Ukrainian opposition will nominate a single presidential candidate

The period leading up to the official launch of Ukrainian presidential election campaign is a busy season for both the authorities and the opposition. Just before the elections, which are scheduled for March 2019, oppositional political parties are traditionally negotiating opportunities for synergy with a view to standing successfully against more influential political opponents. This was confirmed by the recent meeting held in Warsaw between Yulia Tymoshenko, who is the leader of one of the main Ukrainian oppositional parties, named the All-Ukrainian Union 'Batkivshchyna' ('Fatherland'), and Ukrainian business oligarch and former Governor of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Ihor Kolomoyskyi, who is also in opposition to the current authorities in Kiev. It seems that Ukrainian oppositional leaders have actually managed to overcome their differences and to agree to work together, nominating a common candidate. This is evidenced by the statement by Oleksandr Opanasenko, Member of the Parliamentary faction 'Samopimich' Union (Union 'Self Reliance'), which was posted to his Facebook page.

Placing their ambitions on the back burner, Ukrainian oppositional leaders decided to avoid dissipating their efforts in promoting several candidates and preferred to come together for their common good. It is worth noting that currently not a single Ukrainian politician enjoys popular support. Furthermore, the sitting President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, who plans to be re-elected for a second term, is among the leaders of adverse ratings. His potential in building credibility and trust in own country is quite limited. Thus, the consolidated opposition has all chances to succeed in competing against the authorities and win the elections in the first round.

The only question that remains is... who is that single candidate, whose name is kept secret? There are only two variants that now seem to be the most likely ones - the most experienced politician Yulia Tymoshenko, who twice participated in the struggle to gain the presidency, and the former head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), as well as, the leader of the political movement 'Spravedlivost' ('Justice') Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, who frequently announced his intention to run for the presidency and enjoyed the support of Western partners of Ukraine. It is those people who have the best chances of success. To all seeming, this time Ukrainian opposition has chosen the right strategic path. But whether it becomes a victorious practice we will know in less than a year.

Petro "Candy Man" Poroshenko has falling polling numbers. He had a great opportunity after Maidan, but proved to be just another typical oligarch politician.

The probable candidate (with a plethora of wealthy donors) is Yulia "The Gas Queen" Tymoshenko. Unfortunately, she is as corrupt as Poroshenko if not worse.

Who I would like to see run (and win) is Democratic Alliance MP Mustafa Nayyem. Born in Kabul, he is a non-practicing Muslim, graduated from the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, took Ukrainian citizenship, is fluent in Ukrainian, Pashto, Russian, and English, and is a true reformer. His ex-wife is Jewish and they have a son Mark (Mikhail). Nayyem is a first rate journalist - Kommersant-Ukrainy, Ukrayinska Pravda - and he was one of the 15 journalists that founded the hugely successful Hromadske.TV. website. His Facebook account was the initiator of the EuroMaidan Revolution. He is a liberal democrat, pro-Europe, and anti-corruption. An excellent MP.

Impressive credentials, but the powerful oligarchs would never support such a reformer and anti-corruption candidate.


Mustafa Masi Nayyem (center) at Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), Kyiv, Ukraine. 2013.