Arsen Yatseniuk has been busy working on his image as a moderate and pragmatic leader. His commented on the financial crisis and the need to avoid populism in politics. He also had something to say on the Ukrainian public health system There was also this statement on the mayor of Uzhgorod , which allowed him to express his thoughts on racism and xenophobia. "I have already applied to the Prosecutor General's Office, the Interior Ministry, the Security Service. Ukraine is a multinational, multicultural and multiconfessional state. Only realizing this one can save the country," the address reads.
He also addressed all political parties, NGOs and citizens of Ukraine: "Let's take a stand against xenophobia, racism and Nazism. Let's address the Prosecutor General's Office demanding the opening the case against Ratushniak for inciting ethnic hatred."
An appropriate response for someone interesting in taking the centrist vote in the presidential election. Over at the Kyiv Post, this
article looks at Yatsenuik's weak support among young Ukrainian voters, but also his weak polling numbers. The former speaker of the Rada hasn't managed to overtake the two major candidates, Tymoshenko and Yanukovych, his also failed to catch the interest of the youth vote. The article doesn't focus on the statements his making. However, it does touch on his motivation.
“Yatseniuk has stopped rising in polls and if he doesn’t present a concrete program and show who is in his team, he will lose votes of youth supporting him in favor of Tymoshenko,” said political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko.
Political analyst Taras Berezovets said the “youth are the most critical group of voters” if they decide to show up, but have shown themselves to be traditionally “less active, often not coming to the polls at all.”
“Turnout will be important in these elections,” said Fesenko, adding that the traditional 2004 Orange Revolution electorate is packed with youth and is seen as leaning towards either Tymoshenko or Yatseniuk. If they are less active because of their disgust with all the rivalries within the Orange camp, “then this will play into the hands of Yanukovych,” whose party has a tradition of rallying up its voter base in big elections, Fesenko said.
Asked why Yatseniuk has failed to rally young voters, Fesenko blaimed the candidate’s inability to present a clear-cut program and team. “If he thinks that youth will support him for no particular reason, just because he too is young, this is his big mistake,” Fesenko said.
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