Approaching the Orange Anniversary: Part 2
November 12, 2008 – 11:26 amPoliticians in Western long-standing democracies know that their records are scrutinised on a daily basis by the opposition, think tanks, academics, media, foreign governments and international organisations. Leaders and parties cannot hope to succeed if they quickly forget their election programmes and campaign promises after being elected.
The Orange Revolution was partly a product of the hope that politicians would respect the electorate sufficiently to stand by their election promises. Failing this, Ukrainians would show their displeasure in their responses to public opinion surveys and when they voted in elections.
Ukrainian politicians have continued to not take responsibility for not fulfilling election promises. They conveniently forget their promises after being elected. Does anybody remember Our Ukraine-Peoples Self Defence’s campaign promises last year to remove deputies immunity and make everybody equal before the law?
Does anybody still remember Yushceko’s Ten Steps programme from the 2004 elections?
When two Tymoshenko governments attempted to implement Yushchenko’s ‘Ten Steps’ they were blocked by the president who accused the government of ‘populism’. Yushchenko campaigned on the same social policies in his ‘Ten Steps’.
Each of the social programmes supported by two Tymoshenko governments, including the repayment of Soviet bank deposits, was supported by Yushchenko in 2004 when he promised to ‘ensure priority funding of social programme’. Yushchenko affirmed that, ‘Social programmes are not a devastation of the budget, but investments in people, in the country and nations future. The Action Plan represented by me to Ukrainians has the only aim: the state must respect each person’s dignity and assert each citizen’s interests. Then Ukraine will be a social state in word and deed’ (Bez Tsenzury, 15 September 2004 reprinted on www.yushchenko.com.ua).
President Yushchenko made many promises in his ‘Ten Steps’ that have not been fulfilled. Besides ‘Priority Funding of Social Programmes’, he promised to create five million new jobs, decrease taxation, ‘battle corruption decisively’, ‘create safe living conditions’, ‘protect family values’, ‘promote spirituality and ‘strengthen moral values’, promote rural development, improve military capabilities, and ‘conduct foreign policy that benefits the Ukrainian people’.
Timid Ukrainian journalists are still reluctant to ask politicians, especially the president, difficult questions. For example, when has a Ukrainian journalist ever asked ‘Why, Mr. President, do you believe that you have less than 5% support, that 82% do not have confidence in you and 72% do not believe you should stand for a third term’.
Citizens in a democracy have a right to force politicians to be accountable. The orange revolution gave Ukrainians the right to do so.
3 Responses to “Approaching the Orange Anniversary: Part 2”
With all due respect, it seems to me that the people in Ukraine remember very well what Yushchenko promised – and what he failed to deliver. It’s reflected in current opinion polls, which reflect a staggering negative rating of more than 80%. Ukrainian Pravda, the Kyiv Post, Zerkalo Nedeli and other newspapers openly discuss Yushchenko’s failure to deal with corruption, his reliance on a thug like Baloha as head of the presidential secratariat, and his SUPPORT of corruption, although they don’t characterize it as support, when it comes to people like Firtash and RosUkrEnergo and Akhmetov and the Vanco Prykerchenska Black Sea offshore drilling episode.
Why should journalists bother asking a question to which everyone already knows the answer? Instead of carrying out the platforms that were promised in the Orange Revolution, Yushchenko made a deal with the Party of Regions, which sought to prolong the Kuchma-like oligarch system.
There was huge disillusionment back then, when he sacked Tymoshenko – and then made the deal with the Party of Regions.
People’s disillusionment only increased after that.
By elmer on Nov 13, 2008
with all due respect, Elmer, on a 4th anniversary of the start of the OR, it may be wise for Taras Kuzio to focus on the promises/hopes of the past, rather than the many recent disappointments.
There’s good psychology behind that, as illustrated by Obama’s promised approach to help unify the US across its cultural gap.
dlw
By dlw on Dec 4, 2008
dlw, Ukraine is not the US, and vice versa. There is no point in trying to make the comparison.
Ukraine, or actually its “political elite,” need a slap in the face and a good dose of cold water in the face to finally come to their senses. I understand and applaud a positive attitude. But Ukraine does NOT have a positive attitude. Its “political elite” consists of thugs who are only intent on prolonging their thievery and their power. Obama’s pap is very nice in a society that already has its democratic norms established, with close public scrutiny and – representation of the people. In Ukraine, the Parliament represents only the oligarchs that are in it. The people have learned to get AROUND the government. And they are severely disappointed with the failure of Yushchenko to carry out the promises of the Orange Revolution.
Those are the facts. Obama has nothing to do with it. Unless he can step into Ukraine and help somehow.
By elmer on Dec 6, 2008