Viktor Yanukovych
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| MP Viktor Yanukovych Віктор Янукович |
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| In office August 4, 2006 – December 18, 2007 |
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| President | Victor Yushchenko |
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| Preceded by | Yuriy Yekhanurov |
| Succeeded by | Yulia Tymoshenko |
| In office November 21, 2002 – December 31, 2004 |
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| President | Leonid Kuchma |
| Preceded by | Anatoliy Kinakh |
| Succeeded by | Mykola Azarov |
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| In office May 14, 1997 – November 2002 |
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| President | Leonid Kuchma |
| Preceded by | Volodymyr Sherban |
| Succeeded by | Anatoliy Blyzniuk |
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| Born | July 9, 1950 Yenakiieve, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR[1] |
| Political party | Party of Regions |
| Other political affiliations |
CPSU (1979/1980[2]-1991) |
| Spouse(s) | Lyudmilla Yanukovych |
| Children | 2 sons, Olexander and Viktor |
| Residence | Kiev, Ukraine |
| Alma mater | Donetsk Polytechnic Institute |
| Occupation | Politician, professor |
| Profession | Mechanical engineering |
| Religion | Ukrainian Orthodox Church |
| Website | yanukovych.com.ua |
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych (Ukrainian: 
Віктор Федорович Янукович (help·info) Viktor Fedorovyč Janukovyč; Russian: Виктор Фёдорович Янукович) (born on July 9, 1950 in Yenakiieve, Donetsk Oblast) is a Ukrainian politician, the current leader of the influential opposition Party of Regions in the Verkhovna Rada (parliament). Yanukovych is currently one of the leading candidates in the upcoming presidential election, to be contested in January 2010.[3]
Previously, Viktor Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast (province) 1997 and 2002. Yanukoych also served as the Prime Minister of Ukraine–twice–from November 21, 2002 to December 31, 2004 under President Leonid Kuchma and from August 4, 2006 to December 18, 2007 under current President Viktor Yushchenko, his main opponent in the 2004 presidential election, of which he was declared the runner-up.
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[edit] Early life and career
Viktor Yanukovych was born in the village of Zhukovka near Yenakiieve in Donetsk Oblast, at the time part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (now independent Ukraine). Yanukovych was born into a working class neighborhood. His father was an ethnic Belarusian locomotive driver originally from Yanuki in Vitsebsk Voblast.[4] His mother was an ethnic Ukrainian nurse, however she died when Yanukovych was only 2 years old. By the time he was a teenager, he had lost both his parents and was later brought up by his grandmother. Yanukovych regards himself as a Ukrainian.[5]
At the age of 17 on December 15, 1967, Yanukovych was sentenced to 3 years incarceration for participating in a robbery and moderate assault[6] as a member of the street gang "Pidnovka". He served his sentence in the Kremenchuk detention center but was released after seven months for exemplary behavior. Yanukovych also served a 2 years prison sentence in 1970 for theft and violence.[7][8][9] On December 27, 1978 the Donetsk Regional Court quashed the recorded conviction. Yanukovych was quoted as saying that the crimes for which he was tried were "errors of youth".[10]
In 1972, Yanukovych became an electrician in a local bus company and later finished a technicum. In 1980, he graduated (by correspondence) from the Donetsk Polytechnic Institute, with a major in mechanical engineering. Immediately after graduation, Yanukovych was appointed chief manager of a transportation company in Yenakiieve and admitted to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
This appointment marked the start of managerial positions in regional and automotive transport.
Georgi Beregovoi, a Soviet astronaut of Ukrainian decent, has long been a patron of Yanukovych. As the then-Soviet member of parliament from the Donbas region, Beregovoi was said to be protecting an unjustly convicted youngster and promoting his future career.
[edit] Political career
Yanukovych's political career began when he was appointed as a Vice-Head of Donetsk Oblast Administration in August 1996. On May 14, 1997 he was appointed as the Head of the Administration (i.e. Governor). Between May 1999 and May 2001 he was also the Head of Donetsk Oblast Council.
In 2001, Yanukovych graduated from the Ukrainian Academy of Foreign Trade as a Master of International Law. Later, Yanukovych was granted the titles of Doctor of Science and Professor.
[edit] Prime minister from 2002-2004
President Leonid Kuchma appointed Viktor Yanukovych to the post of Prime Minister following the resignation of Anatoliy Kinakh.[11] Yanukovych began his term as Prime Minister on November 21, 2002 following a 234-vote confirmation in the Verkhovna Rada.[12] Under Yanukovych, the government began to pay more attention to reforming the coal industry.
In foreign affairs, Yanukovych's cabinet was considered to be politically close to Russia, although declaring support for Ukrainian membership in the European Union. Although Yanukovych's parliamentary coalition was not supporting Ukrainian membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), his cabinet agreed the commission of Ukrainian troops to the Iraq War in support of the United State's War on Terrorism.
[edit] 2004 presidential campaign
In 2004, as the Prime Minister, Yanukovych participated in the controversial Ukrainian presidential election as the Party of Regions candidate. Yanukovych's main base of support emerged from the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, which favor close ties with neighbouring Russia. In the first round of voting held on October 31, Yanukovych took second place with 39.3 percent of the votes to opposition leader Viktor Yuschenko with 39.8 percent. Because no candidate passed the 50 percent threshold, a second round of voting was scheduled.
In the second round of the election, Yanukovych was initially declared the winner. However, the legitimacy of the election was questioned by many Ukrainians, international organizations, and foreign governments following allegations of electoral fraud. The second round of the election was subsequently annulled by the Supreme Court of Ukraine, and in the repeated run-off, Yanukovych lost to Yushchenko with 44.2 percent to Yushchenko's 51.9 percent.
After the election, the Ukrainian parliament passed a non-binding motion of no confidence to his government, urging outgoing President Leonid Kuchma to dismiss Yanukovych and appoint a caretaker government. Five days after his electoral defeat, Yanukovych declared his resignation from the post of Prime Minister.
In November 2009 Yanukovych stated that although is victory in the elections was "taken away" he gave up this victory in order to avoid bloodshed. "I didn't want mothers to lose their children and wives their husbands. I didn't want dead bodies from Kyiv to flow down the Dnipro. I didn't want to assume power through bloodshed."[13]
[edit] Controversy
In October 2004 Ukrainian deputy Grigory Omelchenko accused Yanukovych of having been a member of "a group of individuals who brutally beat and raped a woman, but bought off the victim and the criminal case was closed",[14] The press-service of the Ukrainian Cabinet (at the time Yanukovych was Prime Minister of Ukraine) asserts that Yanukovich suffered for the attempt to defend a girl from hooligans.[8]
[edit] Post-2004 political career
Following his electoral defeat in 2004, Yanukovych led the Party of Regions in the 2006 parliamentary election. These elections determined the next government's makeup as, due to constitutional changes that came into force on January 1, 2006, the Prime Minister and his cabinet were now appointed by the parliament.
In January 2006, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine started an official investigation of the allegedly false acquittal of the criminal convictions which Yanukovych received in his youth. Yuriy Lutsenko, the head of the ministry, announced that forensic tests proved the forgery of the respective documents (issued in instead of 1978) and initially claimed that lack of the formal acquittal precluded Yanukovych from running for the seat in the 2006 parliamentary election.[15] However, the latter statement was corrected within days by Lutsenko himself who conceded that the outcome of the investigation into the legality of the Yanukovych's acquittal could not affect his eligibility to run for the parliament seat since the deprivation of his civil rights due to the past convictions would have expired anyway due to the statute of limitations.[16][17]
Despite having ruled out any post-election deals with the parties headed by either Yushchenko or former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, as well as the animus between himself and the president, Yanukovych and Yushchenko alike were forced to come to terms following the former's electoral victory. In exchange for Yanukovych's assurance that he will not interfere with the pro-Western international ambitions of the President, Yushchenko commissioned Yanukovych to form a government in cooperation with his own Our Ukraine party on August 3, 2006 (several hours after the deadline for doing so expired). The so-called "humanitarian" ministries, as well as the army and the police, remain headed by Yushchenko's allies, but the ministries dealing with the economy and finances, as well as all deputy Prime Ministerial posts, came under Yanukovych's control.
Erstwhile Yushchenko ally and former Prime Minister, Tymoshenko, announced her intention to lead her party into opposition immediately afterwards.[18]
On May 25, 2007, Viktor Yanukovych was assigned the post of appointed chairman of the Government Chiefs Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States.[19]
In the parliamentary elections on September 30, 2007, the Party of Regions won 175 out of 450 seats (34.37 percent of the votes) in the Verkhovna Rada. Despite increasing its overall percentage of support compared to the 2006 election (when it was 32.14 percent), the party lost 130,000 votes and 11 parliamentary seats.[20] After the Our Ukraine and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc formed a coalition government on December 18, 2007, the Party of Regions went into the opposition.
[edit] Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
In 2009, Yanukovych announced his intent to run for President in the upcoming presidential election, which is to be contested in January 2010.[3] He is being endorsed by the Party of Regions.[21]
Yanukovych campaign was expected to have cost $100 to $150 million.[22]
In November 2009, Italian singer and composer Toto Cutugno accused the writers of the pro-Yanukovych song "Leader" written for the 2010 campaign of plagiarism of his song "Ti amo". Yanukovych distanced himself from the song, saying "I have heard nothing and I have ordered nothing".[23]
[edit] Opinion polls
Public Opinion Polls have consistently rated Party of Regions and Viktor Yanukovych (26% to 31%) as the highest polling party/candidate in Ukraine with most analysts predicting Yanukovych will win the 2010 Presidential election. The next highest polling candidate is incumbent Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (14% to 26%). Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's current President, is polling between 2.2% to 3.5%. All recent polls have indicated that Victor Yanukovych will face off in a second round ballot, expected to be held in February 2010, against Yulia Tymoshenko.
According to an article in Kyiv Post of late-November 2009 his popularity in the Donbass was fading and Donbass voters voted mainly for Yanukovych to keep Tymoshenko from power.[24]
[edit] Political positions
Yanukovych has stated that he wants Russian to become the second state language in Ukraine[25] (currently Ukrainian is the only official language of Ukraine; Russian is more spoken in daily communications in Ukraine than Ukrainian[26]). His Party of Regions also wants to increase social benefits, and raise salaries and pensions.[27] Yanukovych thinks that the demographic situation in Ukraine "is unacceptable" and hopes to increase the birth rate in Ukraine by improving the economical situation. He also stated that the Party of Regions is planning to create conditions for the return of Ukrainian migrant workers to Ukraine.[28]
During the 2010 presidential campaign Yanukovych called for the modernization of Ukraine's energy sector (including technologies to save energy) increase of Ukraine's domestic natural gas production[29], tax reforms, and reforming the legal system in order to fight against corruption.[30] He also believed that by 2019 Ukraine should be one of the G-20 major economies.[31]
Yanukovych has stated that his "aim and dream" is a unification of Ukraine, although in his opinion "there are already no border between the East and West of the country today".[32] Yanukovych wants to create a free trade zone and visa regime with the EU as soon as possible. Prospects for Ukraine's joining the European Union first depend on a political decision of the European Union, according to Yanukovych.[33]
According to Yanukovych Ukraine must be a "Neutral state" which should be part of a "collective defence system which the European Union, NATO and Russia will take part in" and that relations between Ukraine and Russia in the gas sector must be built “according to the rules of the market”.[30][34]
Yanukovych has been a speaker at congresses of the Russian political party United Russia.[34][35] Party of Regions signed a collaboration agreement in 2005 with United Russia.[36]
[edit] Family and personal life
Yanukovych is married to Lyudmyla Oleksandrivna they have two sons, Oleksandr and Viktor.[37] Yanukovych is a devoted Orthodox Christian and a member of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He enjoys tennis, hunting and pigeon-breeding. When young he participated in international auto racing competitions. His son, Viktor, is his party's co-member.
Yanukovych stated in November 2009 that he respects all Ukrainian politicians. "I have never offended anyone. This is my principle".[38]
[edit] Cultural and political image
For the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election Yanukovych wrote an autobiography for the Central Election Commission, in which he misspelled his academic degree as "proffessor [sic]."[39] Thereafter, he came to be widely referred to under this nickname in oppositional media and opponents' speeches. His autobiographic resume of 90 words contains 12 major spelling and grammatical errors[40]. Opponents of Yanukovych made fun of this misspelling and his past (criminal) convictions during the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election campaign. Also an incident during the campaign (September 2004) in Ivano-Frankivsk when Yanukovych was rushed to hospital after he had been hit with an egg (while government officials claimed he was hit by a brick) was a source of ridicule.[39]
American consultant Paul J. Manafort has advised Yanukovych since 2005.[22]
[edit] Awards
- Order of Merit 3rd class (1998), 2nd class (2000), 1 class 2002)
- Order "Miner's award" 3, 2, 1 class
- Order "Miner's glory" 3, 2, 1 class
- Certificate from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (2000)
- Order of Saint Nestor (1998)
- Order of Saint Prince Volodmyr (1998)
- Order of Saint Daniyel of Moscow
On July 9, 2008 the National Committee of Community awards announced that the order of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky 1 Class (registration number #42) for significant achievements in strengthening economic ties between Ukraine and Russia was awarded to him, however on October 14, 2008 the Chief prosecutor of Russia announced that because of errors undertaken by the organization 73 awards, medals, and orders granted by the organization were withdrawn, including the order granted to Yanukovych[41].
[edit] See also
[edit] References and footnotes
- ^ Let's Get Acquainted, Yanukovych Personal Information Service
- ^ "Yanokovich, Viktor" (in Russian). Lentapedia. Lenta.ru. http://lenta.ru/lib/14159876/full.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ^ a b "Yanukovych tops list of presidential candidates in Ukraine – poll". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. June 2, 2009. http://www.unian.net/eng/news/news-318868.html. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ^ "Politicians' roots: Ataman from Khoruzhivka and Kuzhel-Dolgorukaya" (in Russian). Segodnya. May 1, 2009. http://www.segodnya.ua/news/14050686.html. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ^ "Viktor Yanukovych. Personal Information Server". ya2008.com.ua. http://www.ya2008.com.ua/eng/meet/biography/. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ^ Gorina, Ivanna (July 13, 2005). "Criminal record of Yanukovych not purged" (in Russian). Rossiyskaya Gazeta. http://www.rg.ru/2005/07/13/yanukovich.html.
- ^ State-Building: A Comparative Study of Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, and Russia by Verena Fritz, Central European University Press, 2008, ISBN 9637326995/ISBN 978-9637326998, page 205
- ^ a b Political leaders of Ukraine, for UA (January 18, 2008)
- ^ (Ukrainian) "Прємьєр-міністр" Янукович, або неофіційна біографія для тих, хто підзабув, Ukrayinska Pravda (August 4, 2006)
- ^ "Yanukovych's criminal record re-instated" (in Russian). Polit.ru. July 12, 2005. http://www.polit.ru/event/2005/07/12/sudimost.html.
- ^ The countries of the former Soviet Union at the turn of the twenty-first century: the Baltic and European states in transition (page 556) by Ian Jeffries, ISBN 041525230X, 9780415252300 (published in 2004)
- ^ "Political career of Viktor Y." (in Russian). from-ua.com. http://www.from-ua.com/politics/42a9194b28012/. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ^ Yanukovych says presidential election scenario of 2004 won't be repeated in 2010, Interfax-Ukraine (November 27, 2009)
- ^ (Russian) Мог ли Янукович сесть в третий раз, Газета.ua (November 12, 2009)
- ^ "Lutsenko accepts the fact of falsification with the clearing of charges on Yanukovych" (in Russian). Korrespondent. http://www.korrespondent.net/display_print.php?arid=. Retrieved Januar.
- ^ "The head of MVD of Ukraine did not find a way to remove Yanukovych from the election ballot" (in Russian). Lenta.ru. http://www.lenta.ru/news/2006/01/29/yanukovich/_Printed.htm. Retrieved January.
- ^ "Yanukovych can go to the elections, even with falsifications" (in Russian). Korrespondent. http://www.korrespondent.net/main/. Retrieved January.
- ^ "Yanukovych approved as Ukraine PM". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/.stm. Retrieved January.
- ^ "Viktor Yanukovych was appointed chairman of the Government Chiefs Council of the CIS". for-ua. http://en.for-ua.com/news/2007/05/25/.html. Retrieved May.
- ^ Yanukovych Loses 300,000 While Tymoshenko Receives Additional 1.5 Million, Ukrainska Pravda(Ukrainian truth)
- ^ "Party Of Regions Nominates Yanukovych As Its Presidential Candidate". 2009-10-23. http://www.ukranews.com/eng/article/227204.html.
- ^ a b Paid advisers descend on candidates, nation, Kyiv Post (November 19, 2009)
- ^ Cutugno is upset because of pre-election hymn of Yanukovych, UNIAN (November 23, 2009)
- ^ Voting for Yanukovych, but unenthusiastically, Kyiv Post (November 26, 2009)
- ^ Yanukovych imagines how he signs law on Russian language, UNIAN (September 3, 2009)
- ^ In an October 2009 poll by FOM-Ukraine 52% of the respondents state they use Russian as their "Language of communication"; 41% of the respondents state they use Ukrainian and 8% stated they use a mixture of both. Source: FOM-Ukraine (bottom of page) (Russian)
- ^ Yanukovych: Tymoshenko to use issue of increasing social benefits in her presidential campaign, Interfax-Ukraine (September 16, 2009)
- ^ Yanukovych sees demographic situation in Ukraine as unacceptable, Interfax-Ukraine (October 28, 2009)
- ^ Yanukovych: Ukraine should increase its gas production, Kyiv Post (November 26, 2009)
- ^ a b “It is necessary to restore law and order in our country”, Euronews (October 12, 2009)
- ^ Ukraine should join G-20 in ten years, says Yanukovych, Interfax-Ukraine (October 26, 2009)
- ^ Yanukovych said about his big dream. UNIAN. (September 28, 2009).
- ^ Prospects for Ukraine's joining EU depend on EU's political decision, says Yanukovych, Interfax-Ukraine (September 28, 2009)
- ^ a b Yanukovych calls for new format of Ukraine-EU dialog on collective security, Kyiv Post (November 21, 2009)
- ^ Yanukovych to participate in congress of United Russia party in Moscow, Kyiv Post (November 20, 2008)
- ^ Party of Regions hopes for strengthening collaboration with 'United Russia' party, Kyiv Post (November 22, 2009)
- ^ "About us : The Leader". for-www.partyofregions.org.ua. http://www.partyofregions.org.ua/eng/meet/leader/. Retrieved January.
- ^ Yanukovych: Tigipko, Yatseniuk to take top posts after presidential elections, Kyiv Post (November 26, 2009)
- ^ a b Revolution in Orange, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, ISBN 0870032216 (page 58 + 59 written by Taras Kuzio)
- ^ Тому що "проффесор"
- ^ Російський орден Януковича виявився фальшивим. Українська правда
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Viktor Yanukovych |
- Yanukovych Personal Information Service
- Viktor Yanukovych on Twitter
- Party of Regions Official Information Server
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Anatoliy Kinakh |
Prime Minister of Ukraine November 21, 2002–December 7, 2004 |
Succeeded by Mykola Azarov |
| Preceded by Mykola Azarov |
Prime Minister of Ukraine December 28, 2004–January 5, 2005 |
Succeeded by Mykola Azarov |
| Preceded by Yuriy Yekhanurov |
Prime Minister of Ukraine August 4, 2006–December 18, 2007 |
Succeeded by Yulia Tymoshenko |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Volodymyr Semynozhenko |
Leader of Party of Regions 2003–present |
Incumbent |
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