Confident NSNU

Ukrainian Foreign minster Borys Tarasyuk said in Washington on Friday, " We are confident that the pro-democracy forces will gain a clear majority in the future parliament. Despite the fragmentation between the pro-democracy political parties their combined approval rating has even slightly grown. There should be no doubts that the pro-democracy parties are capable of bridging their differences and restoring the Orange coalition." Yushchenko expressed similar opinions claiming the opposition will obtain no more than 30-35% of the vote.

The last OP's before the elections have now been published, they show PRoU leading, with 20 - 33% of the electorate prepared to vote for them.

We see Ukraine's smartly attired and manicured policians emerging from expensive automobiles, treading red carpets, waving to crowds... or immaculately coiffured, respectfully being interviewed on TV in glitzy studios....and tend to forget about the disreputable histories that many of them have. I guess we want to believe leaders are all honest and upright. But how many of the 'bandits' have gone to jail? How many will get into Parliament? Why are so many odious characters from the days of Kuchma who feature on Melnychenko's tapes still strutting on the Ukrainian political stage in the main parties?

If I was a voter, I would look at the electoral lists, and the go for the one which contained the least number of 'bad eggs'. Not the most satisfactory way of electing a government..