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Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007

← 2006 30 September 2007 2012 →
All 450 seats of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine 226 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Viktor Yanukovych Yulia Tymoshenko Vyacheslav Kyrylenko Party Party of Regions Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc Our Ukraine Bloc Leader since 2003 2001 2007 Last election 186 seats, 32.1% 129 seats, 22.3% 81 seats, 14% Seats won 175 156 72 Seat change 11 27 9 Percentage 34.4% 30.7% 14.2% Swing 2.2 pp 8.4% 0.2 pp   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Petro Symonenko Volodymyr Lytvyn Party Communist Party Lytvyn Bloc Leader since 1993 2004 Last election 21 seats, 3.7% 0 seats, 2.5% Seats won 27 20 Seat change 6 20 Percentage 5.4% 4.0% Swing 1.7 pp 1.5 pp
Results of the 2007 parliamentary election.
Prime Minister before election Viktor Yanukovych Party of Regions Prime Minister-designate Yulia Tymoshenko Fatherland

Early parliamentary elections in Ukraine took place on 30 September 2007. The date of the election was determined following agreement between the President Viktor Yushchenko, the Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) Oleksandr Moroz on 27 May 2007, in an attempt to resolve the political crisis in Ukraine triggered by the 2 April 2007 presidential decree on dissolution of Ukraine's parliament.^[1][2]

The 450 seats were divided among all parties that achieved a minimum 3% nationwide vote tally.^[3] The number of seats that are allocated to each party, above the 3% participation rate quota, is calculated using the Hamilton method of apportionment.^[4]

In the election, an alliance of two electoral blocs associated with the Orange Revolution, Yulia Tymoshenko's Bloc (BYuT) and Our Ukraine-Peoples Self Defence (OU-PSD) obtained a narrow majority ^[5] leaving their main rival, the Party of Regions (PoR) in opposition.

Political crisis

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v t e

Following the 2006 parliamentary elections, there was an ongoing power struggle between the President and the parliamentary majority, which resulted in the dissolution of parliament.^[6] The majority in the parliament, known as Coalition of National Unity, was formed by Party of Regions, Communist Party, and Socialist Party). It was opposed by Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Our Ukraine.

Early in 2007, several members of the opposition indicated their support to the ruling coalition. If sufficient numbers of members of parliament supported the government, the Coalition of National Unity could have secured a two-thirds majority, empowering the parliament to override the president's right of veto and enabling the parliament to initiate limited constitutional changes.

On 2 April 2007, Yushchenko decreed the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada.^[7]

The authority of the president to dismiss the parliament was challenged in the Constitutional Court,^[8][9] however following the president's intervention in the operation of the Constitutional Court the court has not ruled on the constitutionality of the president's decree.^{[10][11][12][13][14][13][15]}

The election was originally scheduled to be held on 27 May 2007 and later postponed to 24 June 2007. On 27 May 2007 an agreement was signed by President Viktor Yushchenko, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, and Parliamentary Speaker Oleksandr Moroz, scheduling the elections to be held on 30 September 2007.
^[16]

The President's previous decrees were revoked and a new decree based on the provisions of Article 82 and Article 90 of Ukraine's Constitution was issued in its place in August 2007 following the resignation of over 150 members of the opposition parties.

Results

The first polling places to open were at the Ukrainian embassies in Australia and Japan. Election districts were open from 7:00AM until 10:00PM local time. According to the Central Election Commission of Ukraine 63.22% of registered voters cast ballots.^[17] This easily exceeded the 50% participation required by Ukrainian law to make the election valid.

Five parties received the required election threshold of 3% of the total vote and entered the Verkhovna Rada: Party of Regions (PoR),
Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT), Our Ukraine-Peoples Self Defence (OU-PSD), the Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU) and the Bloc Lytvyn (BL). The Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU) secured only 2.86% of the vote and as such did not win any seats in the new parliament. Had the Socialist Party received an additional 0.14% of the vote the overall results would have been more or less the same as the previous Ukrainian parliamentary election in 2006 with the addition of Bloc Lytvyn representatives.

Election results by parties and blocs

e • d 
←Summary of the 30 September 2007 Verkhovna Rada election results →

Parties and coalitions			Votes	%	±pp	Seats	+/-
	Party of Regions		8,013,895	34.37	2.23	175 / 450	11
	Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc	Fatherland Ukrainian Social Democratic Party Reforms and Order Party	7,162,193	30.72	8.42	156 / 450	27
	Our Ukraine — People's Self-Defense	Our Ukraine Forward, Ukraine! People's Movement of Ukraine Ukrainian People's Party Ukrainian Republican Party "Sobor" Christian Democratic Union European Party of Ukraine Pora! Motherland Defenders Party	3,301,282	14.16	0.20	72 / 450	9
	Communist Party of Ukraine		1,257,291	5.39	1.72	27 / 450	6
	Lytvyn Bloc	People's Party Labour Party of Ukraine	924,538	3.97	1.52	20 / 450	20
	Socialist Party of Ukraine		668,234	2.87	2.83	—	33
	Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine		309,008	1.33	1.60[a]	—	0
	Freedom		178,660	0.77	0.41	—	0
	Party of Greens of Ukraine		94,505	0.41	0.13	—	0
	Ukrainian Regional Asset (Hurray!)	People's Democratic Party Democratic Party of Ukraine Republican Christian Party	80,944	0.35	0.15[b]	—	0
	Communist Party of Ukraine (renewed)		68,602	0.29	—[c]	—	0
	Party of Free Democrats		50,852	0.22	New	—	New
	Bloc of the Party of Pensioners of Ukraine	Party of Pensioners of Ukraine Party of Protection of Pensioners of Ukraine	34,845	0.15	0.05[d]	—	0
	Party of National Economic Development of Ukraine		33,489	0.14	0.10	—	0
	Ukrainian People's Bloc	Ukraine United For the Welfare and Protection of the People	28,414	0.12	New	—	New
	Peasants' Bloc "Agrarian Ukraine"	Rural Revival Party New Ukraine	25,675	0.11	New	—	New
	Christian Bloc	Social Christian Party Ecology and Social Protection	24,597	0.11	0.02[e]	—	0
	KUCHMA Bloc	Union Center	23,676	0.10	New	—	New
	All-Ukrainian Community	Party of Peace and Unity National-Democratic Association "Ukraine" Conscience of Ukraine Political Party of Small and Medium-sized Businesses of Ukraine	12,327	0.05	New	—	New
	Party of People's Trust		5,342	0.02	0.10	—	0
Against all			637,185	2.73	0.96
Invalid ballot papers			379,658	1.63	0.32
Total			23,315,257	100		450
Registered voters/turnout			37,588,040	62.03	5.52
Source: Central Electoral Commission
Notes: ^ Result is compared to the People's Opposition Bloc of Natalia Vitrenko, the main part of which the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine was at the previous election ^ Result is compared to the Block NDP ^ This party did not participate in previous election ^ Result is compared to the Party of Pensioners of Ukraine ^ Result is compared to the Social Christian Party

There were 20 parties and blocs registered on the voting ballot. One more electoral bloc PORA-Reforms and Order was participating in early election procedures but was subsequently removed by CVK as result of court decision.^[18] Number 17 assigned initially to this bloc was removed from the ballot paper.

Results of the parliamentary elections:

Support of leading parties and blocs by administrative regions

Party of Regions results (34.37%)

Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko results (30.71%)

Our Ukraine People's Self-Defence results (14.15%)

Communist Party of Ukraine results (5.39%)

Bloc Lytvyn Party results (3.96%)

Socialist Party of Ukraine results (2.86%)

Format of ruling coalition

Parliament 2007

Following the announcement of preliminary election results, the parties expressed their position on forming the coalition. The Party of Regions announced itself a winner of the election and stated that it started negotiations on forming a ruling coalition. The party did not express the desire to be in opposition. Tymoshenko's Bloc advocated a coalition with Our Ukraine and possibly Lytvyn's Bloc. Yulia Tymoshenko was strongly against any coalition with the Party of Regions or the Communists. She stated that her Bloc would be in opposition should such a coalition be formed. President Yushchenko has expressed the need for a better relationship between coalition and opposition. This should be achieved by providing the opposition with posts in the parliament and the government. Lytvyn's Bloc received proposals from all top parties on forming a coalition. Leaders of the Bloc stated that their decision will be made at the party's assembly. Oleksandr Moroz, the leader of the Socialist Party of Ukraine, acknowledged his defeat on 4 October 2007 and supported Tymoshenko's bid for premiership.^[19]

Yulia Tymoshenko, following the formation of a coalition between the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc was subsequently elected prime-minister on 18 December 2007.^[5] Her candidacy was supported by the vote of 226 deputies.^[20]

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is competent on the condition that no less than two-thirds of its constitutional composition has been elected. This means that if any one of the two largest parties resign en masse, the parliament would lose its authority and fresh elections would be required.

Electoral maps

Maps showing the top six parties support - percentage of total national vote

Election results compared with the previous Ukrainian parliamentary election

In 2006, 27% of the registered vote represented support for minor parties that received less than the 3% statutory representation threshold. In 2007 the number of voters that supported minor parties that received less than the 3% statutory threshold (Including the Socialist Party of Ukraine the support of 2.86%) was only 7%.

The 20% difference shows a consolidation of voter's support towards major political parties. This fact needs to be taken into consideration when making any assessment as to the positive swing recorded for Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko, Party of Regions, The Communist Party of Ukraine and Bloc Lytvyn. The Our Ukraine bloc merged with the new party "People's Self-Defence" but only recorded a marginal gain in the overall percentage of the vote representing a reduction of 236964 votes in comparison with the 2006 data.

Further review of the regional vote shows a consolidation of the vote by Yulia Tymoshenko in regions in which her party already maintained strong support. Apart from the Socialist Party of Ukraine and a marginal gain by Our Ukraine all major political parties recorded an increase in the overall percentage the voter support when comparing the 2006 to 2007 results.

The other fact that needs to also be considered is that in 2006 the participation rate was 67% and in 2007 the participation rate dropped down to 62%.

Charts 2007

Results of the parliamentary elections:

Charts 2006

Results of the parliamentary elections:

International observers

3354 international observers were officially registered to monitor the conduct of the election.^[21]

Representatives of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Fair Election organization registered officials with the Central Elections Committee. The OSCE closely worked with Ukrainian officials in the design, administration, and conduct of the election.

Observers declared that elections generally met international standards for democratic elections. However they noted:^[22][23][24]

• delays in the formation of district and precinct election commissions


• the inadequate quality of voter lists


• possible disenfranchisement of voters due to law amendments on:
  
  
  
  • abolishment of absentee ballots
  
  
  • removing from lists voters who have crossed the state border after 1 August 2007.
  
  
  • modalities for voting at home
  
  
  
  


• extensive campaigning by state and local officials from all sides in violation of law.

Exit polls

Voting process overview.

Voting ballot.

Election process.

Vote counting.

Time Table

• August 2 - Commencement of Official Campaign


• August 3 - The Central Election Commission of Ukraine (CVK) is to make decision about giving an airtime for blocs and parties at the budget expense


• August 4 - The CVK must hold a draw to establish broadcast priorities; Deadline for setting of the ballot’s form and text


• August 14 - The CVK has to prepare information placards of election participants and send them to district election commissions


• August 22 - Ballots papers to be submitted for printing


• August 24 - Close of Registration by Foreign Observers


• August 25 - Close of Party List nominations; State television and radio broadcasters should submit a schedule of parties and bloc’s commercial


• August 28 - CVK verification of nominations finalized


• August 30 - Party and Block registration documentation deadline; Close of registration for civil organizations to petition for participation of official observers


• September 2 - Official publication of Election List


• September 26 - Border Services to submit list of Ukrainian Citizens who have left the country and have not returned


• September 30 - Parliamentary Elections


• October 15 - Preliminary announcement of election results


• October 20 - Official final announcement of election results

Registered parties and blocs

Number in parentheses is the number of candidates included on the party list. Parties or blocs that obtained 3% or more of the vote are in bold.

Parliamentary factions in parliament after elections

After the election various factions where formed in parliament. It was possible for 15 or more deputies to form a parliamentary faction (a lawmaker could join only one faction; the chairman and his two assistants could not head factions of deputies).^{[25][26][27][28][29]} hence not all parties represented in the Verkhovna Rada had their own faction.^[30] Factions are colored raspberry.^[30]

• Party of Regions


• 
  Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko – Fatherland (In November 2010 the Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko faction in the Verkhovna Rada was officially renamed Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko – Fatherland.^[31])
  
  
  
  • All-Ukrainian Union Fatherland
  
  
  • 
    Reforms and Order Party,
  
  
  
  


• 
  Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc
  
  
  
  • 
    People's Union "Our Ukraine"^[32]
    
  
  
  • Christian Democratic Union
  
  
  • 
    People's Self-Defense Political Party (Former Forward, Ukraine!^[33])
  
  
  • 
    People's Movement of Ukraine,^[34]
    
  
  
  • 
    Ukrainian People's Party^[35]
    
  
  
  • 
    Ukrainian Platform "Sobor"^[36]
    
  
  
  • European Party of Ukraine
  
  
  • 
    PORA^[37]
    
  
  
  • Motherland Defenders Party
  
  
  
  


• Communist Party of Ukraine


• 
  People's Party faction (In November 2010 the Lytvyn Bloc faction in the Verkhovna Rada was renamed People's Party faction.^[38])
  
  • People's Party
  
  

Factions created during the convocation

• Reforms for the Future

Leaders of factions/groups

• 
  Oleksandr Yefremov (Party of Regions)


• 
  Andriy Kozhemiakin (Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko - Batkivshchyna)^[39][40]
  


• 
  Mykola Martynenko (Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc)


• 
  Petro Symonenko (Communist Party of Ukraine)


• 
  Ihor Sharov (People's Party, formerly Bloc of Volodymyr Lytvyn)


• 
  Ihor Rybakov (Reforms for the Future)

Extra-parliamentary parties representation within the Verkhovna Rada

• 
  Front of Changes (Members were part of the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc faction.^[30])


• 
  United Centre (Members were part of the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc faction.^[30])


• 
  Communist Party of Workers and Peasants (Chairman Leonid Hrach was expelled from the Communist Party and its faction in the Verkhovna Rada in December 2010^[41])


• 
  Radical Party of Ukraine was represented by Oleh Lyashko (former Fatherland)^[42][43][44]
  


• 
  Ukraine – Forward! (the renamed Ukrainian Social-Democratic Party^[45])

Parliamentary parties that dissolved or merged during the convocation

• 
  Strong Ukraine^[46] (Strong Ukraine merged with Party of Regions on March 17, 2012;^[47] the former members of Strong Ukraine remained part of the People's Party faction^[30])

Faction changes after 2007 election

Numerous MPs were removed from their original faction after the 2007 election;^[30][48] several left their (original) faction to join another faction in October 2010.^[49] From 2006 till October 2010 this was not allowed because of the (so-called) "imperative mandate".^[25]

In November 2010 the Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko faction was officially renamed “Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko-Batkivschyna”.^[50] and the Bloc of Lytvyn faction was renamed People's Party faction.^[51] On February 16, 2011 a new parliamentary faction "Reforms for the Future" was created.^[52][53] The parliament elected in the following election on 28 October 2012 was appointed and started its tasks six weeks after the elections on 12 December 2012.^[54][55] The parliament elected in 2007 convened on 6 December 2012 for the last time.^[54]

e • d Fraction changes after the Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007

Parties and alliances	Seats on September 30, 2007[56]	Seats on December 31, 2010[30]	Seats on December 31, 2011[30]	Seats in March 2012[30]	Seats in September 2012[30]	Seats in November 2012[30][57]	Total loss/gain
Party of Regions	175	180	192	192	195	195	20 seats
Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko	156	113	102	100	98	97	59 seats
Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc	72	71	65	65	63	63	9 seats
Communist Party of Ukraine	27	25	25	25	25	25	2 seats
Lytvyn Bloc	20	20	20	20	20	20
Reforms for the Future	Did not exist[52]	Did not exist[52]	20	19	19	19	19 seats
Parliamentarians not members of faction	0	41	26	29	30	31	31 seats

See also

• List of members of the parliament of Ukraine, 2007–2012

References

External links

• 
  Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007 – Central Election Commission of Ukraine


• Exit poll 2007


• Serhiy Vasylchenko: Electoral Geography of Ukraine 1991 - 2010