President Poroshenko to the people of Ukraine: Vote for Ukraine

Dear Fellow Citizens: October 26 -- elections to the Verkhovna Rada. These elections are taking place exactly five months after the election of the president. As a presidential candidate, I promised the Association Agreement with the European Union. And we have succeeded in having it signed and ratified and have begun to implement it. Despite the difficulties. Even on the day of signing, on June 27, when I had already landed in Brussels, a few European leaders still hesitated to give the green light to the Agreement. I promised to clean the government -- the lustration law has been signed and is being enforced. I promised early parliamentary elections -- they will take place tomorrow. I dissolved the old Verkhovna Rada not only because it has long been the obedient tool in the hands of a dictator. And not only because it includes dozens of deputies who are Russia's fifth column. But because, over several months, I became convinced of its extremely low reformist potential. Friends, something that is wet will not burn. And it is very difficult to push the gas pedal when, at the same time and by agreement, hundreds of deputies are applying the brakes! The time has come to complete the total transformation of power. I believe in the profound renewal and rejuvenation of the Verkhovna Rada. You will see that it will be a completely new parliament. I absolutely do not lack the political will to implement the strategy of reform that has been developed. However, to do that we still need a majority in the Verkhovna Rada. Reformist -- not corrupted. Pro-Ukrainian and pro-European -- not pro-Soviet. Without such a majority in parliament the presidential program that millions of Ukrainians had supported in June will remain on paper. My team has prepared a draft of the coalition agreement. It is based on Strategy 2020. It is a plan developed for change that will guarantee the introduction of European living standards and the country's rightful place in the world. By 2020, Ukraine should be ready to apply for membership in the European Union. We are well aware that Ukraine's chance for development has been damaged not only by corruption and oligarchy but by the irresponsibility of politicians and unlimited populism. The basis of the new coalition agreement must include a very clear plan for reform and not empty promises or the distribution of posts based on compromised party quotas. If we follow this approach then nothing and no one will be able to get in the way of reforms. Their final result -- perhaps not quickly and not right away -- will be felt in everyone's wallet. The implementation of Strategy 2020 will mean economic growth, jobs, decent wages, decent pensions, generous scholarships, successful private businesses. I will do everything I can so that the new coalition and the new government is formed with maximum speed and that, with rolled up sleeves and clenched teeth, it takes on the reforms. Dear fellow citizens! You can only guess about my preferences because I have no right to campaign for any political force, especially today. You have an exceptionally wide choice. The government has ensured an honest, competitive, free, and transparent election campaign. It completely and fully conforms to European standards. Choose according to your conscience. Only remember that a vote for money is now a criminal offense not only for those who buy but also for those who sell. Measuring your vote in hryvnias means selling your Homeland. It is a hundred times more criminal and sinful in conditions where thousands of people are risking their lives defending their Homeland. Our most important goal is peace. Our valiant soldiers have liberated most of the Donbas from the terrorists, and elections will be held there tomorrow as well. But only a political settlement will allow us to return those territories where a military solution to the problem does not and cannot exist. Can we seize Donetsk without destroying it? For Putin, it is a foreign city. But for me, it is our own, native Ukrainian city, where our compatriots have been taken hostage. This is why no criticism -- no matter how sharp and painful it may be -- will keep me from seeking a peaceful way out of the situation. However, we are not forgetting to strengthen the army. We are keeping our powder dry and we are acting according to the principle "everything for the front, everything for victory." The ceasefire decision primarily benefitted our defense. It allowed us to catch our breath, to heal wounds, reinforce manpower, deliver weapons, build fortifications. All four armored vehicle factories are working for ATO in three shifts. And today we are much stronger than six months ago. God forbid, but let them just try to invade! We are building our own new Ukrainian home on reliable European values and the patriotic enthusiasm of all our people. Vote for Ukraine -- free, united, indivisible, European!