Russian-oriented Opposition Bloc on verge of split
26 January 2017
The Russian-oriented Opposition Bloc political party is on the verge of a split being initiated by its biggest sponsor Rinat Akhmetov, the pravda.com.ua news site reported on Jan. 25. The parliamentary faction is likely to split into two groups, one oriented towards Akhmetov and the other towards oligarch Dmytro Firtash and Yanukovych Presidential Administration Head Serhiy Lyovochkin.
The two groups are not only divided by business interests, but also issues of early parliamentary elections (which the Akhmetov group opposes) and government policies, pravda.com.ua reported. Akhmetov business partner Vadim Novinsky, who had his parliamentary immunity stripped in December but has not yet seen criminal charges, has the best chances to become the group’s head, the report said.
Zenon Zawada: The rivalry between the Akhmetov and Firtash groups has been ongoing for nearly a decade, but remarkably kept under control. While such splits are often a sign of weakness, this arrangement could actually work to the advantage of Ukraine’s Russian-oriented forces. It creates enough flexibility to unite on certain issues, and to go separately on those issues they don’t agree upon. They will almost certainly unite on the presidential candidacy of Yuriy Boyko, who is a close business partner to Firtash and Lyovochkin. And they will unite on most political issues involving Russia.
