aaus-list @ ukrainianstudies.org -- [aaus-list] Fwd: latest from Ukraine -- Orange Revolution reignited


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fyi, monica is on a fulbright in kyiv


Marta Dyczok, DPhil (Oxon)
Associate Professor
Departments of History and Political Science
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario
N6A 5C2
Canada
tel: 1-519-661-2111ext 84982
fax: 1-519-661-3010
e-mail: mdyczok@uwo.ca


Hi all,

Politically, things are getting interesting here again in Ukraine. There
was a call to dissolve parliament and an impromptu gathering on the
central square last night.

Here's a link to some video footage Dave took:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WzPkCPKfuA

And some photos:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/godavem/OrangeRevolutionReignited


Here's the background story:
President Yushchenko announced last night that (for the first time in Ukraine) he is dissolving parliament and calling new elections for May 27. 

The parliament met in extraordinary session later last night and voted that 1) it refuses to recognize Yushchenko's action; 2) instead, it is calling for new presidential elections to replace Yushchenko and a national referendum on Ukraine's relationship with NATO; and 3) it will replace the government body in charge of elections, the Central
Electoral Commission, with members of its own choosing.

The parliament chamber was absent any Yushchenko allies for the vote, but Yushchenko's Orange Revolution opponent, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, and his cabinet were in full attendance. 

Within an hour, a small crowd had gathered on Independence Square.  Populist leader -- and Yushchenko ally -- Yulia Timoshenko arrived to address them.  She's the one showing on the video footage and photos.


Of all the footage on the video, this part might be my favorite:
You can see at the end of the video that after Timoshenko left, some cars flying Party of Regions (Yanukovych) flags tried to buzz the crowd; a couple didn't zip fast enough, the crowd surrounded them, and it really looked like it was going to get ugly.  But the security services (also making a cameo on the video) dispatched a small group who persuaded the crowd back to the curb and made way for the cars to exit without incident.  The security services had stood watching during all the oppositionist rabble-rousing and only intervened when it looked plausible that someone could get hurt.  From where I was standing, it looked like they were constructively safeguarding the exercise of free speech by both sides.  This is the opposite of Tiananmen, and encourages me about where Ukraine is going as a post-Socialist country.



Of course, since part of my fieldwork is supposed to be observing parliament, it's a bit tricky for me personally.  Basically, the president dissolved my field site last night.  But since my research is about how authority is formed and power is constituted, then the next two months could be a bonanza.

Best,
Monica

--
Monica Eppinger

Kiev tel:  380-44-279-88-06
Kiev mob:  380-97-535-62-83

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