Legal Regulation of Intra-Party Democracy: Case Study of Two Non-Parliamentary Parties in Ukraine

The Paper focuses on the issue of intra-party democracy within new political parties in Ukraine that are not represented in the national parliament, the Rada. The research is presented as a case study of two political parties that are undergoing process of remodeling their organizational structures and re-designing political strategies for the aim of taking seats in the Rada after next parliamentary elections. In particular, the topic of decision-making process with regard to selection of party leaders and candidates for party lists and single-member districts will be examined. The paper also explores possibility of the legal instruments to regulate intra-party procedures and elaborates on several recommendations of party regulations. Considering the fact that there are still “oligarchic” traditions of political party building in Ukraine, new political parties should take a fresh look at the value of intra-party democracy in Ukraine in order to overcome lack of financial resources and attract political followers. Interviewing is used as an empirical method of research along with comparative analysis of party regulation in European countries.