How to break the vicious circle?

Living legend, a leader of the 1953 uprising in Norilsk GULAG camps, long-term prisoner of the Soviet totalitarian system, refined intellectual and moral authority, The Day’s old friend Yevhen Hrytsiak turned 89 on August 9. People rightly call him the “Ukrainian Gandhi,” while his way of life, striving and ability for self-education should become an example to be emulated by the younger generations of Ukrainians, especially in difficult times, such as that our country is going through now. This newspaper used our call with the hero of the day to not only congratulate him, but also as an opportunity to discuss current issues.

The Constitutional Court has approved decentralization. It is expected that MPs will amend the Constitution in early fall. In your opinion, is it the right path for the country?

“Granting more powers to the regions should only come with a corresponding increase of responsibility, a manifold increase, which should also involve enhancing supervision of regional leaders. I think that we are not ready to have this type of governance, or at least not quite ready.

“One of the thousands of examples was recently broadcast on TV, when the head of a raion state administration in Mykolaiv region was caught speeding, and when stopped by police, began to threaten them, rudely scolded them, and even threatened a policeman that he would see him in the office to receive apologies next day. He shouted that he was armed and could defend himself... Someone, maybe the policeman himself, filmed the incident and sent the film to the president of Ukraine. Petro Poroshenko immediately fired the arrogant official for ‘improper conduct.’ However, the issue goes deeper, as we have lots and lots of unworthy rascals in high places all over the country. Let us speak frankly, these ‘local barons’ who think that they can do everything, that nobody will ever hold them responsible, are not worse off after the Euromaidan. The central government is far away from them, and their raion and oblast colleagues are of the same sort, also adhering to the criminal ‘code of honor.’ Actually, it is such barons who we are empowering, giving them more opportunities to govern their communities, to manage funding flows. I am greatly afraid of this.

“By the way, parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Hroisman said recently that he expected the coming local elections to bring the final purge of the government... I doubt it, though.”

Why?

“The ‘final purge of the government’ will not come soon. It must take place systematically and structurally, simultaneously at all levels. Take the much-discussed local elections. The electoral race has actually started. What do we see? Henchmen of the former regime express the greatest desire to become members of district, city and regional councils. These are local barons, similar to one I have mentioned: they have money, connections, and special ‘techniques,’ all enabling them to win elections... I think it will be them who, having quickly changed party affiliations, will return to power. To break this vicious circle, we need people of deep moral convictions, educated and nationally conscious. However, they have no resources to win.

“We are not truly independent, patriotically thinking citizens as of yet. Ukrainians are now only going through the birth of a patriotic nation. True moral authorities are few and far between, and no one listens to them. We invite Mikheil Saakashvili and other foreigners, not realizing that we must rely on ‘national base.’ As our princes of yore invited the Varangians to rule their land, we, too, invite outsiders. Are we really unable of self-government? For centuries, Ukrainians had no state of their own, so we had few examples of successful leaders. It is probably the reason behind our readiness to obey foreigners, while our own opinion leaders stay in a ‘political exile.’”