Elections in the shadow of the Orange Revolution

The Parliamentary Elections in Ukraine in 2006 remained in the shadow of the 2004 Presidential Election and the Orange Revolution. The changes, which to a large extent resulted from the events of 2004-2005, influenced the shape of the Ukrainian political scene and Kiev’s foreign and domestic policy. They have consolidated the ineffective “Third Way” policy, implemented in Ukraine, which is to allow the state to maintain a balance between the East and the West, and in fact strengthening the dependence, especially economic, on Russia. The new Electoral Ordinance (though it was expected to be beneficial for the democratization process) did not reduce the participation of oligarchs in the political life, but it changed the voting results. Politicians, chosen by citizens, have soon found themselves in the opposition’s ranks. The forced coalitions and the lack of a charismatic leader would eventually result in a deepening state’s weakness.