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What happened in Ukrainian politics by 4 March 2019?
Summary
A look back at the pre-election withdrawals and a court ruling that shaped the political mood in the days before 4 March 2019.
What was shaping Ukrainian politics as of 4 March 2019, weeks before the presidential vote? Two developments stood out: a consolidation among candidates and a ruling by the Constitutional Court that reached into the anti-corruption framework.
On 1 March 2019, two presidential candidates, Andriy Sadovyi and Dmytro Hnap, decided to withdraw from the race in favour of Anatolii Hrytsenko. The move narrowed the field of contenders and put a single name forward for those who had backed the two departing candidates.
A ruling on illicit enrichment
On 26 February 2019, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine declared Article 368-2 of the Criminal Code unconstitutional. The article provided for punishment of officials for illicit enrichment. Criminal liability of this kind had been introduced in 2015 at the demand of the EU, as part of visa liberalisation, and of the IMF.
Beyond Kyiv
The regional backdrop was tense. After Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would deploy nuclear missiles in Europe if the United States placed intermediate-range nuclear missiles there, his ally Dmitry Kiselyov listed what he claimed were targets in the United States, including the Pentagon and Camp David. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied that any such target list existed.
There was also good news for Ukraine in sport. The national Paralympic team in winter sports finished first overall at the 2019 World Championships in Prince George, Canada, ending the event on 27 February with 42 medals: nine gold, 16 silver and 17 bronze.
