www.kyivpost.com: Editorial http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/ Editorial A tax overhaul http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/122598/ Editorial Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:59:48 +0200
Unreasonably high payroll taxes on employers are such a burden that many employees are simply not counted or their incomes hidden. Honest employers are forced into this dishonesty of paying salaries under the table, in cash, because many would not financially survive if they paid the official tax rates.

While oligarchs and insiders hide their profits offshore, employers without such nifty arrangements are supposed to fork over to the state from their own pockets 50 percent of the amount they pay their employees, as payroll contributions.

The onerous yet widely ignored burdens are punching holes in the nation’s pension fund. Coupled with the nation’s demographic slide, these factors caused Ukraine’s pension fund deficit to widen last year to 1 percent of gross domestic product – to Hr 13 billion from Hr 7.9 billion in 2010.

While oligarchs and insiders hide their profits offshore, employers without such nifty arrangements are supposed to fork over to the state from their own pockets.


The obvious solution is not news to President Viktor Yanukovych or anyone who has been paying attention for the last 20 years.

One of his loyal lawmakers in parliament, Anatoly Kinakh, eloquently described the problem in an interview on Tonis television channel this week.

According to Kinakh, Ukraine’s payroll tax is roughly 50 percent, at least twice as much as other European countries. By lowering the tax to a less onerous 27-30 percent, the nation would gain more revenue by coaxing employers and their employees out of the shadows and onto the books.

Employees who show more of their real salaries will also benefit the state through increased income tax payments. Gradually, the perpetually broke government will be on a solid and sustainable fiscal footing.

The words of Kinakh, a former prime minister, are welcome. But too often this talk is never followed up with actions by those in power.

Yanukovych has monopolized power in Ukraine to such an extent that he has the opportunity to make almost any changes he wants, at the moment.

If he truly seeks to reduce the size of Ukraine’s shadow economy, he and his team should slash payroll taxes – and do it now.]]> Simmering pot http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/122597/ Editorial Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:56:18 +0200 expectation for protest among Ukrainians has reached record highs, as we report on page 2. This is surely worrying news for President Viktor Yanukovych, who has seen his popularity plunge since taking over as president in 2010. As his ruling Party of Regions faces voters in the Oct. 28 parliamentary election, the expectation of big protests is surprisingly higher than ahead of the 2004 Orange Revolution, which stripped Yanukovych of a fraud-marred presidential election victory

Protests happen when people see that the government is not responding to their demands and see no other way to make changes.

Protests are the desperate cry of a neglected population tired of sitting in traffic jams while top officials fly past in convoys, of eking out a living while the president and his cronies live in luxury, of battling with tax inspectors and raiders who want to feast on the fruits of other people’s labor.

Protests happen when people see that the government is not responding to their demands and see no other way to make changes.
We view the mood for protest, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology survey, as a positive sign about the reawakening of Ukraine’s people after years of disillusionment from the absence of leadership provided by ex-President Viktor Yushchenko.

There are parallels with the Snow Revolution under way in Russia.

For Ukrainians, as for Russians, there are gains in material wellbeing and in civil liberties to be protected and improved through the political process. But in both nations, democracy is stunted – especially in Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian Russia, while Ukraine under Yanukovych is moving down the same wrong path.

The days are hopefully coming to an end when citizens are going to idly watch Ukrainian oligarchs amass extraordinary riches while so many millions of people live on the edge of poverty in a nation rich in labor, education, natural resources – and home to some of the world’s top grain, steel, chemical and arms exporters.

The younger generation, again, offers the greatest hope and energy through their associations and social networking with demands that Ukraine’s leaders improve their accountability and move the nation further towards democracy.

In order to prevent the appetite for protest from turning into street actions, Yanukovych needs to address Ukraine’s real divide. This is not between the country’s west and east, but between those who abuse power and those who are abused by power. It is hard to see how Yanukovych, a product and perpetrator of that very system, will achieve this.]]> Gangland http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/122164/ Editorial Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:10:19 +0200 most recent shocking exampleof Ukraine’sincredibly unjust judicial system.]]>
When arrested, Demishkan admitted to the murder and showed police where the crime occurred. He later changed his story and was let out of jail on bail.

The court ridiculously decided the murder wasn’t premeditated, despite the fact the victim as kidnapped and tortured for three days leading up to his death.

Two of Demishkan’s accomplices were given five- and seven-year prison terms with time already served. Demishkan, the ringleader, was given a suspended sentence – meaning no prison time­ – after he produced evidence that he was ill with cancer.

The more likely reason for leniency is that Demishkan is the son of Volodymyr Demishkan, head of the state roadway service Ukravtodor and a former pro-presidential lawmaker who is believed to be a hunting buddy and close friend of Yanukovych.

These verdicts and sentences are travesties in an increasingly barbaric nation. From murder to lesser crimes, such as fighting copyright piracy, officials time and again don't do the right thing.

Ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is serving a seven-year prison sentence for the criminalization of her political decisions in the 2009 gas deal with Russia. But there are many less-known examples of a judicial system that reeks of corruption.

The rule of law in Yanukovychland amounts to this: Allies get away with anything, including murder and plunder of the nation, while opponents get prison sentences on dubious charges. This nation is a dangerous place and it’s hard to see where the moral force will come from within the administration to change course.]]> On our own http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/122163/ Editorial Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:04:16 +0200
No, Mr. President, the issue will not go away – abroad or in Ukraine. Chants of “Free Yulia!” in support of imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko delayed Yanukovych’s speech in the Verkhovna Rada. He eventually gave his remarks, amid the din of criticism.

For Ukrainians, the real power for changing the course of this administration lies within the nation. The West cannot and is not going to solve these problems. The United States and the European Union are speaking out clearly and loudly in calling for Tymoshenko’s release from prison.

They could even go a step further and create blacklists of top Ukrainian officials who would not be allowed visas to travel to America or EU countries. They could also freeze bank accounts abroad and launch investigations into the origins of the billions of dollars in Ukrainian assets parked abroad. The West can freeze all aid and agreements.
But these are about all the cards the West has left to play and they may not be enough to alter Yanukovych’s detrimental policies.

The West keeps asking for Yanukovych to “resolve” the Tymoshenko issue; in his mind, it’s “resolved” – she’s in prison, case closed. But our reading of the diplomatic statements following the Clinton-Yanukovych talk in Munich is that it did not go well and the U.S. secretary of state firmly pressed for Tymoshenko’s freedom, an end to political persecution and an improved investment climate, especially for energy firms, as pre-conditions for improved relations. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon even followed up by going to Kyiv from Munich to underscore these points.

Yanukovych, it appears, continued in his futile attempt to mislead the West into thinking that legislation is in the works to change the arcane, Soviet-era “abuse-of-office” charge for which Tymoshenko is convicted, implying such “legal reform” could lead to her freedom. The West stopped believing such rubbish months ago and, in fact, it seems that not much of what the president says is believed in foreign capitals.

But all this simply means that the West is in the corner of Ukrainians who want to stop these destructive policies. The hard part will be for Ukraine’s scattered opposition forces to coalesce, set aside selfish ambitions and unite with allies in the president’s camp and within the business world who are unhappy with the nation’s course.

As Hillary Clinton told students at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute on July 2, 2010: “Do not get discouraged. Do not lose heart. Do not stop now. Because building a strong democracy is not a job for other people; it is really a job for each of us.”]]> No reason to brag http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/121739/ Editorial Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:29:43 +0200
With Ukraine losing its standing on all diplomatic fronts, West and East, it’s understandable that the Foreign Ministry is so desperate for good news that officials tried to manufacture some favorable publicity through a Jan. 27 press release.

It backfired.

Headlined “Ukraine seen as improving in press freedom rankings,” the ministry cites the most recent World Press Freedom Index by the international free-speech watchdog, Reporters Without Frontiers.

Correctly, the ministry notes that Ukraine’s ranking improved among nations from 131 to 116 out of 178 countries surveyed. But then it veers into disinformation with a spokesman’s claim: “Last year showed that journalists in this country are free to cover the important issues whether favorable or unfavorable to the government.”

We, of course, have our own experiences with restrictions on press freedoms and our opinion does not coincide with the Foreign Ministry’s view.
Reporters Without Borders responded that the 15-spot jump doesn’t mean that there has been improvement in press freedom in Ukraine. Instead, Ukraine got a higher ranking because press freedom worsened sharply around the globe.
Everything is relative, but it was still a cynical stretch for the good people of Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry to claim that press freedom in the nation is improving.

“It is crucial to note that year 2011 was marked by widespread repression in many countries over the world,” according to the organization. “In this backdrop, the deterioration of press freedom has been general. So many countries have competed towards the bottom of the index that the states where the press freedom situation has stagnated were automatically pushed up.”

Moreover, Reporters Without Borders noted that Ukraine improved in 2011 only in the sense that no journalists were killed for their work, unlike in 2010, when Kharkiv corruption muckraker Vasyl Klimentyev disappeared.

But the overall picture is still an ugly one in Ukraine, Reporters Without Borders concluded, and we agree. “Journalists are facing growing violence from the law enforcement officers while performing their duties: 35 media professionals were attacked in 2011, most of them by police and security officers. Impunity of the perpetrators of attacks on journalists is far from ending.”

The organization also notes the secrecy of the murder trial involving a main suspect in the 2000 murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze and the scuttled criminal charges against ex-President Leonid Kuchma, a prime suspect in ordering the killing. Reporters Without Borders also cites official and self-censorship, as well as “deeply flawed” allocation of digital TV frequencies.

That’s not the whole story, but it’s a much more truthful one than the Foreign Ministry wants the world to believe.]]> Choose Zakharov http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/121737/ Editorial Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:20:45 +0200
While she has commendably called attention to some flagrant human rights abuses, her performance has not been stellar, due to her political allegiances or other factors.

We think it’s time for her to be replaced by a better candidate, Yevhen Zakharov, whose candidacy is being put forward by the Kharkiv Group for Human Rights, a vocal and effective human rights group.

Zakharov’s story is a striking contrast to that of Karpacheva, whose career started in the Communist Party. He once said that 14 members of his family were persecuted for political reasons. Back in the Soviet days, he was sympathetic toward dissidents, “samizdat” – self-publishing – and the rights of the abused.

Zakharov also has a strong record in the field since 1989, when he became co-chairman of Memorial, a human rights group in Kharkiv. He has been chief editor of Human Rights weekly for years and is a respected commentator.

Five years ago, his candidacy was proposed as a potential replacement for Karpacheva. But despite the support of 300 human rights groups, he did not win.

Zakharov has never been a member of any party. He has said that the job of the ombudsman is the only government position he would ever accept. He previously talked about his plans of strengthening the role by developing a network of its regional representatives.

A big problem with the position is that it holds no real investigative or enforcement powers. It merely provides an official, public platform. This must change, otherwise the ombudsman’s recommendations are too easy to ignore – as they are now.

Well-mannered and humble, Zakharov and members of various organizations he helped to create have helped hundreds of people. We believe he would make an ideal ombudsman.]]> The 20-year mark http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/121246/ Editorial Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:34:15 +0200
The U.S. was represented by Ambassador John F. Tefft, while the Ukrainian side was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, who both gave cordial speeches.

Tefft said: “The United States wants, as it has always wanted, what Ukrainians themselves want for their country – a Ukraine that is sovereign, independent, prosperous and irreversibly democratic: a country that is modernizing as a European state; a transparent, inclusive Ukraine where a dynamic civil society is free to contribute to public life; a country which is open to investment and welcomes international business, and a Ukraine, where all citizens enjoy the full protection of the rule of law.”

What was left unsaid by the polite host is that Ukraine remains far from many of these goals.

The United States deserves credit for raising issues of democracy and human rights. So does the European Union. Other great powers, notably China and Russia, don’t care about such matters in their pursuit of commerce at all costs.

However, even the United States can do better in promoting justice.

With the United States and Ukraine so far away from each other, people-to-people contacts form the strength of the relationship. America is home to at least 1 million people who claim Ukrainian roots. And, as Tefft noted, U.S.-sponsored exchange programs have sent 40,000 Ukrainians to the U.S. since 1992. We wish there could be more.

Unfortunately, the credibility of America’s exhortations about democracy – from no less distinguished people than U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – are undermined by the company that her family keeps.

As the U.S. calls for the release of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko from prison, her husband, the ex-U.S. president, and most recently their daughter, Chelsea (in Kyiv on Jan. 24), continue their courtship with a Ukrainian family that has inflicted lasting damage to Ukraine in its 20 years as a nation.

The partnership between the Clintons and Victor Pinchuk seems to be all about the millions of dollars that the billionaire oligarch and his wife, Elena Pinchuk, have given to the William J. Clinton Foundation.

Pinchuk acquired much of his fortune while his father-in-law, Leonid Kuchma, was president from 1994-2005. This money was not earned honestly, in our view, but rather through privatizations that were fixed beforehand to favor insiders.

In just one outrageous example, Pinchuk and fellow billionaire Rinat Akhmetov tried to get the nation's largest steel mill, Kryvorizhstal, for $800 million.

They failed when Tymoshenko ordered it sold in the nation's only competitive, transparent auction. It fetched six times the Pinchuk-Akhmetov price, or $4.8 billion, in 2005.

As for Kuchma, who hurried out of the October Palace Hall on Jan. 20 surrounded by a phalanx of security guards, he should be standing trial into whether he ordered the 2000 murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze. Kuchma also has never faced credible investigations into other allegations of crimes during his corrupt rule.

While Pinchuk is a pleasant fellow and he has stepped up his philanthropy, his charming demeanor is beside the point and his charitable gifts amount to crumbs from the ill-gotten banquet table.

America and Americans, especially prominent families such as the Clintons, will find their criticism of “selective justice” in Tymoshenko’s imprisonment is more credible if they were more selective about the company they keep and if they openly criticized injustice wherever it exists, rather than excluding big donors.]]> Hands off Express http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/121245/ Editorial Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:30:36 +0200
Journalists also said that people representing the highest authorities in the nation approached the editor soon after the court ruling with a request to soften its criticism towards the government in exchange for a carefree life.

“These people think that newspapers are created to please them and praise them, particularly on the eve of an election. Sorry, we have another standpoint,” the paper’s chief editor Ihor Pochynok was quoted as saying. “We disagree with this image of the work of journalists and won’t go down to our knees.”

In a nation where many journalists are losing their ability to report freely, the situation with Express is alarming.

A subservient press may seem like a good idea to politicians and their business friends. But it makes no sense for a nation that wants to be free and democratic.]]> Billboards http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/120852/ Editorial Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:11:40 +0200
Unfortunately, as Kyiv Post staff writer Alyona Zhuk noted in an article in this edition, President Viktor Yanukovych and the ruling Party of Regions are taking advantage of the law to erect holiday messages to Ukrainians.

It may be all well and good, but it’s clearly political and a waste of this worthy provision in the law. The billboards featuring Yanukovych’s face or the Party of Regions colors are so ubiquitous that vandals have even reacted by defacing them, which is inexcusable.

Apparently, Yanukovych likes to see more than his picture on the big boards. Alexander Motyl, a political science professor at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, recently blogged that the State Forest Resources Agency ordered 300 forestry divisions to buy Hr 15 million worth of presidential portraits and state emblems. “Hey, if it works in North Korea, why not in Yanukostan?” Motyl asked.

We think Yanukovych would look more presidential and serve the nation better if he would order all of his personal and party billboards to be replaced in the nation with those that call attention to solutions to some of Ukraine’s more dire social problems: smoking, drinking, HIV/AIDS, poverty, homelessness, orphans, domestic abuse, racial intolerance.

Or this space could be taken up by tourism messages from the state.

Attention to these social issues would be much more welcome than the cult of personality and party that Yanukovych and the Party of Regions are obviously trying to instill with these billboards, with counter-productive results.

These stiff billboards of Yanukovych’s mug come across as something more from the Leonid Brezhnev era of vanity. And the holiday messages seem insincere.

We’ll know the egos at the top are completely out of control when they start putting their faces on various denominations of the Ukrainian hryvnia. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.]]> Untrue, unethical http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/120851/ Editorial Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:05:54 +0200
On Jan. 19, a story broke on an aggregator website – citing anonymous “informed sources” – that the Kyiv Post has decided to form an alliance with ex-Verkhovna Rada speaker and ex-Foreign Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk, who is touted as an opposition leader and a possible candidate for president in 2015.

There was no call for response from the Kyiv Post or Bonner. And there was nobody quoted from Yatseniuk’s side.

The story is simply not true. But with the lightning-speed of the Internet, the strange report got picked up by at least a half-dozen websites – copied and pasted, word-for-word. Naturally, Kyiv Post owner Mohammad Zahoor – who has adopted an editorial policy that the newspaper should be politically non-partisan – wanted us to find out the basis of the story.

As far as we can trace, the story originated on vlasti.net, which contains a price list on its website, charging up to $600 for 24-hour placement of a “top story.” It was first posted on the Internet about 11 a.m. on Jan. 19 and appeared almost simultaneously on several other such aggregator websites that claim to be news organizations.

The timing and volume suggest a mass purchase of space, either with the intention to embarrass Yatseniuk, Bonner, the Kyiv Post or all three.

Our fervent belief and hope is that discerning readers will see through such black PR for what it is: bogus.

One big clue that a story is suspicious and might not be legitimate news is attribution to anonymous sources.

The Kyiv Post does use anonymous sources, but sparingly. Sometimes it’s the only way to get the story. But we also have a practice of explaining to people why we granted the person or persons anonymity.

Examples are that they legitimately fear for their safety or are not authorized to speak publicly on the issue by their employer.

In all cases, the top editor needs to know the identity of the anonymous source and, if the possibility of a lawsuit exists, so do the newspaper’s publisher and lawyers.

Even when we agree to grant anonymity to a source, we do our best to identify the person’s position or why they are considered reliable in the article.

The best practice, of course, remains identifying people fully by name and position and trying to ascertain the validity of the information that is given to us.

Moreover, the Kyiv Post also makes every effort to reach people for their side of the story if they are accused of any kind of wrongdoing. To do less is simply unfair and, yes, even yellow journalism.

At the Kyiv Post, we strive to practice the highest standards of independent, ethical, fair and factual journalism. When we fall short, we correct our mistakes and, if warranted, apologize.

We wish others would do the same.]]> Deadly charges http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/120421/ Editorial Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:23:54 +0200
Presidential chief of staff Serhiy Lyovochkin, in a briefing with reporters on Jan. 12, vehemently denied the accusations made by Tymoshenko’s bloc after the opposition leader said that she became unconscious on Jan. 6 after being given medication in her Kharkiv prison cell.

The nation’s prison and health authorities say nothing of the kind happened.

These accusations and denials are all the more reason for a transparent probe and for the findings to be made public.

If there’s merit to the Tymoshenko claim, the nation has a scandal on its hands that will rival the Mykola Melnychenko tapes and the 2000 murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze.

The Melnychenko tapes are hundreds of hours of recordings from a former presidential bodyguard that purportedly catch ex-President Leonid Kuchma and top aides plotting numerous crimes, including Gongadze’s murder.

All charges have been denied; none has been adequately investigated.

There are no rules in Ukraine’s system other than what the prosecutors and their political masters make up as they go along.
But if Tymoshenko is crying wolf and making up bogus and tawdry charges, a competent investigation will expose her and her supporters for the frauds that many think they are.

Sensational accusations are easily made in an environment of Soviet-style secrecy, where prosecutors and prison guards alike have low standards of ethics and transparency.

This is why democratic nations are much more open than Ukraine about how government functions. It is also why prisoner rosters, conditions and visiting hours are clearly spelled out in democratic nations.

People don’t lose their basic rights to humane treatment, even if their freedom of movement is restricted by living behind bars.

It is also why, in democratic nations, each step of the criminal justice process – from the investigation’s start to its conclusion – has strict timelines and accountability procedures for reporting findings to the public.

There are no rules in Ukraine’s system other than what the prosecutors and their political masters make up as they go along.

It is disheartening and frightening that Ukraine, well into the 21st century, remains such a barbaric place.]]> Smokescreen http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/120419/ Editorial Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:16:29 +0200 is believed to include him.

This group seems to be trying to sideline troubled state gas company Naftogaz from importing Russian gas to Ukraine while re-establishing fellow billionaire gas tycoon Dmytro Firtash as a major supplier of gas to Ukraine instead.

A strong backer of Yanukovych, Firtash earned a fortune when companies he controlled, most recently Swiss-registered RosUkrEnergo (which he co-owned with Russia’s Gazprom), monopolized gas supplies to Ukraine.

He was cut out of this intermediary role when his arch-enemy Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister in 2009 brokered a new gas supply agreement with Russia.

Since Yanukovych narrowly beat her in the 2010 presidential elections, Tymoshenko has been convicted and imprisoned for her role in the agreement, and Firtash has moved back into the nation’s murky gas business.

Ukraine is playing hardball with Russia in threatening to almost halve Naftogaz’s natural gas purchases from Gazprom, to 27 billion cubic meters in 2012, unless the Russian state-owned monopoly reduces prices.

- Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko


According to government figures, Ostchem, a company through which he has consolidated control over much of Ukraine’s chemical business, imported with Russian permission about 5 billion cubic meters of Central Asian gas in 2011.

Moreover, sources close to Firtash claim it imports the gas at significantly lower prices than the blue fuel that goes through Naftogaz.

These are privileges that few have and it has yet to be explained why Russia would give these favors to Firtash.

Some experts claim he returns the favor by lobbying Kremlin interests in Ukraine.

As Ukraine’s tough negotiations with Russia over gas drag on, questions should be asked about why the gas business of Boyko’s alleged associate Firtash is mushrooming while Ukraine considers relinquishing control over its strategic gas transit pipeline in return for lower import prices.

Interfax-Ukraine reported on Dec. 29 that Ostchem plans this year to boost gas imports by nearly 37 percent, to almost 7 billion cubic meters. Dragon Capital suggested that Ostchem could actually import even higher volumes.

Why is it that top officials close to Firtash, namely Boyko and presidential chief of staff Serhiy Lyovochkin struggle to strike a good gas deal for Ukraine while Firtash’s business blossoms to the point that he is re-establishing himself as a major supplier to Ukraine once again?]]> The year ahead http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/119487/ Editorial Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:27:40 +0200
There are concerns about the provision of hotel rooms and transport. Ukraine will creak under a volume of visitors it has never experienced before.

We hope that the tournament will enable the nation to show off its many good features: friendly people, hospitality, zest for fun. We fear it could be dominated by its worst sides: poor organization and greed.

The second major event is the parliamentary election in October. The European Union leadership warned President Viktor Yanukovych on Dec. 19 that he can forget about closer relations if these elections don’t pass the “litmus test.”


We hope Yanukovych is listening, although he has given no indication of readiness to respond to the EU’s concerns.

The EU is demanding that political opponents of the current authorities be released and allowed to participate.

It also noted the need to secure media freedoms and the freedom of assembly.

We hope Yanukovych is listening, although he has given no indication of readiness to respond to the EU’s concerns.
If he doesn’t, the EU will put the association agreement on ice, and leave Ukraine in a gray zone, where it will be more susceptible to pressure from Russia.

Given the precarious financial situation that Ukraine finds itself in, this is very worrying.

The government needs to secure a discount on gas prices to help its stretched finances, but Russia has demanded huge concessions such as Ukraine’s joining its customs union or handing over a large stake in strategic gas pipelines.

Next year could be decisive for Ukraine’s course as a nation. It is time for Yanukovych and his allies to turn his pro-European talk into unambiguously pro-European actions.

If they are unable or unwilling to do so, Ukrainians will seize opportunities to move the nation in the direction they want this country to go and history will render a cruel verdict to those in power.]]> Power of giving http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/119485/ Editorial Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:22:37 +0200 We all need to start giving more, especially Ukraine's richest, because the government isn't doing its fair share in helping people most in need.]]>
The late U.S. Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey once said: “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”

Unfortunately, Ukraine’s government is not acquitting itself well.

While there are signs that the nation’s wealthiest people are beginning to take philanthropy seriously, the dominant drive among the nation’s political and economic elite is still greed and lust for power. As Korrespondent magazine found in its current edition, the wealthy in Ukraine still give a very low percentage of their net worth – from one-tenth of one percent to two percent. Absent a change in heart and values, they can't be counted on.

This is where ordinary people come in.

If you don’t trust government, charities or businesses to help the neediest, do it yourself. Find a person to help or a cause to support and give whatever you can – give until it hurts – directly to the hurting person.

It will make a difference and you’ll feel better.

Do you want to help the cause of journalism in Ukraine? Support the Kyiv Mohyla Academy’s journalism department and its great director, Yevhen Fedchenko, by replacing scholarships lost through cuts in state subsidies.


If you don’t trust government, charities or businesses to help the neediest, do it yourself.


Want to help children? Locate orphanages or drop-in centers and bring some presents, food and money to make sure no child is alone and suffering this holiday season.

Want to help the sick? Kyiv Post readers and others raised more than 100,000 euros to give seven-month-old Polina Ostapenko of Zaporozhye a much-needed liver transplant.

The life-saving surgery will take place on Jan. 2.

There are many more people out there, on Ukraine’s streets and in the subways, who clearly are in need of a helping hand.

Most of us will never accumulate mountains of wealth, nor is that the aim of most people. But many of us can find room within our monthly budgets to find some extra cash for those who are less fortunate.

We can’t take it with us anyway, and the one sure-fire way to know your money is going to good use is to give directly to the recipient.

As the late Mother Teresa said: "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." Or, if you prefer Mahatma Gandhi: "You must be the change you want to see in the world."

You’re not just circulating currency. You’re circulating hope. Together, we can get through any crisis.]]> No deal http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/119047/ Editorial Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:05:39 +0200 President Viktor Yanukovych's administration has failed to deliver on his foreign policy priority of integrating with European Union and securing cheaper Russian natural gas this year.]]>
It would be nice if the European Union and Ukraine formally initialed a trade association agreement during their summit in Kyiv on Dec. 19. But the truth is, Ukraine is moving further from the civilized and developed world, not closer.

If the EU adheres to democratic standards, there is currently no chance that its 27 members will ratify trade and other agreements with Ukraine as long as the

Yanukovych administration continues its present course.

Brussels should, instead, step up the pressure against Yanukovych and his slide away from democracy, rule of law and pluralism. The arguments that EU snubs will only hurt Ukrainians aren’t very persuasive. To the contrary, a tough stance may help give Ukraine’s people the needed impetus to press the Yanukovych administration for change.

The true character of his regime becomes clearer with each passing day. Simply put, Yulia Tymoshenko is in jail and Leonid Kuchma isn't.

Yanukovych-loyal judges, prosecutors and police are determined to keep Tymoshenko, the former prime minister, in prison at all costs. At the same time, a Kyiv district court on Dec. 14 may have ended the authorities' 11-year pretense of seeking justice for the Sept. 16, 2000, murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze.

In dropping charges against ex-President Kuchma, who has been implicated in the murder, authorities are simply ignoring mountains of compelling evidence.

As we wrote on March 25 after the charges were lodged against Kuchma, who was never jailed during the pre-trial phase: “One clear test of the authorities’ commitment to justice is how long it takes to bring Kuchma to trial.

Most of the evidence seemingly has been known for nearly 11 years. This means that weeks should not slip into months before Kuchma faces a public trial. If the case drags on, the public will know for sure what they already suspect: that the March 24 charges are just the latest phase of the Gongadze cover-up.”

And so they were. The Kuchma charges turned out to be just more Yanukovych window-dressing, a pose that he was meting out justice evenhandedly -- to Kuchma and to Tymoshenko.

For the West, Yanukovych has long said one thing – that he favors democracy – while he does another – namely, dismantle it. As for Russia, it appears that the only way energy-dependent Ukraine will be able to get Russia to cut the price of its gas by half – from $400 to $200 per 1,000 cubic meters – is by surrendering part of a strategic asset: Its gas-transit pipelines that carry 80 percent of Russian gas to Europe.

Such a deal would be an unacceptable betrayal of national interests. It would sacrifice the nation’s future for the short-term political and financial gains of Yanukovych and his oligarch cronies, who own Ukraine’s most valuable steel mills and energy-guzzling chemical plants.
Don’t rule anything out with this crowd.]]> Fudging numbers http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/119045/ Editorial Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:59:56 +0200
The showpiece project, a One-Stop Shop (see story on page 6) to speed up and simplify investment procedures, has the potential to bring in badly needed capital.

But any positive efforts will be sabotaged by the pernicious practice of fudging the numbers, a common practice of Ukrainian governments. During presentations and in prepared materials, the organizers repeatedly backed their arguments with misleading or simply untrue figures and facts.

In one instance, to convince investors about Ukrainian’s low wages, Invest Ukraine took year-old data and converted it at an astounding exchange rate of 9.33, rather than the official 8 hryvnias per U.S. dollar. And -- presto! -- average dollar-denominated wages dropped by 30 percent.

It is inconceivable that such a strategy would work. Any investor who found the numbers appealing would immediately want to learn more, only to discover that the agency gave incorrect data.

Of the two possible explanations, carelessness or deceit, both are unflattering. Sadly, this attitude is all too common in a country where many continue to play fast and loose with the truth.

It starts from the top, with a president who has dabbled in plagiarism, and goes all the way to the bottom, where many see tax fraud as a worthy skill worth perfecting.

Meanwhile, government agencies that are meant to provide the information upon which to base economic decisions engage in propaganda. The latest example is this year’s record harvest, which continues into the winter period to grow by a million tons almost every week.

Investors interested in Ukraine know that the nation is still a poor economy in transition, but also one that holds great promise if it fixes basic problems. Distorting reality discredits the idea that it is interested in solving them.]]> ‘Crooks, thieves’ http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/118496/ Editorial Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:56:57 +0200
In a parliamentary vote that Russian and international observers said was flawed, his United Russia party lost 15 percent of the support it had in 2007 despite the ballot stuffing and blanket media coverage it reportedly benefitted from.

Then, more than 5,000 protesters hit the streets to denounce the elections and the ruling party, which is now commonly known as “the party of crooks and thieves.”

They weren’t on the streets in favor of opposition candidates, but to send a message that they are not happy with the situation in the country – the corruption and the political and economic stagnation that Putin’s choreographed return to the presidency next year will almost certainly bring.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukoyvch should listen to the rumblings.

The situation in Ukraine is similar to that in Russia – an authoritarian leader supported by a party derided by its critics as consisting of “crooks and thieves.” In Ukraine, the Party of Regions has lost popularity even faster than United Russia.

Having selectively prosecuted political opponents, the current authorities are now set on staying in power indefinitely to prevent anyone taking revenge.

In Moscow, pro-Putin activists were placed on key squares to “defend” United Russia’s victory.

The situation in Ukraine is similar to that in Russia – an authoritarian leader supported by a party derided by its critics as consisting of “crooks and thieves.”


Yanukovych employed a similar strategy ahead of the 2010 presidential elections, when thousands of Party of Regions supporters occupied squares in Kyiv ahead of the vote to prevent a repeat of the Orange Revolution in 2004.

Yanukovych’s continued assertions that his 2004 election “victory” wasn’t fraudulent and that the Orange Revolution stole the presidency from him betrays the fact that he believes in words often attributed to Josef Stalin: “It’s not the people who vote that count, it’s the people who count the votes.”

In Ukraine, discontent tends to rise faster than in Russia.

If Yanukovych and his allies fix the fall 2012 parliamentary elections, there will be more than 5,000 people on the streets.

Then, Yanukovych will again face a choice between Russia and the West.

He could accept his allies’ defeat and work with a reconfigured majority in parliament.

Or, he could send in the police to clear away protesters and pay activists to drown them out, as Putin did in Russia.

We fear Yanukovych will choose the latter option.]]> Circus http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/118495/ Editorial Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:50:17 +0200
The case of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been in prison since August and was in October sentenced to seven years in prison on abuse of office charges, took a bizarre twist on Dec. 8. Judge Andriy Trubnikov of Shevchenkivsky District Court decided to hold a court hearing in her prison cell.

The hearing, of course, was behind closed doors. Neither journalists nor members of the opposition were allowed into Lukianivka detention center.

The judge was trying to decide whether to issue a second arrest warrant for Tymoshenko that the prosecutors are requesting.

The prosecutor’s office and the State Security Service, or SBU, said this week they have 10 ongoing cases against the former prime minister.

The cases are widely considered to be nothing more than a politically motivated attempt by President Viktor Yanukovych to sideline his main rival. Nevertheless, prosecutors have requested a second arrest warrant for Tymoshenko.

The decision to hold a hearing in a Lukianivka prison cell on this issue was taken because Tymoshenko’s health has, apparently, deteriorated to the point that she cannot travel any longer. Some opposition members have suggested she needs surgery.

Authorities have been slow to react to her health issues, claiming instead that she refuses to see state-appointed doctors, to give blood for tests and that she has “European” conditions in her cell.

Tymoshenko’s lawyer, Serhiy Vlasenko, said there is no law that allows or regulates a traveling court hearing.

Other lawyers interviewed by Kyiv Post have said Tymoshenko’s in-prison hearing violates laws regulating open trials. It's worse than that: These tactics smack of creeping Stalinism.

Tymoshenko’s daughter Yevheniya Carr suggested that the whole farce is taking place because the appeal case hearing is scheduled to start on Dec. 13, and the authorities are trying to make sure she remains in jail, even if her appeal is a success.

Even if the verdict is reversed, she faces 10 other cases, dating back to her gas trading business in 1990s.

But if this court circus continues, she has no chance.

If this is how the game will be played with oppositionists in Viktor Yanukovych-ruled Ukraine, expect the country to get ever closer to Russia soon, not Europe.]]> King bootlicker http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/118010/ Editorial Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:47:08 +0200
He was in Kyiv last week to “interview” Prime Minister Mykola Azarov. A few days earlier, he had been announced as a special adviser to iron ore miner Black Iron, which owns permits to develop two iron ore mines in central Ukraine.

It turns out the interview with Azarov may not be broadcast. It could just be a “friendly social discussion,” according to the company.

After the meeting, King gave a press conference where he sang Azarov’s praises, calling the veteran politician a “straightforward and honest person” who “would have been a successful U.S. politician.”

This assessment doesn’t tally with the Soviet-style dinosaur who set up the country’s aggressive State Tax Administration and, if the Mykola Melnychenko tape recordings are to be believed, has crimes to answer for during his service under President Leonid Kuchma (1994-2005).

King was in Ukraine on a mission for Black Iron. It is unclear what he asked for in the meeting with Azarov, but the method of trying to get what he wanted left no room for doubt.

The prime minister will certainly be pleased to have his reputation burnished by the fawning King. Perhaps that will have swayed him to satisfy whatever Black Iron may be requesting. It says a lot about the primitive way that business is done in Ukraine – you have to talk to one of the top guys to get what you need.

But there is a broader context: Visits by famous foreign people who praise the current authorities send the wrong message as Kyiv is becoming increasingly isolated amid rising authoritarianism.

King did provide a moment of humor, drawing laughter from journalists when he said that Azarov likes former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and was sorry to see her jailed.

King said he was surprised and couldn’t understand the reaction from journalists who attended the press conference in the government building.
For the sake of King’s wallet, let’s hope Azarov better understood what his famous interlocutor was seeking.]]> Out of control http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/118009/ Editorial Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:38:21 +0200 A deputy general prosecutor's zeal to destroy former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has no bounds.]]>
This time, he said prosecutors had secured evidence that money from Tymoshenko’s account had been used to pay for the killing of Donetsk lawmaker and businessman Yevhen Shcherban on Nov. 4, 1996.

Kuzmin claims that the men who gunned down Shcherban were paid for the contract killing by firms controlled at the time by then Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko and then head of United Energy System of Ukraine Tymoshenko. "The money, nearly three million hryvnias, came to the killlers' accounts from firms belonging to Lazarenko and Tymoshenko. The firms were controlled by these two people," Kuzmin said.

The public deserves to know who ordered the 15-year-old murder, but Ukrainian prosecutors aren't going to be the ones who find out the truth because they have no credibility. The Kuzmin show follows the same tired pattern: Make a public smear first against an enemy, then follow up with charges and -- far down the road -- possibly a secret trial, even as allegations of corruption against those in power are studiously ignored.

Tymoshenko is yet to be charged with involvement in the murder. If the proof of her guilt is irrefutable, as Kuzmin claims, let's have the charges first followed by a speedy public trial. Instead, Kuzmin’s showboating looks like part of a propaganda campaign.

The authorities appear to think that by slapping Tymoshenko with more charges and accusations, they will convince the West, which has pushed for her release, that she deserves to be in prison.

This betrays the fact that President Viktor Yanukovych and his allies do not understand the criticism. No one takes any verdicts pronounced by judges seriously. Even if she is guilty of the crimes she is accused of, she is far from the only top-level politician who has serious wrongdoings to answer for.

Kuzmin recently went to Brussels to try to convince the European Union that prosecutors are fighting corruption and other wrongdoing fairly. He even said he would investigate Yanukovych if evidence was handed over because he's not going to look for it.

Kuzmin is on a one-man mission to destroy Tymoshenko in the courts and her public reputation on television. If the U.S. and Europe are considering visa bans against the people who are complicit in political persecution in Ukraine, Kuzmin would be a good person to start with.]]> Stifling protest http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/117582/ Editorial Thu, 24 Nov 2011 21:34:21 +0200
Construction came during the heated protests against then-President Leonid Kuchma. With dozens of people living in tents on the square, officials shied away from breaking up the camp.

Instead, they brought excavators to start digging a huge hole, forcing protesters to leave. By chance, the hole eventually became a mall.

Effective methods never grow old. This is what approximately 2,000 people learned after they came to Maidan on the Nov. 22 seventh anniversary of the Orange Revolution.

Despite a court-ordered ban on protests, Berkut riot police took tender loving care of the pro-government camp, just like they did weeks ago outside the Pechersk court where ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was on trial.

The best spot on the square was also occupied to erect a Christmas tree a full month and a half ahead of the new year.

Just like weeks ago outside the court, pro-government activists blared music and recorded speeches, drowning out the anti-government protesters.

Demonstrators made an improvised stage on the stairs of Globus and strained to hear what their speakers were yelling into loudspeakers.

Then suddenly a gust of wind blew plastic bags, garbage, sand and dirt in the air. Lit candles went out. It appeared that the Globus mall switched its ventilation system into high gear and kept it on during the duration of the protest.

The only good news for those on stage was that the sand and dirt were soon blown away and all they had to cope with was hot air.

Certainly all the disruptions might have been a coincidence. But for most protesters, the events tracked with how authorities have been behaving lately – namely reviving old authoritarian tricks.

One can only wonder how the Globus mall might be used again in the future. Will it be shut down for “reconstruction” just as the square fills up with angry people with banners and tents? Will special coffee machines be installed that spit into protesters’ coffee after preparation?

As the paranoia of authorities and their disrespect for their own people deepen, one can only wonder what other coincidences might happen in exactly the right time and place.]]> Party time http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/117580/ Editorial Thu, 24 Nov 2011 21:17:55 +0200 finally starting to take to the streets. They are rightfully protesting President Viktor Yanukovych’s rollback on democratic freedoms as well as equally repressive economic policies that benefit his loyal oligarch friends while choking the rest of business, both big and small.

The bad news is that while the protesters share common values and goals, they are fragmented. Worst of all, there is a discouraging viewpoint spreading across Ukraine that political parties have no place in these peaceful protests, that civic society and grassroots organizations should lead the fight for justice and fairness.

It is understandable why most Ukrainians, including those on the streets, have lost trust in politicians. Many of Ukraine’s 192 political parties are shams.

Others are oligarch-dominated political shields. Still others are led by power-hungry populists.

However, a strong and constructive opposition represented in parliament by political parties is needed in Ukraine now more than ever before. Yet less than 5 percent of Ukrainians are members of any political party at all.

Those who criticize the status quo should ask themselves what they can do to bring about change from within. Are they members of a political party? Have they ever been members? Have they as members of a party sought to introduce U.S.-styled election primaries that could help shape parties from within?

If Ukraine’s protest movement gains momentum, isolated groups may win over a concession here and there from Ukraine’s current authoritarian leaders.

But they will fail to change the nation's overall direction.

Now is the time for grassroots protesters to strike a deal with political parties, or start new ones.

If the next parliamentary election to be held in fall 2012 is democratic, the parties that become democratic from within stand a chance to accomplish much more than take control of the Verkhovna Rada. They could help put the country back on the right path.

But to accomplish this, they will need a much stronger base of support. In functioning democracies, this comes not on the streets through revolution, but through large numbers of party members who share the same principles about how a nation should develop and act upon it.]]> End this show http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/117173/ Editorial Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:06:13 +0200 By protesting everything, the FEMEN women's rights group actually protests for nothing.]]>
The movement began in 2008 when a group of female students started protesting Ukraine’s prostitution problem by dressing provocatively and marching through central Kyiv carrying signs reading “Ukraine is not a bordello.”

FEMEN’s intentions appeared good: They brought international attention to a serious issue that the Ukrainian authorities do little to solve.

But that is where the problems started. With no sense of irony, some of the women appeared to enjoy the attention that their breasts were drawing, and reduced the number of clothes they left on.

They became publicity-obsessed showgirls who nowadays seem more interested in putting on a performance more worthy of a tawdry strip joint.

They have protested everything, from Saudi Arabia’s ban on women driving alone to International Monetary Fund Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s alleged sexual infidelity. They have even protested a city ban on hanging laundry from balconies.

But when you protest everything, you protest for nothing, particularly if the protest is simply an anarchistic bearing of the chest. They are now hurting Ukraine’s image as much or more than helping any social cause.

The nature of news journalism, particularly in the age of the Internet, means that photographs of these protests will always be popular as they generate clicks.

But women of FEMEN, it’s time to wake up: People are not clicking to look what you are protesting about. They probably don’t even notice.

The Kyiv Post has covered FEMEN since its inception. But we are rethinking these decisions as we have grown weary of their actions and wary of the members’ aims.

We will continue to write and publish photos about FEMEN when we find their actions newsworthy, but they are increasingly less so.

Moreover, it’s not clear who funds this group’s ambitious schedule of appearances or the aims of the financial backers.

If FEMEN would get back to their original mission of bringing attention to important causes, rather than just to themselves, we’ll be glad to keep covering them.]]> Open defiance http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/117171/ Editorial Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:58:46 +0200
While visiting Poland on Nov. 15, Yanukovych rebuffed entreaties by German President Christian Wulff and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski to backtrack in the political persecution under way in Ukraine, not only against Tymoshenko, but also against leading members of the former government who continue to languish in jail.

Parliament on Nov. 15 rejected a bid to change the Soviet-era abuse-of-office law that Tymoshenko was found guilty of breaking.

A kangaroo court convicted Tymoshenko on Oct. 11 and Judge Rodion Kireyev sentenced her to seven years in prison, a verdict that the former prime minister is appealing.

“Other directions of Tymoshenko’s activity are being investigated,” Yanukovych told reporters in Wroclaw. “Time goes by and today we cannot predict how all this will end.”
How “all this ends” in terms of European integration is badly.

The stage is being set for a disastrous Ukraine-European Union summit on Dec. 19, when Ukraine once had hopes of signing trade and visa-liberalization deals.

The only way for the EU to maintain credibility about values is to take a hard line against the democratic retreat under way. It is clear that Yanukovych’s actions have forced the 27-nation bloc into this position.

Not only is the opposition being persecuted under the guise of an anti-corruption fight, but Yanukovych has signed into law a measure that will throw a veil of secrecy around court rulings.

And late on Nov. 17, lawmakers adopted a new election law that many will watch to see whether it gives Yanukovych’s Regions Party an unfair edge in next year’s parliamentary contest.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s leaders appear to be increasingly willing to gamble the nation’s strategic economic interests for the sake of cheaper Russian natural gas and loans from the Kremlin, whose leaders detest democracy.

And as average businesses get squeezed, Yanukovych’s administration continues to carve up Ukraine, possibly getting ready to dispose of the last batch of prized state-owned business assets at fire-sale prices through uncompetitive privatization tenders.

Whose interests are being served here?

Not the majority of Ukrainians, who stand by democratic European values.

We want Ukraine to become a member of the EU as much as anybody else.

But Yanukovych has decided otherwise by his actions.]]> Unpresidential http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/116699/ Editorial Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:33:25 +0200 President Viktor Yanukovych's irresponsible remarks that the public is arming itself with weapons are a sign that further crackdowns on civil liberties could be on the way.]]>
“They want to disrupt the financial stability in Ukraine, to disrupt the political stability and go to the streets with pitchforks,” the president said earlier this month. “I learned from law enforcement agencies that arms are being bought [in Ukraine] and armed attacks on government agencies are being prepared.”

The groundwork for the irresponsible presidential pronouncements was laid by the helpful Security Service of Ukraine, the nation’s elite law enforcement agency, which asserted that 120 handguns, two Kalashnikovs and a machine gun were missing from the Interior Ministry training university in Lviv, the largest town in western Ukraine. But illegal sales of firearms from impoverished state military institutions are old news in Ukraine.

What’s new and revealing here is presidential paranoia, which appears to be deepening. Since taking over as president in 2010, Yanukovych has built a five-meter high fence around his vast multimillion-dollar Mezhyhirya estate north of Kyiv.

His traveling entourage includes tractors and trucks to block side roads when he is traveling from home downtown to his office, aside from the normal presidential security detail. He insulates himself more frequently from contact with the people he represents, undoubtedly sensing his current unpopularity.

In this game, the Security Service appears to play the role of feeding the president’s fears with stories of terrorists and planned attempts on his life. It seems as if someone close to the president is capitalizing on his fears, either by winning over loyalty points or pinning the nation's leader against his people.

Many presidents receive threats. Most nations investigate these threats quietly and professionally. If crimes are solved, suspects are arrested, supporting evidence becomes public and the cases move to trial swiftly. This almost never happens the right way in Ukraine.

What could be the purpose of making such unfounded claims public? To scare people? To justify harsh crackdowns on peaceful protests, or to lay the groundwork for a return to a police state that curtails civil liberties?

Only the president, and perhaps his inner circle, knows for sure. But until the threats are accompanied by credible evidence or a logical call to some concrete action by the public, these pronouncements are unpresidential, irresponsible and possibly signal the dangers ahead – not from saboteurs, but from the administration.

The seven-year imprisonment of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on what Yanukovych recognizes to be a ridiculous Soviet-era “abuse of office” crime shows the irrational extent to which this administration is prepared to go in crushing its enemies.

Yanukovych keeps talking about Ukraine as a democratic European nation while behaving like a Soviet-era apparatchik. He has a thing or two to learn about modern-day security, as well as responsible ways of talking about safety.]]> Stay strong, IMF http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/116697/ Editorial Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:23:21 +0200
The IMF should stick to its guns.

It would require a huge discount to bring import prices into line with those charged to households. Such a large price cut is unlikely.

A deal with Russia to reduce the gas-import price will not solve the long-term issues of financial imbalances and waste in Ukraine’s gas sector. Raising the gas price for households will aid the long-term financial stability of state energy company Naftogaz, which currently sells gas to households and heating companies at below cost price, with the losses covered by the government.

It will also encourage consumers to use gas and heating more efficiently, as opening a window instead of turning the heat down will soon seem like an unnecessary expense.

Undoubtedly, there are many in the population who cannot afford such a rise in prices. For this reason, the government needs to introduce targeted subsidies for the poorest members of society, rather than supporting everyone, including the well-off, with a blanket subsidy.

If this is correctly and fairly implemented and explained, the political damage to President Viktor Yanukovych and his ruling Party of Regions will be minimized.

If not, Ukraine will continue to face problems each year balancing Naftogaz’s books or be forced into making unappealing concessions to Russia to regain a lost era of cheap gas.]]> Enemies all over http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/116255/ Editorial Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:32:31 +0200 President Viktor Yanukovych sees imagined enemies much like other strongman leaders in Russia and Belarus.]]>
First, President Viktor Yanukovych refused to release jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, calling on the West to “respect” Ukraine. Then, he demanded that the European Union offer Ukraine a clear path toward membership and stop treating the country like “beggars.”

This week, a senior administration official launched a stinging attack on criticism of the proposed election law by Western expert bodies. “First, they’ll tell us what system we should have, then who should be in parliament,” the official said.

The draft legislation was supposed to be prepared by a group of experts, including the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute. But when a document that had not been produced by the group suddenly appeared, suspicions arose that the working group was in fact just window dressing. IRI and NDI then withdrew from the group.

Election law experts such as the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and the Venice Commission have pointed to numerous major flaws in the proposed law. Taken together, they look like an attempt by the ruling Party of Regions to secure a majority in parliamentary elections next year despite flagging poll ratings.

The authorities want international credibility, but they are not prepared to earn it. When international praise is not forthcoming, they hit out with aggressive words about defending Ukraine’s “sovereignty” against foreign interference.

Moreover, Yanukovych is making threatening noises to his domestic critics, equating protest with attempts to destabilize the nation. “Today, those who received under court rulings pensions of Hr 30,000 a year, have come to break the fences [outside of parliament] … Because they want to disrupt the financial stability in Ukraine, to disrupt the political stability and go to the streets with pitchforks,” the president said.

Then he went on to raise the specter of violent overthrow in a way that would seem to justify his use of police force against all demonstrators. “I learned from law enforcement agencies that arms are being brought [into Ukraine] and armed attacks on the authorities are being prepared,” Yanukovych said.

Our response is simple: Those who commit violence deserve punishment fitting the crime. But publicly raising the prospect of violent revolution by unnamed people with unclear evidence is irresponsible from a president.

Yanukovych’s description of a country under attack from foreign and domestic enemies sounds all too familiar. Other strongman leaders, from Russia’s Vladimir Putin to Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko, also frequently put on the mask of defenders of their countries’ rights.

They also equate domestic opposition and protest with treason, rather than as legitimate expression of dissenting views.

Yanukovych may claim he wants to take Ukraine closer to Europe, rejecting Russian offers of tighter integration.

But it is becoming increasingly clear that his political behavior places him much closer to the Kremlin than to Brussels.]]> Crime against all http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/116253/ Editorial Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:18:59 +0200
Landik was a Luhansk City Council member at the time, while his father is a powerful national lawmaker with the pro-presidential Party of Regions.

There are signs that, if Korshunova indeed does not want to press charges, she did so under duress. Volodymyr Landik, father of the woman-beater, reportedly threatened to push for a criminal case against Korshunova for defending herself by striking Landik once during the assault.

One can only imagine what other threats the young woman is facing.

All of that is more reason to ignore any plea of leniency for Landik. The assault on Korshunova was not only a crime against her, it was a crime against the state – meaning all people of Ukraine.

That’s why a strong state that protects its citizens will prosecute Landik to the full extent of the law. Victims are naturally frightened and traumatized, especially when dealing with powerful adversaries.

The attempts to deflect blame onto the victim, who was hospitalized with a concussion and numerous other serious injuries, are all the more reason to punish Landik severely. If he gets away with this assault, it will only be a matter of time before he commits another crime.

It will also embolden other men with powerful connections to feel that they can get away with beating women.

In this case, if Ukraine’s massively corrupt judicial system wants to regain a shred of credibility, Landik will be sitting for a good long spell in prison and his father should be told to butt out.]]> Fade to black http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/115810/ Editorial Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:05:30 +0300 The nation's over-the-top corrupt judicial system could get worse if a new bill passes that will allow court rulings to remain secret.]]>
The truth about Ukraine’s judiciary is far different from the rosy picture that Yanukovych portrays. The truth is that Ukraine’s judicial system is one of the most corrupt and untransparent in the world – with the administration essentially controlling who comes and goes as judges, and widely believed to be deciding how judges rule in important matters.

There are no jury trials and judicial proceedings are shrouded in secrecy, with prosecutors and police having excessive powers.

It could all get much worse if Yanukovych signs legislation into law passed by parliament that allows court rulings to remain secret. The law would allow the Judges Council of Ukraine and the state court administration to be the gatekeepers and decide which verdicts and rulings will be made public.

Up until now, the online public registry of court decisions was about the only positive feature of the legal system. Far from perfect, since all the names (except those of judges and prosecutors) were redacted, it still is a valuable source of information for the public.

After all, it’s thanks to this database that the country learned that prior to his move to Kyiv and assignment of the Tymoshenko abuse-of-office case, the inexperienced Judge Rodion Kireyev mainly heard low-level street crimes – such as car thefts. His record shows no qualifications to administer justice in arguably one of the nation’s two most important criminal cases.

The other is the ongoing murder trial of former police general Oleksiy Pukach, accused in the Sept. 16, 2000, death of journalist Georgiy Gongadze. Typically, Pukach is being tried in secret.

The public register of court decions also helps in researching companies. It’s always good to know the history of a company that you do business with.

Does this new secrecy mean that well-connected corporate raiders can buy a favorable ruling without the targets of their acquisitions being able to defend themselves, let alone know about the ruling until after their property is seized?

What other corrupt “legal” rulings will be hidden by public view because of secrecy? The list of possible crimes that could be sanitized with secret rulings boggles the imagination. Already, too many decisions are made untransparently by powerbrokers and go undisclosed to the public.

This lack of integrity is shameful, and another reason why Ukraine must show respect for European values before Europe shows respect for Ukraine.]]> Living longer http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/editorial/detail/115809/ Editorial Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:00:36 +0300
People just need to dart into one of Kyiv’s smoky bars to know that there’s too much drinking and smoking going on. It’s easy enough to choose not to drink, but when one cigarette is lit in the room, everybody – including non-smokers – is forced to inhale.

This is why the nation needs to adopt 100 percent smoke-free laws at all public places – including restaurants, bars and workplaces. The medical evidence is clear: There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, and more than 600,000 people in the world die prematurely from diseases related to inhaling second-hand smoke.

Additionally, the evidence is that businesses suffer no downturn because of indoor smoking bans – to the contrary, smokers adjust and non-smokers rejoice.

As for drinking and smoking, the best paths to success are the proven ones: Strict advertising and marketing bans help curb demand. There is progress here on the tobacco front: On Sept. 22, parliament passed a strong ban on tobacco advertising.

Tax hikes also prompt people to smoke and drink less, as well as cover the costs to society for their vices. But booze and cigarettes, despite tax increases recently, are still too cheap in Ukraine.

The culture of drinking and smoking is deeply embedded in Ukrainian society, as it is in many other nations. Unfortunately, before it is rooted out, Ukrainians are already succumbing to the same Western downfall of obesity that accompanies sedentary office jobs and lack of exercise.

There are signs, fortunately, that the obesity epidemic is abating. It can be conquered by engaging in favorite sports and curbing appetites. Many other things contribute to health, not least of which is emotional support from friends and meaningful work.

In health, the old adages are often the best ones: one step at a time, for exercise, and, with respect to vices and appetites, moderation in everything.]]>