A fairytale and 12 months

Somebody may have wanted everything to turn out as well as possible, but things turned out as usual. The politicians headed by the nation’s top leadership used this celebration of freedom to advance their partisan interests. They turned Independence Square into a pre- election campaign platform. Moreover, the president made what we consider a symptomatic mistake in his speech, which lasted a whole hour instead of the planned 20 minutes. “Today I am proud that after 12 months of a decent, beautiful, and interesting life we are celebrating the first anniversary of Ukrainian freedom.” [The president used the word rokovyny , which is the Ukrainian word for “anniversary,” but with a sad connotation, as in the anniversary of a tragedy or death. — Ed.] Furthermore, he repeated the word rokovyny three times. Of course, the state of Ukrainian freedom, much like the “12 months of a decent, beautiful, and interesting life,” is a highly debatable point, but the president must have meant richnytsia , not rokovyny . Nonetheless, The Day asked some philologists to comment on whether the president’s slip of the tongue was really accidental. They tended to forgive the president for his use of rokovyny , but could not refrain from questioning the linguistic abilities of the nation’s top leadership.

Still, perhaps we should not blame politicians for thinking about elections at all times and everywhere. That is what politicians are for. More important during this year’s Independence Square rally were the thoughts and hopes of the tens of thousands of people who gathered to celebrate the anniversary of their victory that brought them freedom. On that night they gathered in Maidan despite the sleet, frigid temperature, and disillusionment. No matter what happens, they hope for the best and try to preserve their fragile but unparalleled sense of unity for the sake of the future.

Could the 2005 Independence Square rally have been different? What should it have been like?

Andriy FEDUR, lawyer:

“To win voters is an obligatory commandment for politicians. As for the individuals who gathered once again in Independence Square, unfortunately, our people always allow everyone to use them. As a voter, I grasped yesterday’s speeches absolutely normally. After all, what is the purpose of such broadcasts? To enable people to draw their own conclusions. I, for one, look at several aspects of news reports: how the information is presented, whom the information is targeting, and its purpose. I always have my own view of events that take place. The same goes for the Maidan. I have a calm attitude toward those politicians, regardless of the principles they uphold. This is somewhat more difficult for me because I am a lawyer — a person who is in the know to some extent. In general, it was not too difficult to predict what would happen during yesterday’s Maidan celebration. Personally, I did not hear anything new or unexpected.”

Yuriy VASYLENKO, judge:

“We should have celebrated not the parties’ election campaign, which hasn’t started yet, but the anniversary of an event that enabled people to feel freedom. Clearly, the people gathered in Maidan on Tuesday not to listen to campaign slogans from most of the politicians, especially those from Our Ukraine. One thing about the president’s speech worries me: Yushchenko was much too exasperated when the crowd chanted ‘Yulia! Yulia!’ He aggressively rejected those slogans. Then, speaking about accomplishments, he called them ‘ours,’ but as soon as he started talking about failures, he blamed all of them on the Cabinet of Ministers. He did not explain the causes behind these failures. Moreover, all of the president’s calls for unification were illogical because in order to unite, people first have to separate. Meanwhile, the country has yet to see the promised separation of politics and business. If you recall world history, coalition governments always fall apart. For this reason all the pathos of the Maidan came to nothing. Yesterday’s events on the Maidan showed once again that all the slogans of the so-called Orange Revolution have been almost entirely forgotten or lost.”

Leonid KRAVCHUK, first president of Ukraine:

“I was certain that it would be an analysis of problems in Ukraine and tasks to be fulfilled to resolve this situation. However, the president started his speech by saying that after 12 months of a decent, interesting, and beautiful life we are celebrating the Day of Ukrainian Freedom. That is, the celebration turned into political twaddle, pre-election sloganeering, and rivalry. I may be wrong, or maybe I am too demanding of the speakers, but I think the president must address such gatherings not as an opposition leader who is not responsible for his words. He must be responsible for his every word to the Ukrainian nation and the whole world. To indulge in wishful thinking is not appropriate or responsible of the president.

“The president charged his supporters with ensuring that the democratic leadership wins the parliamentary elections. You know, that having been said, it is improper to declare that the elections will be fair and transparent, and that they will be democratic for the first time, as the president put it. The most democratic thing that the president could say is that the March 2006 elections will be democratic and the government will do everything for the people to exercise their free will.”