A CELEBRATION OF DEMOCRACY

Prof. James Mace, Consultant to The Day

Ukrainians can turn almost anything into a holiday. On election day my wife, Natalya, who grew up in Western Ukraine said, “I can’t vote for those Bozos completely sober. Come with me. They always have cheap eats and drinks at the polls.”

Having done her civic duty, we ordered 100 grams each of the local vodka for the equivalent of 35 cents a shot, some munchies, and decided it was so good that we repeated the process. Then a couple sat down next to us who spoke Ukrainian (a minority phenomenon in Russia-speaking Kyiv) and began arguing over how they had voted. The husband, obviously a hard-core Ukrainian had voted for Rukh, the wife for the local We coalition led by Mayoral candidate Serhiy Holovaty. Obviously our kind of people, and Natalya could no longer contain herself.

“Come on over to our place. We have more rice pilaf than we can possibly eat and a bottle always turns up somehow.”

While the womenfolk reheated the rice we men went to buy a bottle and were greeted by the merchant with “How’s your holiday going?” And then it dawned on me. Election Day is a holiday here, as good an excuse for celebrating as any other.

We were having such a good time cursing the Communists and crooked politicos that when one bottle emptied another took its place as a matter of course. Finally, our guests woozily wound their way home, and we went to bed.

Democracy had been duly affirmed and celebrated with a good time being had by all.