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Party of Regions leader Borys Kolesnikov. UNIAN Possible plebiscites proved to be hot political potatoes in the past week, with the Regions throwing their hat into the referendum ring

at into the referendum ring.

Along with referendum initiatives being championed by opposition and pro-presidential political forces, the country appears to be in store for direct democracy, which will see Ukrainians go to the polls – again and again.

But before any referendum gets off the ground, the laws regulating plebiscites need to be updated from 1991 – the year Ukrainians overwhelmingly voted for independence.


Issues that divide

The Regions party last week announced plans to initiate a national referendum on issues that traditionally divide Ukrainians, but are not major concerns of voters, according to polls.

The three questions include: Do you agree that Ukrainian and Russian should be a state language of Ukraine? Do you agree that heads of district and oblast (regional) administrations should be elected by citizens of Ukraine? Do you agree that Ukraine should not be a member of any military blocs?

Borys Kolesnikov, the head of Party of Regions’ campaign headquarters, said that at least 9 million signatures in support of the referendum will be collected – triple the 3 million required to initiate the plebiscite process. He said that the petition would be gathered over two months’ time.

Ukraine’s pro-Western president, Viktor Yushchenko, condemned the initiative as political adventurism lies.

“I am surprised that the Party of Regions takes this stand. Evidently, these people do not share aspirations to stabilize the political situation in Ukraine and take steps incompatible with political peace,” said Yushchenko, who wants Ukraine to join NATO.

Kolesnikov stressed that Regions has never backed down from its party platform to push for granting Russian official status as a state language, or its view that Ukraine should avoid joining NATO.


Risk to national integrity

On Sept. 10, the election watchdog Committee of Voters of Ukraine (CVU) called on political parties and blocs “to put off language and NATO referendums until the political situation in the country has stabilized to consolidate society” and preserve territorial integrity.

Ihor Popov, CVU head, said that the Regions referendum is “more of an element of the pre-election campaign than serious intentions.”

Kolesnikov denied that the future referendum is tied to the Sept. 30 election.

“The only convenience of collecting signatures now is that we have a well-established campaign network. Around 5,000 people are working at the rallies and they will collect signatures much faster than possible at any other time,” he said in a Sept. 10 interview on Radio Svoboda.


Anti-NATO referendum

The NGO head recalled the 2005-2006 referendum initiative that was part of last year’s failed election campaign of the “Ne Tak!” anti-Yushchenko bloc built around the political party led by late Kuchma-era presidential administration chief Viktor Medvedchuk and former President Leonid Kravchuk.

Over several months, 100 groups collected 4.6 million signatures in support of a referendum that would let voters decide if Ukraine joins NATO and/or the competing Single Economic Space with Russia.

Serhii Kalchenko, electoral law expert and attorney at the Moor & Krosondovych law firm, said that in strictly legal terms, the Ne Tak referendum still has a chance of being held.

“The Central Election Commission performed its function and passed the ball to the president. It is a different matter that the president has kept the ball for quite a long time,” he said.

According to Popov, Yushchenko has agreed with political opponents not to raise the issue, which, nonetheless, can be raised at politically opportune times.


Constitutional referendum

Opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, meanwhile, told journalists in Cherkassy Region on Sept. 11 that the political force bearing her name has already collected 3 million signatures for a referendum on several constitutional issues, including the republic’s political regime, cancellation of immunity from prosecution and privileges – causes that have been also championed by Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defense.

She said that a decision was made to collect nearly 8 million signatures “to be absolutely convinced that such a referendum is required and that the referendum must be the basis for developing a new Constitution,” she said.

Tymoshenko said that the referendum would be held soon after the elections if not on Sept. 30.

Yushchenko has indicated that constitutional issues that were changed by political reforms, which came into force last year, should be subject to nationwide approval, but has not specified dates for the potential plebiscite.


Issues that unite

Ukrainians have voted on changing the country’s Constitution in the past.

In April of 2000, Ukrainians went to the polls to vote on four constitutional issues that included immunity from prosecution for parliamentarians.

Eighty-nine percent supported its cancellation. Eighty-four percent supported granting the president powers to dismiss the legislature if it was not able to create a functioning majority or adopt a state budget in three months’ time.

More than 80 percent supported reducing the number of elected deputies to 300 from 450 and creating a bicameral parliament, with one of the houses “representing Ukraine’s regions.”

Formally, President Leonid Kuchma abided by the rules for referendums, but the initiative was thwarted by parliament, which failed to change the Constitution to reflect the referendum results,Kalchenko said.


Legal hurdles

Popov said that there is little chance of holding any referendum in the near future because laws regulating plebiscites require revision for them to move forward. The law on referendums dates back to 2001 and contains provisions considered to be unconstitutional.

“The legal procedure of a referendum initiative has so many tricky moments and stages that it can be snatched off at any stage,” said Popov.

Kalchenko also said that changing the legal framework for conducting referendums in Ukraine can last anywhere from a few days to a few months. Much depends on election results and the will to pursue referendum campaigns after Sept. 30.