Hot topics:

New Wave

29 May, 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.

Newspaper output №:

№20, (1999)

Section

Day After Day