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Problems of political transition in Ukraine : leadership failure and democratic consolidation

O'Brien, Thomas 2010, Problems of political transition in Ukraine : leadership failure and democratic consolidation, Contemporary politics, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 355-367.

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Title Problems of political transition in Ukraine : leadership failure and democratic consolidation
Author(s) O'Brien, Thomas
Journal name Contemporary politics
Volume number 16
Issue number 4
Start page 355
End page 367
Publisher Routledge
Place of publication London, England
Publication date 2010
ISSN 1356-9775
1469-3631
Keyword(s) democratisation
leadership
non-democratic legacies
presidentialism
Ukraine
Summary Democratisation and consolidation of a political system encompass a range of complex challenges, for which effective leadership is pivotal. However, the skills that a leader requires to break through and introduce change are not necessarily the same as those needed to maintain stability. This article examines the case of Viktor Yushchenko as president of Ukraine following the Orange Revolution. The negotiated transfer of power from the previous semi-authoritarian regime rendered consolidation difficult by limiting opportunities for a complete break. Within the residual 'grey area', a number of actors continued to participate and create tension. The regime that emerged was characterised by political infighting and instability, leading to the defeat of candidates associated with the Orange Revolution in the 2010 presidential elections. This article argues that the inability to move towards a consolidated democratic political system was due to the failure of the transitional leader, rather than the political and institutional configuration.
Language eng
Field of Research 160603 Comparative Government and Politics
Socio Economic Objective 940203 Political Systems
HERDC Research category C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal
Copyright notice ©2010, Taylor & Francis
Persistent URL http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30033829

Document type: Journal Article
Collection: School of International and Political Studies
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