Electoral clientelism in post-Soviet Ukraine

The author analyzes the electoral clientelism which can represent a significant threat to the democratic consolidation in post-communist states. The experience shows that economic disarray has created a situation in which communist-era elites have been able to use the electoral mechanisms to launder their political resources. The author concludes that the clientelism in Ukraine is represented by two types of political actors: left wing parties and individual members of the economic and political elite.