People's Rukh leaders, activists unhappy about celebration of Rukh's 20th anniversary

Kyiv, September 12 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The leadership and activists of the People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) are dissatisfied with the events organized on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of that political force's foundation in keeping with a presidential decree.

"The way Ukraine marks the 20th anniversary of the Rukh – with those forces involved, antagonisms – I'm sure this is a heavy defeat of Ukraine and the Ukrainian power in the first place," said MP Volodymyr Yavorivsky, the chairman of the organizing committee of the Rukh's constituent assembly, at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Saturday.

Rukh leader, MP Borys Tarasiuk said that the Ukrainian president in May 2009 signed a decree to observe the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the People's Rukh of Ukraine for Perestroika.

"We, Rukh members, were encouraged by that decree, yet, the following decree, which approved the composition and management of the organizing committee, disappointed us because the committee was headed by those who once tried to split the Rukh," he said. "We, the People's Rukh of Ukraine, believe that we're the legal successors of that Rukh that was established 20 years ago," he said.

"A grand meeting organized by those in Bankova Street (the seat of the presidential secretariat) is being held today at Ukraina Palace. The preparation of that meeting turned to be strange: Rukh members received 100 invitations for a 3,000-seat hall. And this is for the party with about 67,000 members," he added.

Tarasiuk said that the Rukh on September 6, 2009, held its own official events on the occasion of the party's 20th anniversary. "Despite the invitation that had been sent, we did not get any message from the presidential secretariat. At the same time, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko attended the event in person and addressed those present with congratulations," he said.

Bohdan Horyn, a member of the Rukh's political council, said that the People's Rukh of Ukraine for Perestroika public organization and the People's Rukh of Ukraine political party are "one and the same body at different stages of development."

He said that the anniversary of the Rukh's foundation should be celebrated as by one organization and both Ivan Drach, the head of the People's Rukh of Ukraine for Perestroika, and Borys Tarasiuk, the incumbent leader of the People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh), should have taken the floor at the grand meeting.

The People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) is one of Ukraine's oldest political parties. The party was established at the Rukh's constituent assembly held September 8-10, 1989. In February 1990, it was registered as a public political organization. As a party it was registered on February 1, 1993. Before 1990, it was named the People's Rukh of Ukraine for Perestroika. The last word in the party's name was taken out under a decision taken on the Rukh's 2nd All-Ukrainian meeting in October 1990.

The Justice Ministry says that Borys Tarasiuk is the official leader of the Rukh.

As is known, the party was split after some members of the People's Rukh of Ukraine in February 1999 held an extraordinary meeting. The 10th special congress of part of the People's Rukh members was held on February 28, 1999, when Yuriy Kostenko was elected chairman of the party. Later on, that organization was registered by the Justice Ministry as the Ukrainian Popular Rukh.

After Rukh leader Viacheslav Chornovil died in a car accident in March 1999, Hennadiy Udovenko became header of the People's Rukh of Ukraine. As of May 2003, the party has been led by Borys Tarasiuk.

Late in January 2003, the congress of the Ukrainian Popular Rukh decided to rename the party the Ukrainian People's Party.