Taras Kuzio’s Blog

Apparently, Yushchenko has not engineered a “soft landing” for himself, like Kuchma did, so he will do anything and everything to stay in office.

The real question is not what Tymoshenko has been doing – the real question is what have the oligarchs/”political elite” been doing with regard to the health care system since 1991? since 2004?

NOTHING.

They have been robbing and pillaging Ukraine.

Here’s an article that explains how Yanukovych, through the use of dummy and other corporations (including one in which his older son, Oleksander, is a shareholder), close friends, including an Austrian corporation, acquired his 350-acre (149 hectares) mansion estate, with the complicity of fake court proceedings.

It also talks about how Tymoshenko’s efforts to re-acquire Mezhihirya, the estate, for the government, went on hold when she was in coalition talks with the Party of Regions.

And the current games that are being played with this property.

http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2009/11/5/104739.htm

By elmer on Nov 7, 2009

http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2009/11/7/104853.htm
On Monday Yushchenko may try and impose a state of emergency.

By Taras Kuzio on Nov 8, 2009

Tymoshenko has imposed “quarantine” in Ukraine, banned mass meetings, closed schools, restricted travel etc. Sounds like an emergency situation to me. I guess its only an “emergency” when she thinks it can benefit her presidential campaign. If the situation is indeed that bad, that the above steps need to be taken, then a “State of Emergency” is indeed called for, If not, relax the restrictions and get on with giving back the citizens the right to fair and informed elections.

By Wolodymir on Nov 8, 2009

Parliament voted on Thursday to remove restrictions on meetings imposed at the presidents insistence. Yushchenko had condemned the holding of meetings.
The government has imposed the strongest counter measures in the world.
As to restrictions on the elections: the only political force supporting postponing elections with a state of emergency is Yushchenko. Both deputy presidential secretariat head Popov and NRBO secretary Bohatyriova have called for elections to be postponed to May. BYuT and Yatseniuk have condemned any postponement.
Yushchenko’s only purpose is to halt Tymoshenko’s election and he thinks that if elections are postponed then the global crisis and swine flu will harm her chances. Yushchenko is Yanukovych’s technical candidate.

By Taras on Nov 8, 2009

Beg to differ with you Taras and I quote: “The parliament also proposed that the government cancel a ban on holding mass events in regions in which quarantines were not imposed due to the flu epidemic.” Also today, Yushchenko quoted: “Ukraine’s leader Viktor Yushchenko on Sunday dismissed the idea a January election should be delayed because of flu fears” On Sunday when asked whether he should impose a state of emergency on Ukraine, delaying any poll, Yushchenko told news channel 5 Kanal in an interview:

“No — there are no reasons for this.”

And a reminder, and I quote: “The Ukrainian government is taking some of the sternest measures in the world against the spread of the swine flu virus, ordering schools nationwide to close for three weeks, banning public gatherings and imposing restrictions on travel. Prime Minister Yulia V. Tymoshenko announced the measures on Friday in response to rising fears about swine flu, especially in western Ukraine.”
These restrictions were imposed by the PM, NOT the president, please get the facts straight. Seems Tymoshenko is afraid of a little electoral competition. I wonder why?

By Wolodymir on Nov 8, 2009

And the links to your Quoted sources. Your assessment does not reflect the information I have read on this topic.

By UkrToday on Nov 12, 2009

The Yushchenko camp have been the only one calling for a deferment of the Presidential elections, even though Yushchenko has dismissed such a proposal his henchmen continue to talk up the issue in what can only be seen as a desperate attempt to prolong Yushchenko’s term of office beyond the five years set out in Ukraine’s constitution.

The USA records 21,000 flue related deaths each year. On a per capita basis Ukraine has a long way to go before it is an issue that requires a Presidential declaration of a state of emergency.

Yes of course Ukraine must take stapes to limit the rate of infections and protect the population but it must be based on real evidence and real need.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) have praised the government for its actions in adressing the current flu epidemic to date. They also have warned of a second and third wave of flue infections during Spring (April to June). Will Yushchenko again seek to prolong his term of office in May?

Ukraine was meant to have held the Presidential poll back on October 25. But Yushchenko forced a delay, postponing the election to the midst of Ukraine’s winter.

The Presidential election is organised by the parliament not the President. It is wrong for Yushchenko to interfere with the election. He can only do so in the serious and real need for a declaration of a state of emergency.

The whole concept of a direct election of a head of state is ill conceived. Billions of dollars spent for what? Power and governance should be in then hands of the people’s parliament not the president

Yushchenko has less then 4% support (Currently listed on 3.5%). If the election is delayed beyond January then it is incumbent of the parliament to remove Yushchenko from office and if need be have the parliament elect the president as is the case in Moldova, Greece and the EU.

If need be Yushchenko must be impeached and Lytvn take over the office of the President as caretaker President.

By UkrToday on Nov 12, 2009

The October Election date was found to be Unconstitutional by the CC. Should the President have allowed an Unconstitutional election which would have later been challenged on the same grounds? I think not. You want the criminal oligarchy of the Ukrainian VR to elect the President? Surely you jest? The President is righfully elected by the people, as it should be. I can not imagine the chaos which would be created in Ukraine if the oligarchy was to elect the President. Your concepts are flawed to say the least.

By Wolodymir on Nov 13, 2009

Well, Dr. Kuzio, excellent article at RFE, giving an overall view of the Ukrainian presidential election.

I now understand why there are “technical” candidates, and why a sick joker like “Protyvsikh” (Against All) would pay $300,000 to register as a candidate – each candidate gets more “representation” on the election boards that count the votes.

It’s yet another sick aspect of a sick system, which is designed to perpetuate government for the oligarchs, by the oligarchs, and of the oligarchs.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Ukraines_Presidential_Hopefuls_Lay_Out_Their_Programs/1877436.html

By elmer on Nov 14, 2009

Wait till the Parliament starts appointing the President, you aint seen nothin yet!!

By Wolodymir on Nov 14, 2009

Volodymir: Canada’s head of state the governor general is appoints by the queen of England on the recommendation of the Prime minister representing the parliament,

A host of other democratic counties and states such as Moldova, Greece and the EU all elect their head of state by a constitutional vote of the peoples democraticly elected Parliament. The President of the United States is not direct elected either instead he is elected by an undemocratic college of representatives of voters where the highest polling party wins 100% of the electoral college’s state allocated State representation. There is no difference between the head of state being elected by a parliament of the college. What your saying is that Ukraine is not entitled to be a democratic state but instead should be governed by a dictatorship of your choosing.

LOL

By UkrToday on Nov 14, 2009

There is no contest in the first round of elections. Sixteen candidates will lose the first round. The only contest is between second and third place and the gap between Yulia Tymoshenko and Yatseniuk is more then 10%.

So the choice is simple Yulia or Yanukovych.

Which begs why go to the trouble and expense of having two rounds of voting when you could achieve the same result with one round – Preferential ‘Instant runoff ballot’

By UkrToday on Nov 14, 2009

Now you’re calling free elections a dictatorship? Perhaps you havn’t noticed but Ukrainian government is much more corrupt than the EU. US elections are base on an Electoral College which give a candidate electoral votes based on the popular vote and the demographics of the particular state. Preferential “Instant runoff ballot”? I don’t really care to have my vote given to another candidate I didnt want to vote for simply because he stands a better chance of winning. Yulia or Yanukovich? No one has voted as of yet, you base your presumption on unscientific and unreliable polls. If thats the case do away with the vote altogether, after all, the polls have it pegged already, saving even more moneys. As stated before, youre ideas are not very well thought out and would bring Ukraine closer to a dictatorship than a fair vote by the people.

By Wolodymir on Nov 15, 2009

Here’s what’s scary, Wolodymir.

On the latest Savik Shuster show, the audience was asked whether they supported democracy – and they overwhelmingly responded that they did.

Then they were asked whether they would give up democracy in order to overcome the current crisis – and it was about 50-50.

There was a big discussion about who would most likely try to be a dictator if elected president – which is a very, very odd question and discussion to be having in a supposedly democratic country.

There was an overwhelming consensus on the Savik Shuster show that Ukraine has a huge problem – the current system is all about personalities trying to hang on to their privileged positions of power, and the nation be damned – there is no contest of political ideas or programs.

And I tend to agree – the current system in Ukraine is set up to keep the “political elite” in power.

And until the people in Ukraine figure out a way around it, the pig oligarchs will continue to feed at the trough.

The military is not being funded.

It takes at least 10 steps to form a business in Ukraine – and then you have to face the thugs who try to take over your business from you – something that even Tymshenko mentioned, from personal experience, in her nomination acceptance speech.

One thing that has been left out – in the US and elsewhere, candidates are tested via so-called “primary elections” – in other words, candidates from each party have to go through primary elections on a party basis to become the candidate of their party.

Then, and only then, do general elections take place.

That is a good testing and proving ground for candidates.

In Ukraine – ????

By elmer on Nov 15, 2009

Yushchenko claims that he brought democracy to Ukraine. But, how secure is democracy?

Read this Pew Center survey:
http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=267

Ukrainian democracy is not in good shape. Read this survey. This is what I wrote for an article:

The internationally respected Pew Research Center in the USA (http://pewglobal.org) released this month a new world survey (”The Pulse of Europe 2009: 20 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall”) that provides concrete evidence of the negative impact of Viktor Yushchenko’s presidency on both Ukrainian statehood and democracy.
Yushchenko’s campaign for re-election stresses the twin achievements of strengthening statehood and bringing democracy to Ukraine. But, to what extent have these twin objectives been realized under President Yushchenko? As the Pew survey notes, “Ukraine is the only country included in the survey where more disapprove than approve of the changes to a multiparty system and market economy”. In Ukraine “support for democracy is tenuous by many standards”, the Pew survey concludes.
62 percent of Ukrainians agreed that they are worse off today than when they lived under communism (in Russia 45 percent) and only 36 percent of Ukrainians approve of the transition to a free market. This finding is important because “people who now rate their lives well voice the strongest support for democratic values, while those less satisfied are the least disposed to the new values”. A lower number of Ukrainians who approve of the post-Soviet political and economic transition equates to a higher number of Ukrainians who are disillusioned with democracy.

After the Orange Revolution and Yushchenko’s election Ukrainians increased their trust in state institutions and believed that free elections were possible. This trust has since evaporated and most Ukrainians, according to the Pew survey, now question if free elections take place and whether Ukraine has an honest judicial system.

The Pew survey also found that there is a strong appeal for a strong leader over popularity for democracy in Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Hungary. Most commentators, whether Ukrainian or foreign, agree that Yushchenko has been a weak and indecisive leader and that Ukraine lacks leadership and a sense of direction.

The Pew survey found that the three most prominent national problems for Ukrainians were corruption (70 percent), pollution (64 percent) and crime (56 percent). Corruption was also first place in five other post-communist countries, three of which were higher than Ukraine, but in Russia corruption came second with 52 percent.
Political instability and crises in Ukraine have reduced support for democracy in Ukraine and led to a large number of Ukrainians equating “democracy” with “chaos”. The analogy is similar to that of Russia in the late 1990s which President Vladimir Putin capitalized upon to establish a popular autocratic system.

By Taras on Nov 15, 2009

Elmer, you are correct, now imagine if this same oligarchal parliament was now allowed to elect the President. Scary isn’t it?

Taras, putting blame on one individual for Ukraines democratic failures is ludicris to say the least. Yushchenko for one does not pass legislation, the VR does. The VR has fought his proposed legislations from day one, and that includes his former partner Tymoshenko. A bit hard for one man to change a country by himself, while the others are more interested in ministerial seats and winning presidential elections while playing a game of bastardized democracy. As for the populace, they are just as much to blame, they keep voting these idiots back into office. You get what you deserve, and sadly that will be true in this election.

By Wolodymir on Nov 15, 2009

Wolodymir, it is indeed scary, but it’s a good sign in Ukraine that the attempt was dropped, after Ukrainian Pravda and others brought the proposed scheme to light.

I think that Ukrainians don’t have true representative democracy yet (why is Yanukovych’s little shmuck son a member of Parliament????).

So the question as to whether they favor democracy, and whether democracy is chaos, is misleading.

But even the discussion on the Savik Shuster show suggested that the “populace” was to blame.

And if they keep voting for criminal oligarchs – then they are to blame.

By elmer on Nov 16, 2009