Moroz Ups the Anti - Parliamentary Democracy Versus Presidential Dictatorship

Olexandr Moroz has upped the anti and is began a campaign of defence by going on the attack.

Backed by the European PACE report, which recommends that Ukraine adopt a fuel parliamentary system in line with other European States, Moroz has come out with the intention of challenging directly the proposals being put forward by the President's camp to wind back the clock and re-instate a US style presidential system.

The current political crisis is a power struggle between the parliamentary democracy versus presidential dictatorship.

The opposition are enthusiastically trying to promote themselves as being the democratic forces (which by implication falsely implies that the governing coalition are not democratic) The same goes for the pro-west label.

Moroz attack in defence of Ukraine's parliamentary democracy could be a winner if he is able to sell his message.

Most Ukrainians are in favour of the parliamentary system and there is a high awareness of the fact that European Countries are all based on the parliamentary model.

Break-away dissident groups such as the "Peoples self-defence party" headed by Lutsenko are advocating a return to presidential rule, They are trying to place the blame for the current crisis on amendments to Ukraine's Constitution that were adopted back in 2004 as part of the political agreement to hold fresh presidential elections.

The presidential/opposition forces misleading state that the changes were adopted in hast. But in n reality the shift to a parliamentary model had been discussed extensively over years. Many of the problems that have been identified with Ukraine's constitution where in the previous constitution and are not unique to the current version.

The European Venice Commission in reviewing Ukraine's constitution identified concern and PACE had expressed opposition to the "Imperative Mandate" provisions in Ukraine's Constitution stating that these provisions are undemocratic. The very provisions that Yushchenko and the opposition are now trying defend.

Lutsenko, who is advocating a return to presidential authority, claims that Ukraine's history and culture is best suited to a presidential model. Lutsenko is of the belief that Ukrainians need to be dominated by a Tsar/King like figure a return to the days of serfdom where the supreme ruler rules.

Lutsenko has also proposed that Ukraine adopt a first-past-the-post voting system similar to the outdated voting system used in England, Canada and the United States (Canada and England are debating the need for change). First-past-the-post voting systems were designed in the days when the people could not read or write and the level of education was low. First=past-the-post voting systems are certainly not democratic.

Whilst Ukraine's constitution is in need for further reform the decision of the Presidential opposition forces to wind back the clock as opposed to moving forward will make any reform that much more difficult.

Moroz campaign of defence of Ukraine's parliamentary system will make constitutional change that much harder as the battle lines between president and the peoples parliament are drawn.

The other sleeping issue yet to play out is what will Yulia Tymoshenko's position be after the election? We have seen in the past that Yulia policy change as quick as the seasons past.

Yulia's quest to become prime-minister is under challenged not by the governing coalition but within the opposition forces themselves. If an alliance is formed between the peoples self-0defence party and the Our Ukraine bloc then Yulia could very well find that she is left the loser not a winner once again. Polls have Our Ukraine (With PSDP) and Yulia neck and neck. Under an agreement reached the party that secures the most votes will have the right to nominate who will become prime-minister. And Yulia's party has been dropping as support drifts to the Our Ukraine bloc. Yulia has been uncharacteristically quite of late which may account for the drop in the polls. If Yulia manages to come up on top and is appointed Prime-minister how long will it be before she realized that power should not be transferred back into the hands of a presidential dictator.

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