National news channels have been destroyed in Ukraine, and the time has
come to do away with the remaining national media, Communist leader Petro
Symonenko declared on May 31 before a conference of heads of regional and
city media in the Verkhovna Rada, adding that "These conditions for crushing
our own media and actually destroying the freedom of expression have been
made by the executive branch."
Mr. Symonenko believes that "criminal oligarchies, by creating conditions
rendering our television and radio companies financially dependent, are
turning them into their slaves." He further maintains that "we need not
only the right sort of laws protecting freedom of expression, but also
a change in the political regime." The Red leader went on to accuse the
Ukrainian President of laying waste to Ukraine, making this country lose
its "cultural values" and betraying its national interests.
There is an unconstitutional coup being accomplished in Ukraine. This
country is actually ruled by a criminal junta that will soon show itself
for what it really is: a gang, says Socialist leader and major presidential
candidate Oleksandr Moroz, adding that even the United States has realized
that "today's Ukraine is one private joint stock company with four originating
clans," and openly admits that "we have turned Leonid Kuchma into a democrat,
but he has remained a Leftist criminal authority."
Mr. Moroz stressed that "there is no salvation for Ukraine, unless Leonid
Kuchma and his criminal entourage are removed from office."
The Socialist leader believes that "not a single normal political system
could function under the current regime," and that today's parties are
being used as notices over the entrances of the clans. "Ukraine lives at
a time when the information space is being purposefully blocked all the
way, so much so that if one wants to be heard, one has to turn to the Western
media."
Presidential candidate Yevhen Marchuk stated that "the executive, led
by Leonid Kuchma, is more and more rallying round a platform of fear, and
committing unlawful acts," Interfax Ukraine reports.
Addressing an all-Ukraine media conference last Monday, Mr. Marchuk
declared that "none of those currently ruling Ukraine has actually got
on with running the country. The President makes every effort to win his
campaign and the Prime Minister is all out setting up parties and Zlahoda-like
alliances or holding conferences about how to topple the Speaker (courtesy
Interfax Ukraine), while oblast state administration heads are digging
trenches, to be able keep a low profile if worse comes to worst, for they
know better than anyone else that the current regime is doomed."
Mr. Marchuk stressed that the current executive is increasingly cultivating
legal nihilism, so that top-level bureaucrats feel free to act as they
please, ignoring the law, abusing their offices, and building their personal
fortunes at the nation's expense. "Regrettably, law enforcement agencies
- including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Security Service, General
Prosecutor's Office, State Auditing Commission, and Tax Service - are getting
increasingly involved in their dirty games... These bureaucrats seem
to forget that all such criminal acts will eventually be exposed, and that
after November 15 (perhaps in the event of a runoff - courtesy Interfax
Ukraine) they will all be brought to account as provided by law. A professional
opposition has been formed in Kyiv and these people will be in a position
to make them answerable, in full measure."
Yevhen Marchuk believes that "today's executive is absolutely out of
control... no one has had an opportunity to deal with them and mete out
just punishments for their violations of civil and property rights and
freedoms in Ukraine." He thinks that the Verkhovna Rada is also to blame,
in that it has not performed in full conformity with its mandate.






