[lbo-talk] Poroshenko government primed to sweep Ukrainian elections

[Marv Gandall]

The latest polls in Ukraine show overwhelming support for the Poroshenko government, largely on the strength of the ceasefire negotiated with the pro-Russian independence movement in the Donbass region of the country. The far right forces, who have been in the forefront of the assault on the Donbass rebels and oppose the ceasefire, are seeing their support evaporate. The same is true of the party headed by prime minister Artseny Yatseniuk and former prime minister Yulia Timoshenko which also favours continuation of the civil war and Ukrainian membership in NATO. 

That’s encouraging news for those who want peace and reconciliation between the warring sides in the conflict and those (like myself) who were anticipating that war-weary Ukrainians embittered by the failure to suppress the rebellion in the east would increasingly turn to far right politicians and paramilitaries as an alternative. But its bad news for the mass of the population whose support of the current government should give it the political breathing space it needs to impose even harsher austerity on the country following next month’s parliamentary elections.

http://johnhelmer.net/?p=11385