The citizen will no longer have HIS/HER DEPUTY in Parliament. Subordination of the deputies to the bosses and not to the electorate.

That the change in the Ukrainian electoral system, to be introduced this fall for the 2006 elections, would increase and not diminish political corruption was obvious to anyone the least bit familiar with Ukrainian politics and the pitfalls of proportional representation.

Ukraine began with constituency/riding elections, switched to a hybrid system of half constituency - half party list.

This was bad enough, but then, during the presidential elections, a nefarious deal arrived at by the self-serving deputies pushed the electoral system to a new low by abolishing the constituency half and making the election of the whole 450-member VR based only on party lists.

I have raised the issue several times on the internet to argue against this system which did no good for other countries (Eastern European countries in the interwar period, Western European countries after WWII, ... Israel even today...).

There are many reasons why this system is bad, especially for a young democracy like Ukraine.

I used the term "otamanshchyna" to draw attention to the entrenchment of new party bosses who will control the deputies by controlling the electoral lists, and the subordination of the deputies to the bosses and not to the electorate.

The citizen will no longer have HIS/HER DEPUTY in Parliament.

Now a Radio Liberty report shows us another phenomenon: buying into the party list. The price can go as high as $14,000,000US.

This is not a exorbitant price for complete immunity from prosecution for whatever crime an oligarch/mafioso has committed in the past or is still to commit in the future, during his tenure as deputat.

Apparently one such "poor soul" has already bought a spot on the pro-government party "Narodnyj sojuz-nasha Ukraina", for himself and his son, for $14,000,000USD (not clear if the price was for both or for each).

Politicians are denying this new national sport, but the electoral commission is flooded with reports about it.

 
And this is not limited to the national elections; a similar situation exists on all levels of city (etc,) council (rada) elections. Except that the stakes are not as high and the prices are lower.
 
COMMENTARY:
Professor Roman Serbyn, Canada
The Action Ukraine Report

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