On Bicycles For a Single Presidential Candidacy

Last Tuesday morning, Sophia Square in downtown Kyiv became the starting place for a bicycle race arranged by the Open Policy All- Ukrainian association. Its participants are going to run a 1000km distance in 12 days. The itinerary will cover the places of Ukraine”s Cossack glory. Head of the Open Policy Association, People”s Deputy of Ukraine, Anatoly Matviyenko told The Day about the purpose of this bike race: “Why do we have mounted bicycles to ride all over Ukraine? If you want to be heard, go tell it to the people, and you will be heard. We want to be heard in spite of the information blackout, pressure, intimidation, and blackmail. All we can do to put our word across to the people is go to them and say: Ukraine is on the brink of a yawning abyss. The re-election of Leonid Kuchma, the bitter fruits of whose rule we reap every day, or the election of Petro Symonenko, Oleksandr Tkachenko or Natalia Vitrenko as head of state will be equally perilous for all of us and for Ukraine. We support right-of-center politicians, such as Hennady Udovenko, Yury Kostenko, Volodymyr Oliynyk, and Yevhen Marchuk. Our objective is to unite all these politicians, put forward a single candidacy in the presidential elections, and win by all means. I hope we make it.” The race route goes through such towns connected with the glorious history of Ukrainian Cossacks as Baturyn, Chygyryn, and the Isle of Khortytsia. The race will finish where it started — in Kyiv — on August 15. The bicycle race will go under the motto: “Truth and Well- Being to the People! A Deserving President to Ukraine!”