You're reading: Regions Party members flee faction amid unrest

While the large-scale protests occupy the streets and squares of Ukraine, another movement, far more secretive, is shaking the state’s strongest political force, the pro-presidential Party of Regions.

The strength of the political party numbering over 1.4
million members and holding the majority in parliament seems endangered after
at least five members left the party’s parliament faction of 207 deputies over
the past two days.

The first one to leave – and the most surprising – was
Inna Bohoslovska, a member of parliament who stood fourth on the party list
during elections a year ago. Known as a strong supporter of President Viktor
Yanukovych and the party – she defended their position many times as a speaker
on Ukraine’s main political talk show – Bohoslovska has changed her course
completely, publishing a statement that demanded the dismissal of both
Yanukovych and the pro-presidential Cabinet of Ministers.

Bogoslovska called the government’s about-face on the
eve of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius on Nov. 28-29 and “anti-European”
course. She named that, along with police violence against protesters, the key
reason that made her decide to part ways with the pro-presidential faction. But
her departure does not mean that she will unite with opposition parties, she
said.

Bohoslovska was followed by her husband Volodymyr
Melnychenko, David Zhvaniya and Mykola Rudkovskiy, who all left the party for the
same reasons. The moves were confirmed by Party of Regions faction leader
Olexander Yefremov, who said that “these people were always going their own way
inside the party.”

Deputy Viktor Bondar, who joined the Party of Regions
in 2012 immediately after being elected as an independent candidate, has also
left the party, according to Melnychenko. Bondar dished strong criticism of
recent violence on Nov. 30 and showed up at the protests himself. Bondar
himself was unavailable for comments.

“The five of us (deputies, who left the faction) are
in touch, we meet and consult with each other,” Melnychenko said.

Bohoslovska, Melnychenko and Zhvania are similar in
their statements about future. Each of them speaks of creating “a pro-European
force in parliament,” based on the deputies who left the Party of Regions
faction and some independent deputies.

Bohoslovska says she knows that some 20 deputies who
are ready to leave the Party of Regions faction, and many more who are
considering it. Melnychenko says that these people’ final decision can be
influenced by the scale of the street protests.

The decision of the doubters will become known on Dec.
3, Melnychenko says, when the parliament is expected to vote on the government
dismissal. People from the pro-government coalition can unxpectedly vote for
the dismissal, he says.

Commenting on the situation inside the Party of
Regions, Bohoslovska said that “the several interest groups inside the party
have different views on Ukraine’s future, and now the pro-Russian group that is
desrupting Ukraine’s way towards the EU feels very strong.” However, Bohoslovska refused to provide the names of the
group, saying that “everyone knows them.”

The changes inside the Party of Regions faction began
immediately following after the head of President’s Administration Serhiy
Lyovochkin reportedly resigned on Nov. 30. Melnychenko said that there is a
“Lyovochkin-oriented group of deputies” in the faction that numbers 20 people
or more, but doesn’t directly confirm himself and other rebellious deputies as being
part of the Lyovochkin group. Lyovochkin’s resignation has not been yet
accepted by the president.

Yefremov said Liovochkin on Dec. 2 was at his work
place. 

When on Nov. 21 parliament considered several bills
aimed at satisfying EU demands for Associated Agreement signing, all the
now-rebellious deputies did not vote for them, along with the rest of the Party
of Regions faction.

Parliament speaker Volodymyr Rybak said that only one
Party of Regions lawmaker has actually applied to leave the faction.

Opposition leaders say they are aware of the discord
in the ruling party and are waiting to see what happens. “If they want to create
some new group in parliament after leaving the Party of Region, we don’t mind
and we will wait and see how they will be voting,” said Svoboda leader Oleg
Tiahnybok.