“New” to go to parliament
Unlike politicians, Ukrainian voters do not seem to be in anguish over the current political crisis. This is the result of a poll conducted by TNS for the Viche Ukrayiny civic association in the cities with a population of a million or more on Jan. 14-15, 2006, among 1,000 respondents. A half of the polled (49.7 percent) noted that they were just displeased with the latest political events and another 20 percent remained unperturbed altogether. Only 5.7 percent of the Ukrainians are scared with what is going on in the political sphere. Our citizens seem to have strong nerves or, maybe, they have developed immunity to political upheavals. “Politicians are producing hysteria over the political situation instead of trying to make it part of history:” this pun came last Tuesday from political scientist Vadym Karasiov, No. 2 on the election list of Viche, at a press conference.
It was also revealed that there very few individuals favored radical steps, such as continuation of the revolution or imposition of a state of emergency (3.5 and 2.6 percent, respectively). Almost half the respondents (47 percent) believe that the crisis can be overcome by electing a qualitatively new parliament, a point further corroborated by a low level of trust in the current Verkhovna Rada (7.7 percent). Another 23 percent suggest replacing the government by constitutional methods without waiting for the elections.
Viche leader Inna Bohoslovska is convinced that the grassroots no longer wish to see “simply new ones.” “People are saying that we need new people of a new quality and of a different level of responsibility and publicity — this is the demand of society to the government,” Bohoslovska said. She also noted that small parties would be wielding a great deal of clout in parliament “like cement that will bind up those who seek monopoly in the political space.”
At the same time, Karasiov presumed that nine political formations, the so-called “three troikas,” would go through to parliament: the first troika is big parties, the second is medium-size ones, and the third is tiny political projects. They will all be new, though, for example, the proverbial PORA, Viche or a certain third force. “The next parliament’s majority will have an ‘active minority’ of its own, which will set a new standard in parliamentary activities and form prerequisites for a new parliamentary cycle and a new policy,” the political scientist said. “This ‘whirlpool’ will be drawing in new-style, young, creative, and vanguard- thinking people. For politics cannot do without a vanguard. We hope that qualitatively new politicians will create a new atmosphere and a new dimension of civic and political activities.”
Asked by journalists to comment on the current lighthouse row between Ukraine and Russia, Bohoslovska said that what is now going on in the Crimea is “small signs of an enormous crisis.” In her view, there are three factors that are radicalizing the situation in the Crimea. “First, it is Russia’s direct interference by financing the pro-Russian forces. Secondly, it is direct influence of some Arab states by appointing imams in Crimean mosques, who represent rather a radical wing of Islam. And, thirdly, it is a face-off between the local old and new gangster groups. Organized crime is rearing its head in today’s Crimea,” the Viche leader said. In her words, the president, parliament, and the cabinet are turning a blind eye to the fact that “Ukraine is gradually nurturing a Chechnya of its own.” “What hides behind such trifles as lighthouses is a huge process aimed at the secession of the Crimea from Ukraine,” says Bohoslovska..
