Ukraine political parties have low public support

Ukraine’s political parties have very low support
among the public, according to a poll released on Oct. 31. Only nine percent of
Ukrainians support Fatherland, the pro-Western populist party led by former
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Eight percent support the Solidarity Petro
Poroshenko Bloc led by the president, six percent support the Russian-oriented
Opposition Bloc and six percent back Oleh Liashko’s Radical Party, another
pro-Western populist project. Five percent support the Self-Reliance party, a
youth-oriented, pro-Western reform party that has also demonstrated populist
tendencies. The poll was conducted of 2,400 respondents between Sept. 28 and
Oct. 7 Reitynh agency at the request of the International Republican Institute.

Meanwhile, 42% of respondents said they support early
parliamentary elections, while 64% said they would participate if they were
held. 28% said they wouldn’t vote and eight percent were undecided. In June
this year, 60% of respondents said they’d participate in early elections.

Zenon Zawada: This poll
confirms that early parliamentary elections would severely worsen Ukraine’s
political situation. The Russian-oriented force stands to make big gains.
Meanwhile, Tymoshenko would have a strong chance to return as prime minister,
which is a potential recipe for disaster as she has a fierce, long-standing
rivalry with President Poroshenko. He will do everything possible to avoid
elections, including the recent populist stunt of doubling the minimum wage.
The investment community can only support avoiding early elections.