The fact, that the Central Election Commission has already finished the registration of candidates and the activity of the latter in constituencies, give us the possibility to analyze the future competition and chances of the candidates. Special attention is attracted by the candidates from oblast influential parties and by the active independent candidates (samovusyvantsi).
Political Powers
Because of a number of reasons, including the local party members, the All-Ukrainian Union Fatherland has any deputy neither in oblast nor in Ternopil city council. Despite this fact, the Fatherland has quite stable voter support and without great expenses it has preserved its organization structure. During these elections it was even strengthened by the Front of Changes, which is represented also by the activists of For Ukraine movement, who obtained the deputy mandates during the last local elections.
Another political power that has strong influence in the region is the All-Ukrainian Union Svoboda. Tiahnybok's statement that "the victory in Ukraine will start from Ternopil" has its own confirmation for Svoboda. After the first victory during the snap elections of oblast council in 2009, the party could prove its results once again during the elections of city council, where Svoboda gained not only the majority of mandates but also the position of Mayor. Oblast council is still a problem for Svoboda. After the local elections and transfer of a number of deputies to other councils, the deputy corps of Svoboda in oblast council became smaller (in was reduced from 50 to 37 deputies) and during 18 months already the Territorial Election Commission is slow in enrollment of new deputies.
For the Party of Regions Ternopil region is far from being the main oblast. However, on the eve of local elections this political power received the highest number of mandates in local councils. The Party of Regions has already started to use a new technology during the Parliamentary elections. Thus, except of official candidates from the Party of Regions, in each district there is an independent candidate (samovysuvanets), who de facto is the candidate from the government.
Another power that should be taken into account is the UDAR party. And although this party did not get enough votes to pass the selection during the previous elections, the time was not wasted and local members of the UDAR party will become real rivals during these elections.
Single member constituencies and candidates
Constituency #163, Ternopil city: 13 candidates. In the beginning of summer the favorites could be the former Mayor of Ternopil Roman Zastavnyi (Front of Changes) and the Head of oblast council Oleksii Kaida (All-Ukrainian Union Svoboda). However, because of the divide of the constituencies of United opposition and Svoboda, Ternopil city was taken by Oleksii Kaida. The real competitor of the latter could be Vitalii Maksymov (UDAR), who, except of the party support, also has quite high rating.
Candidacy of Oleksii Kaida keeps the question on future of the oblast council opened. Thus, if its Head is elected as People's Deputy, his duties will be fulfilled by his First Deputy - representative of the United Center.
It is important to mention, that among other candidates there is Yaroslav Davydovych, who is the former Head of the Central Election Commission and at the moment he is the candidate from the Ukraine-Ahead! party. The local business will be represented by two brewers, who used to be the members of Ukrainian People's Party - Mykhailo Ratushniak (representative of Obolon in oblast) and Taras Pastukh (General Manager of Opillia brewery, Ukrainian People's Party). The appearance in the district of Volodymyr Kukhar became an interesting phenomenon of Ternopil election campaign. His campaigning is mainly based of volunteering and use of social networks. In particular, in this way he gathered the deposit for registration of his candidacy.
Constituency #164, Zbarazh city: 20 candidates - the highest number in oblast. At the moment this district is marked by the most severe struggle between the candidates, namely, between Volodymyr Klymenko (Chairman of the Management Board of UKRINBANK, non-party candidate) and Orest Muts (MP from the Party of Regions, non-party candidate). In fact, the phrase "non-party candidate" in the data of Orest Muts and his sister - Yaroslava Piala, who is a candidate as well, points out that their positions in the Party of Regions has been significantly shaken. A year ago Muts was the head of oblast party brunch, and Piala, up to July of this year, was the Head of Ternopil city organization of the Party of Regions.
The fact that in the districts are registered 5 members of the Party of Regions, and 4 of them belong to "Muts's team", affirms the level of struggle between Klymenko and Muts. However, this team is not limited only to the members of the Party of Regions. Vasyl Fialka should be distinguished among the non-party mates of the people's deputy. The Movement for the liberation from the political varangians was initiated on his behalf (Volodymyr Klymenko from Luhansk, and Valentyn Khoptian, the Head of Ternopil oblast state administration, from Khmelnytskyi region). Klymenko, who is a newcomer in Ternopil region, showed dramatic activity with help of Halychyna-Volyn fund (voting district #164 include rayons of Halychyna and Volyn). It is worth mentioning that this summer 500 children were improving their health and it was financed by the fund. However, the biggest number of questions arises regarding Klymenko's participation in the road repair and the support of these initiatives on behalf of administration. At the moment it is known that the roads in the district, which were supposed to be repaired with help of the candidate, in fact had to be financed from the state budget.
Oppositional candidate in this district is the representative of the All-Ukrainian Union Svoboda - Mykhailo Holovko. Till the very last moment he was the only candidate from the right wing, however, Ukrainian People's Party nominated the former Head of Zbarazh rayon sate administration - Volodymyr Hulovskyi. Apparently, he counts on the same segment of patriotic voters as Holovko.
The UDAR party will be represented by Vitalii Lomakovych (originally from Kyiv), who also entered the district via charity fund. However, in this sphere it will be hard to compete with Klymenko.
Constituency #165, Zboriv city: 11 candidates. During the pre-election period, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko was the most active in this district. His defection to the party list of the UDAR party created a field of competition for few candidates.
Here the government will be represented by the local representative of agrarian business - Ivan Chaikovskyi. Already in April he was the Head of faction of the Party of Regions in Ternopil rayon council, but in July his headquarters distributed the interview, where Chikovskyi stated that he has never been and never will be the member of the Party of Regions.
The United opposition is represented by Volodymyr Boiko, the member of Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. He will compete with another Volodymyr Boiko (independent candidate) and the Head of local organization of the People's Movement of Ukraine - Anatolii Vykhrushch. Concerning the latter, the oblast headquarters of Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc has already addressed the central management with the request to influence the situation with the "allies" from the movement.
However, the United opposition is not the only power in this district that will have two representatives. Something similar happens with Our Ukraine. Here Volodymyr Tkach (Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists) and Volodymyr Bolieshchuk (Ukrainian People's Party) will compete.
Volodymyr Petrovskyi became the successor of Nalyvaichenko in the district. In this district the local members of the UDAR party were nominating the candidacy of a writer - Natalia Mykhno. However, Nalyvaichenko succeeded in defending his representative in the district.
It is worth mentioning another candidate - the Mayor of Zboriv Oleksii Shevchuk (People's Party). Recently Shevchuk has distinguished himself by a fraud scandal. But despite of that, the party nominated him as a cadidate for this year elections.
Constituency #166, Terebovlia city: 8 candidates - the lowest number among 5 districts. Obviously, the candidate from the government will be Nadia Khoptian, who is the wife of the Head of oblast state administration and the Head of Husiatyn rayon council. Although she is the independent candidate, she is not only the member of the Party of Regions, but also the Head of its rayon organization. Mykhailo Apostol, the member of Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, is a candidate from opposition. In this district he will also have the competitor from the allies from the People's Movement of Ukraine - the Mayot of Husiatyn Mykhailo Savchuk.
Among other candidates, it is important to mention Roman Pivtorak, who is the President of a technical school in Ternopil and against whom a criminal case was started. A businessmen Mykola Liushniak represents the UDAR party.
Constituency #167, Chortkiv city: 13 candidates. The independent candidates compete here for a long time. In particular, Volodymyr Bedrykivskyi - the general-colonel of police and the former First Deputy of Minister of Internal Affairs - the Head of Chief Department Against Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. During the last months he was also very active in the sphere of charity. Another active independent candidate, who is already involved in conflict with Berdkivskyi, is the owner of oblast biggest shopping and leisure complex - Vasyl Chubak. In July the statement of Chubak, regarding the fact that someone has planted the drugs on his son and that he was detained by police, was spread. He accused of this his competitor - the general colonel. Another significant independent candidate is Yurii Chyzhmar, the former Head of Ternopil oblast state administration.
This threesome of independent candidates is the most active in the region. Among the party representatives, it is important to mention the candidate from the United opposition, People's deputy Ivan Stoiko, who is just beginning his activity in the region, because his candidacy in this district was approved only in the end of July. Businessmen Oleh Varvaryk is a candidate from the UDAR party.
Reference:
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