Kolesnikov’s statement that the Party of Regions will not recognize the legislative elections in 2014 stems from a direct demand by Russia, which claims that the new Ukrainian parliament is illegitimate.
Why did Kolesnikov make such a statement?
1. Under no conditions or circumstances has the Party of Regions been able to gain 5% of votes required for parliament. Kolesnikov’s statement on the illegitimacy of the coming elections is a mere cover-up for the party’s disastrous state of affairs.
2. This statement was not dictated in the interest of Donbas voters, but in the interest of Russians, who are likely to pick up this thesis and proclaim that the voice of the Donbas has not been heard, that the junta has usurped power and refuses to listen to its own people. To put it simply – it is just another reason to legitimize “Novorossiya”.
3. Kolesnikov lies openly when he says that seven million residents of the Donbas will not participate in the elections. This figure is overstated by about half. Why did Kolesnikov make such a “mistake”? Apparently, this is due to the fact that members of the Party of Regions have no chance of being elected in any of the majoritarian districts in the Donbas. Moreover, Kolesnikov’s arguments seem somewhat strange, coming just after the presidential elections, in which most Donbas voters did not take part. It would be logical if the Party of Regions had filed a lawsuit on the illegitimacy of Poroshenko’s election. But, let’s not forget that the Kremlin recognized Poroshenko as the legitimate President. So, the PR did not file any lawsuits. Now, there is another problem, so they are preparing appropriate actions. After yesterday’s statement by another PR clan – Liovochkin’s party, which also decided not to participate in the elections – we can expect Yuriy Miroshnichenko to announce that he also intends to sue the Ukrainian government.
4. Kolesnikov added that the Party of Regions will saturate Ukrainian courts with complaints about the elections. There is no doubt that some judges will make a decision favourable to the Russians. The big question is whose side the Constitutional Court will take; it has remained virtually unchanged since the days of Yanukovych. Russia really needs to have the elections declared illegitimate by the Ukrainian courts.
However, even decisions pronounced by courts of first instance will be more than enough to turn this into a grandiose PR campaign. Then the “fair judge” will be quietly shipped to Russia and will continue to live comfortably somewhere in Crimea.
5. In fact, all this commotion will not be logical if Russia does not continue its military aggression. If there is no full-scale invasion, the Party of Regions will simply disappear from the political map of Ukraine or dissolve in other political projects. Kolesnikov’s statement gives Russia the opportunity to plan the overthrow of the “Kyiv dictatorship” and the protection of the population of so-called “Novorossiya”. After all, we should not forget that the Russians are looking for political leaders to head this “Novorossiya”, and the Kremlin is very interested in participating in this casting.
In conclusion, it is important to underline one thing – Kolesnikov cannot NOT understand what he said and what bloody consequences his statement may have.
