A group of liberal lawmakers announced on Feb. 13 the creation of a new political group called Diyznamy (Act With Us), saying they aim to gain a foothold in all areas of government across the country.
Mustafa Nayyem, a former investigative journalist who is currently a lawmaker in the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction in parliament, announced the creation of Diyznamy together with lawmakers Svitlana Zalishchuk, Sergii Leshchenko, also journalists in a past, and a couple of other members.
Nayyem said that Diyznamy initially wants to win seats in parliament in this October’s elections.
“Our main goal is to bring as many new people as possible to the next parliament, in the executive branch and at the local level,” said Nayyem.
Despite the fact that Diyznamy is still not registered as a party, Zalishchuk, also a member of the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction and also an adviser to presidential candidate Anatoliy Grytsenko, called for all liberal forces to united in an independent platform.
“Today’s liberal power in a parliament is not truly represented by any political force, but there is a great demand for it,” wrote Zalishchuk on her Facebook page on Feb.13. “Now the issue is not a party – it’s about preparing for the next battle.”
Surveys show that most Ukrainians yearn to see new faces in politics – a request that Diyznamy seeks to satisfy.
Yet some are skeptical about such newborn platforms.
“In 2014, this would be perceived as a sincere impulse following the Revolution of Dignity (EuroMaidan Revolution). Now I see this as an attempt to adapt, politically,” political analyst Yevhen Mahda, the director of the Institute of World Policy told the Kyiv Post.
