetskyi.
I hope they'll somehow manage without Lytvyn. Otherwise, it all seems kind of pointless, once again.
Update: Or is this leaflet a fake? As recently as Sept. 28, Lytvyn's Bloc complained about brudni tekhnologii ("dirty technologies") being used against them (here, in Ukrainian)...
If he's not a fan of Chernovetskyi, then teaming up with him wouldn't be such an absurd thing to do, after all.
As for Gongadze, it's been seven years now, and hardly anyone remembers the details of the case. And no one really expects Yushchenko to solve it anymore. They'll find a way out for Lytvyn, I'm sure.
Another update: It is a fake. But it failed to hurt them bad enough, obviously...
Here's a comment from an anonymous reader:
The leaflet which you photographed was shown on 5kanal interview show on October 2nd, and Oleh Zar[u]binsky [...] of Lytvyn Bloc stated that was black PR and then went on to state - we know who printed where etc. but would not state any name or party connected to it.
Thanks!
pointless?
ReplyDeleteCouldn't you hold your nose about Lytvyn and be glad that Azarov and Yanuk are no longer in power?
My dictum. If you lower your expectations, occassionally you might be surprised. This holds particularly well for politicians...
dlw
No way I can "hold my nose" about Lytvyn, David.
ReplyDeleteGongadze is one reason. Chernovetsky is the other.
Are you kidding?
And if they can, then who knows, maybe they'll also ask Kuchma to run in the next presidential election? What a surprise that would be, huh?
okay, I see your point. Politics is personal and this would be a very disappointing outcome for you.
ReplyDeleteI'm too far removed from the sit, anyways. My view is that so long as the Oranges have a 50% (and NUNS resist going over to the dark side) that adding a third party wd tip the scales so that the balance of power will permanently shift Orange or PoR will have to majorly improve on its image/act.
People are products of their enviro, so a Lytvyn under an Orange Regime will maybe behave differently than he did under the Kuchma Regime?
dlw
I've added an update, btw: that Chernovetskyi thing may be a fake. Or not. I haven't been following Lytvyn Bloc's activities in the Kyiv Rada, so I need someone (Taras?) to explain stuff to me. Please.
ReplyDeleteAnd - this isn't "personal" to me.
To Gongadze, it might have been, though.
Gongadze's disappearance started the whole thing. Moroz blamed it on Lytvyn, and on Kuchma. Lytvyn tried to sue Moroz, back in 2001. Moroz is Judas now. Melnychenko is with Yulia's last year's ally turned archenemy, Brodsky. It has all turned upside down in the past few years, and now we have Lytvyn as a potential savior.
It's not making much sense to me, even though I do understand the math behind it.
Veronica, I totally agree with you.
ReplyDeleteLytvyn’s credentials and election score make him the best candidate to fill Moroz’s behavioral niche. (In fact, we shouldn’t be overoptimistic about Moroz’s departure until all the numbers are in. It is still unclear whether Moroz is expendable.)
We should entertain no illusions about Mr. Lytvyn, Kuchma’s chief of staff (1996-2002) and leader of the pro-Kuchma ZaYedu Bloc in the 2002 parliamentary election. Despite losing the election, ZaYedu and the SDPU(o) gained a majority in the Rada, using sticks and carrots to woo away opposition MPs.
http://www.law.nyu.edu/eecr/vol11num3/focus/wilson.html
One of Lytvyn’s buddies in the Kyiv City Council is building a 24-storied condo right outside my window — literally. There used to be a playground there, where I played as a kid. But now, when I wake up in the morning, all I see is reinforced concrete.
Until proven otherwise, I believe that Lytvyn is full of stabilnist, not to mention plagiarism.
http://www.pravda.com.ua/en/news/2002/1/30/823.htm
http://pravda.com.ua/en/news/2002/1/28/821.htm
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/3/90AE3503-34D0-47EC-BB3C-35B70AFCE096.html
I don't have a lot of hope for justice in this world, which is not to say I am against justice or don't believe things can be done better.
ReplyDeletePolitics is almost always dealing with the lesser of two evils, as it is all about wielding or redirecting the legit violence of the state, quite often not altruistically.
If we support the world in making sure that the remaining election returns are legit and Moroz is out and PoR's results are not ballooned then L will join the Oranges and be under a different regime and exhibit different behavior...
dlw
In Ukraine, we have a weak state, one in which the aforementioned legit violence has been underutilized. People who do not place a high value on justice should consider applying for Ukrainian citizenship;)!
ReplyDeleteEven if Lytvyn joins the Oranges, he will keep his ears to the ground and will stick to his own agenda. So much for the nature-nurture debate:)
The Oranges then wd need to bear that that is true and use a combination of carrots and sticks to keep Lytvyn relatively happy and more in line...
ReplyDeleteEvery action has a reaction. Or, I think the real issue is whether the main Orange teams can learn to work together... If that can happen then having a Lytvyn on-board temporarily will not matter so much.
dlw
Don't the oranges need Lytvyn to pass legislation?
ReplyDeleteThe leaflet which you photographed was shown on 5kanal interview show on October 2nd, and Oleh Zarybinsky (Олег Зарубінський )of Lytvyn Bloc stated that was black PR and then went on to state - we know who printed where etc. but would not state any name or party connected to it.
ReplyDelete