• Українська
  • Русский
  • English
Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

New Wave

29 May, 1999 - 00:00

Just like 11 years ago, Lviv natives are ready to defend their rights

Let us begin with a brief historical digression. On June 13, 1988, the
Lviv Palace of Culture for Construction Workers was to host the founding
assembly of the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Language Society (now Prosvita).
However, when several hundreds of people approached the premises, they
saw a slip of paper on the Palace's locked doors, which informed them "there
will be no meeting of the Ukrainian language society." They say that current
Deputy Speaker Adam Martyniuk was directly involved in the ban. This initial
false step by the Communist authorities had entirely unexpected consequences.
That same day, June 13, the first rally was held next to the Ivan Franko
statue. While a week later the society met in a crowded Palace of Construction
Workers, the revolutionary wave strengthened with each passing day. The
orthodox Communists failed to hold onto power.

Eleven years have passed. The current Lviv authorities today propagate
altogether different principles. This time, the Lviv Opera Theater was
to host on May 23 a conference of the Lviv oblast branch of the Ukrainian
Republican Party with People's Deputy Yevhen Marchuk participating. But
only a few days before the conference organizers were denied the premises.

It is gratifying that Lviv citizens confirmed that they were ready,
just as 11 years ago, to defend their rights. And in spite of torrential
rain, the URP conference did take place - on the opera theater plaza. Here
the Lviv branch of the Into the Twenty-First Century with Yevhen Marchuk
Association was formed.

The day before, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee for Social
Policies and Labor met the inhabitants of Novy Rozdol.

Characterizing the current sociopolitical situation, Mr. Marchuk stressed:
"Over the eight years of independence, Ukraine has obtained three billion
dollars of investments. Poland got $18 billion in one year alone. The lion's
share of new loans is utilized to repay interest on the old ones. Is this
economic strategy or hopelessness? How can there be any Ukraine-2010 programs,
when we must truly fear that the next year could become the last of Ukrainian
statehood. The economic and political groundwork for this has already been
laid."

As to possible dictatorship, Mr. Marchuk at once put the record straight:
"The people of Ukraine, who already live beyond the bounds of emergency,
do not need a state of emergency. What is necessary is a temporary dictatorship
of the law for the executive power in order to decriminalize and professionalize
it."

As the meeting drew to a close, the floor was taken by a many-years
political prisoner, UPA commander Roman (Chuprynka) Shukhevych's son Yuri
Shukhevych, who called upon Novy Rozdol inhabitants to support Mr. Marchuk's
candidacy in the elections. Explaining his choice, Mr. Shukhevych told
The Day that President Kuchma is presiding over a land of despair,
and this is precisely why he now courts the Left.

 

Just like 11 years ago, Lviv natives are ready to defend their rights
Rubric: