For the first time since Ukraine’s revolution representatives of the newborn democracy visited Norway today to share their experiences and debate what to do next. Both Ihor Ostash, Ukrainan Member of Parliament and Yvehen Zakharov, Chairman of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group, are optimistic with regards to their new government’s chances of success. (10 FEB-05).
Text: Silja Nordahl, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee
SE PICTURES from The Norwegian Helsinki Committees fact-finding mission to Ukraine January 2005
– I absolutely believe they will be able to fulfil the people’s expectations, Ostash said at a seminar hosted by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs this morning.
– We’re witnessing a new phenomenon of openness and transparency in Ukrainian politics these days, Ostah said. During the revolution, Ostash, who is Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs in the Ukrainian parliament Verkhovda Rada, contributed to the shift in parliamentary support from the governments candidate Yanukovich, to the opposition’s candidate Yustchenco. He said he believes the new government will work slowly but steadfastly towards joining the European Union.
– Our priority will be, for this time, the European choice. I hope that Ukraine will become not merely an object, but a subject to international affairs. Our relations to the Russian Federation and other countries in the region are still important, but I think these relations in the future will be very pragmatic, he said.
Although Ostash said he believed the new regime will succeed, he also gave a few words of warning:
– We do not have much time. The next parliamentary election will be held in March 2006, and we need to show some serious democratic developments by then, he said.
Yehven Zakarov, a leading human rights defender in Ukraine, said the new government’s success depends on “De-Kuchmaisation”, a process similar to the De-nazification of Germany
after World War II.
– I believe that if we are not able to shed this terrible weight [of the previous regime] we will not be able to move forward, he said.
Zakharov identified three areas in which Ukrainian official politics need immediate
improvements.
– First we need to review all criminal actions of the previous regime, put it into the open and prosecute those responsible. To achieve this we need to declassify all the secret documents that cover the abuses of that regime. The third problem is to investigate the accusations that falsifications took place in the name of the government during the last election, he said.
Zakarov also said it is necessary to change the system of criminal investigation, which does not at the moment give much regard to human rights. The new government will need to pay attention to human rights organisations and other NGOs in Ukraine.
– My opinion is that new government will succeed if they will hear our civil society, Yeven Zakarov said.
Executive Director of The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), Aaron Rhodes, said the recent events in Ukraine might have widespread effects also in other countries.
– The Orange revolution is a “terrifying” example for many other states, he said.
Rhodes stressed that any democratization of other countries will depend on the people’s will to take action and show civil disobedience.
– If it hadn’t been for the civilians in Ukraine, the international community would have swallowed the result, as bad as it was. Real social changes take place when there’s an active civil society involved. It will not happen merely by pressure from without, Rhodes said.
