Christian Democratic Union (Ukraine)

The Christian Democratic Union (Ukrainian: Християнсько-демократичний союз, Khrystyjansko-demokratychnyj Sojuz) is a political party in Ukraine. On December 2, 2002, in Athens, Greece the party became a member of Centrist Democrat International. It is negotiated now its associated membership in the European People's Party. The party also publishes a newspaper called Християнський демократ (Christian democrat).

Not to be confused with Christian Democratic Party of Ukraine.
Christian Democratic Union
Християнсько-Демократичний Союз
LeaderOlexander Chernenko (Party Chairman)[1][2]
Founded1997[1]
HeadquartersVul. B. Khmelnytskoho 3-A, UA-01001 Kyiv
IdeologyChristian democracy Conservatism
Political positionCentre-right
European affiliationEuropean Christian Political Movement
International affiliationCentrist Democrat International
ColoursWhite and orange
Website
cdu.org.ua

History

The Christian Democratic Union was created on February 8, 1997, in Kyiv, Ukraine as the Party of Christian-Popular Union (Ukrainian: Партія Християнсько-народний союз)[3] to promote the ideas of European Christian democracy in Ukraine. It was an offspring of the Christian Democratic Party of Ukraine and in 1996–1998 split off along with the All-Ukrainian Alliance of Christians.

During the 1998 Ukrainian parliamentary election the party was part of the electoral bloc "Forward Ukraine" (Ukrainian: Виборчий блок партій "Вперед, Україно!")[1] which won 1 (single-mandate constituency) seat.

In March 2002, the CPU in alliance Our Ukraine[1] led by the former President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, won the parliamentary elections.

In the 4th Congress of CPU in 2003 some regional organisation of three parties united with it (Christian Democratic Party of Ukraine, Ukrainian Christian Democratic Party and All-Ukrainian Alliance of Christians), forming a new party on the base of CPU – Christian Democratic Union. A well-known Ukrainian lawyer, Dr. Volodymyr Stretovych became the CDU's president. Also registrations of the Ukrainian Christian Democratic Party and All-Ukrainian Alliance of Christians were cancelled.[4]

At the parliamentary elections on March 26, 2006, the party was part of the Our Ukraine alliance.[1]

In the parliamentary elections on 30 September 2007, the party was part of the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc alliance,[1] that won 72 out of 450 seats. The party itself was represented by six deputies: David Zhvania (Party Secretary), Volodymyr Stretovych, Volodymyr Marushchenko (leader of party in Kyiv-city), Oksana Bilozir, Oleh Novikov, Kateryna Lukianova.

In Autumn of 2008, the Christian Democratic Union merged with the Christian Democratic Party of Ukraine (Kyrylo Polishchuk).

The party supported Yulia Tymoshenko as presidential candidate in the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election.[5] The party did not support the dismissal of the second Tymoshenko Government.[6]

In September 2010, the party introduced a collegial management headed by the Secretary of the party. David Zhvania, Emergencies Minister in Yulia Tymoshenko's government (in 2005) became the Party Secretary. Zhvaniya is a member of the majority coalition in parliament supporting the Azarov Government.[7]

In the 2010 local elections the party won no representative in regional parliaments nor in the Supreme Council of Crimea.[8]

All of the parties deputies were expelled from the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc faction in September 2011, because of supporting the Azarov Government.[9][10] In July 2010 they had entered the Right of Choice deputy group who openly supported the Azarov Government.[11]

David Zhvania took part in the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election as an independent candidate in single-member districts number 140 (first-past-the-post wins a parliament seat) located in the town Illichivsk.[12][13] He was (re-)elected in parliament[14] where in December 2012 he joined the Party of Regions faction.[15]

The party did not participate in the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election.[16]

In the 2020 Ukrainian local elections the party gained 3 deputies (0.01% of all available mandates).[17]

Policies

The three principles of the party are Justice, Solidarity and Responsibility. In economy the party supports a free market on the base of private propriety and honest competition, but also an active social regulating of economy. In social politics – a right for free education and medicine, an address help to those in need. In international politics – Ukraine's membership in the European Union and NATO.

See also

References
  1. (in Ukrainian) Партія Християнсько-Демократичний Союз Archived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Database DATA
  2. (in Ukrainian) , Party official website (December 20, 2014)
  3. Personal website of the leader of Christian Democratic Union Volodymyr Stretovych
  4. Rybachuk, M., Kyriushko, M., Hrytsyna, O. Christian parties in Ukraine: end or beginning of establishment? Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Christian-Democratic Union party to support Tymoshenko at presidential election Archived December 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv Post (November 28, 2009)
  6. (in Ukrainian) Володимир Стретович про припинення діяльності демократичної коаліції Archived March 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Official website (March 2, 2010)
  7. Christian Democratic Union calls on Yanukovych to help end political wars Archived January 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv Post (December 28, 2010)
  8. (in Ukrainian) Results of the elections, preliminary data, on interactive maps Archived March 16, 2016, at the Wayback Machine by Ukrayinska Pravda (8 November 2010)
  9. People's Self-Defense faction: Twelve parliamentarians expelled from Our Ukraine Archived September 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv Post (September 7, 2011)
  10. Board Archived April 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Parties official website
  11. People Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Right of Choice deputy group
  12. (in Ukrainian)Одномандатний виборчий округ №140 Single-mandate constituency № 140 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Central Election Commission of Ukraine
  13. Powers of Persuasion Archived March 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, The Ukrainian Week (28 September 2012)
  14. (in Ukrainian) Список депутатів нової Верховнсї Ради Archived November 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Ukrayinska Pravda (11 November 2012)
  15. Rada approves composition of all committees Archived January 8, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv Post (25 December 2012)
  16. Alphabetical Index of parties in 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election Archived December 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Central Election Commission of Ukraine
  17. "Results of the 2020 Ukrainian local elections on the official web-server of the". Central Election Commission of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
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