The Consequences of Party Nominations in Ukraine

Abstract

Chapter 7 considers different indicators of party cohesion in Ukraine to examine the effects of party nominations during the country’s first PR-only election on legislative politics following that election. The analysis focuses primarily on the selection of Ukraine’s prime minister. The vote is a critical moment in Ukrainian politics because it allowed the losing candidate in Ukraine’s disputed 2004 presidential election, Viktor Yanukovych, to reinsert himself into national politics as a legitimate and influential member of the executive branch. In fact, tension between Prime Minister Yanukovych and his 2004 rival, President Viktor Yushchenko, proved to be a catalyst for Ukraine’s second PR-only election, which was held in 2007. In general, the chapter’s findings raise questions about the ability of Ukraine’s PR-only system to overcome the types of elite behavior that had undermined the consolidation of the country’s party system up to that point.