Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc

The Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc ( uk, Блок Наша Україна–Народна Самооборона, ''Blok Nasha Ukrayina-Narodna Samooborona'', NUNS; until 2007 named Our Ukraine Bloc) was an electoral alliance active in Ukraine from 2001 until 2012, associated with former President Viktor Yushchenko. Since 2005, the bloc had been dominated by a core consisting of the People's Union "Our Ukraine" party and five smaller partner parties. On 17 November 2011, the Ukrainian Parliament approved an election law that banned the participation of blocs of political parties in parliamentary elections.Parliament passes law on parliamentary elections
Kyiv Post (17 November 2011) Since then several members of the Bloc have since merged with other parties.

The Our Ukraine Bloc was most closely associated with the Orange Revolution and continued to use orange as its political colour. In July 2007, the old Our Ukraine bloc had been reorganized into the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc for the 2007 parliamentary election in September 2007.

History

The original Our Ukraine Bloc formed in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2001 in preparation for the 2002 parliamentary elections as the Electoral Bloc of Viktor Yushchenko "Our Ukraine". At the time of its formation Viktor Yushchenko led the bloc. Over years the alliance changed its name, becoming:

* in 2002: Bloc of Viktor Yushchenko "Our Ukraine" (BVYNU)
* in 2006: the Our Ukraine Bloc (BNU)
* in 2007: the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc (BNU-NS)

Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2002

At the 2002 legislative elections, won 23.6% of the popular vote and 112 out of 450 seats. It was the first time when Communists failed to take the first place in vote. Final poll results in 2002 had predicted the bloc to win 27-28% of the total votes.
The alliance included the following parties:

;Top 10 members

In September 2002, the bloc was negotiating with nine pro-presidential ( Kuchma) factions to form a coalition, a draft of a coalition agreement prepared by Our Ukraine faction member Yuri Kostenko and Labor Ukraine leader Serhiy Tyhypko was received by all faction leaders on 20 September 2009 (except by the leaders of the Socialist Party of Ukraine, the Communist Party and the Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko). However the coalition never materialised.

Between 2002 and 2004, the parliamentary faction of the bloc gradually lost members and by September 2005 it had 44 members (in May 2002 this number had been 119).

Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2006

During the election campaign some Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc members suspected Our Ukraine to be responsible for leaflets aimed against Yulia Tymoshenko.

The "Our Ukraine" bloc was soundly defeated in the 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election with only 13,95% of the recorded vote and came in third place behind the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc- 22% and 156 seats, and the Party of Regions-33% and 175 seats. It won 81 out of 450 seats.

The alliance included the following parties:

*People's Union Our Ukraine (40)
* Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Ukraine (7)
* People's Movement of Ukraine (10)
* Christian Democratic Union (3)
* Ukrainian Republican Party Assembly (3)
* Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists (3)
*Unaffiliated members (15)

Following the elections there has been calls for Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko who was closely aligned and spokesperson for Our Ukraine during the March Parliamentary election to resign from Our Ukraine and to stand independent.

Initially the Our Ukraine Bloc intended to join the Alliance of National Unity coalition and five of its ministers where initially appointed into the Cabinet of Ministers; Justice Minister Roman Zvarych, Family and Sports Minister Yuriy Pavlenko, Emergency Situations Minister Viktor Baloha, Culture Minister Ihor Likhovyy, and Health Minister Yuriy Polyachenko. Only 30 of the 80 deputies from Our Ukraine Bloc voted for approval of this Cabinet on 10 August 2006.Ukraine: a government without a coalition
RIA Novosti (10 August 2006) However Our Ukraine Bloc did not join the coalition and it wanted the Communist Party to leave the coalition before they would enter it. Meanwhile, several parties member of the Bloc announced they would go into opposition and would never join the coalition. By November 2006 the five Our Ukraine Bloc ministers where dismissed by parliament or withdrawn by Our Ukraine Bloc.

;Top 10 members

Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007

On 5 July 2007, 10 parties signed up to form the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc for the 2007 parliamentary election in September 2007. The Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists refused to join the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc in August 2007 and instead did not run in the elections.

In these elections the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc came third, after the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and the Party of Regions.
Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense bloc won 72 seats and received 14.16% of the vote, 236,964 fewer votes in 2007 than the Our Ukraine bloc received in 2006, representing an overall swing of +0.20%.

The alliance included the following parties:

On 15 October 2007, despite the Party of Regions gaining the most seats of all participating political parties, Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc agreed to form a majority coalition in the new parliament of the 6th convocation. On 29 November, a coalition was signed between the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc (representing 45% of the national vote). On 18 December 2007, Yulia Tymoshenko