PERSPECTIVE| FES KIEV Old and New Elites Ukrainian Political Parties before the Parliamentary Elections INA KIRSCH VAN DE WATER October 2014 n In the run-up to the early parliamentary elections on 26 October all Ukrainian par­ties have put Independence Square(»Maidan«) activists, investigative journalists and commanders of volunteer units in a prominent position on their party lists. The next parliament will thus consist of many newcomers to the business of politics. We can therefore expect that the voting behaviour of the parliamentary factions will be even more unpredictable and radicalised. n The election campaign is in full swing. As one might expect, there is little substan­tive debate on the urgently needed reforms. Nor is there much discussion of the future of the Donbass region and a rational policy towards Russia. Instead, hogging the limelight are the personal»political projects« of the leading politicians. To that extent any attempt to categorise the parties in terms of the right/left pattern familiar from the West is futile. n The parties are pretty much locked-in to trying to outdo one another in talking tough and embracing or at least accommodating populism. The favourites, the»Petro Po­roshenko Bloc«, with close ties to the president, is the most moderate, by and large, notwithstanding numerous gaffes perpetrated by leading candidate Vitali Klichko. In view of the likelihood that, in accordance with Ukrainian custom, the president will be able to win over many of the direct candidates standing as»independents« after the election Poroshenko will probably achieve his aim of a broad base in parliament.