Underappreciated and Misunderstood

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Roman Bezsmertny believes that proponents and authors of the administrative and territorial reform have been unable to get their ideas and messages across to the population. As Mr. Bezsmertny told a recent news conference in Dnipropetrovsk, he got this impression while discussing the reform in individual communities, in particular in Dnipropetrovsk oblast. “It is already obvious that we have been unable to get the main ideas of the [administrative and territorial reform] bill across to the people,” he stated, adding that the lack of adequate understanding of the proposed changes is the main cause of some resistance to change. Mr. Bezsmertny went on to say that he disagrees with those politicians who are using this situation to earn political points by staging protest rallies, reports Interfax-Ukraine. “As a result of the reform all villages across Ukraine will have street lanterns in working order instead of the fleeting surge of political activity that we observe once every four years ahead of elections,” Bezsmertny thus commented on the recent protest rallies in Kyiv oblast. He further expressed his hope that in 2006 parliament will pass the eight bills that are required to implement the administrative and territorial reform.