aaus-list @ ukrainianstudies.org -- Re: [aaus-list] Taras Kuzio replies to Ms Bilozir

[Roman Serbyn <serbyn.roman@videotron.ca>]

Taras is right. One of Yushchenko's faults is not being able to choose the
right people to whom he can delegate his immense (although dwindling)
powers. He cannot act effectively himself and he is incapable or doesn't
want to pick the right people to do it for him. The choice of the Bi-Ba team
is a case in point.

On the other hand Yushchenko should be given credit for his promotion of the
Holodomor, his efforts to try to reconcile UPA and Red Army veterans (his
neglect of the Divisia is probably due to bad counsel from the nationalist
camp) and other issues of Ukrainian history. I think that he would probably
make a good Minister of Cultural Affairs (if an intelligent and effective
President could be found to give him the proper support).

But in my opinion, the problem in Ukraine is systemic. Ukraine is a typical
post-colonial plutocracy with highly corrupted economic and poltical elites.
These people, in my opinion, do not want to integrate Ukraine into the
European Community, where they would have to follow European rules and
regulations on running their country. These people have all the advantages
that their wealth gives them to enjoy the privileges of Europe, but at the
same time all the advantages of a post-colonial plutocracy to rule the
country without any responsibilty to the electorate. After all, the masses
don"t elect "representatives" to represent them, they elect parties over
which they have little or no control. Any meaningful political reform would
have to scrap the system of elections by party lists. It is this system
which keeps the corrupted political elites in power and does not allow
Ukrainie to develop a healty democratic society. It is no coincidence that
non of the leaders of the "democratic" partities want to abolish electoral
lists, a system whereby they and not the citizens choose the candidates; a
system which allows party bosses negociate with corrupted millioners their
place on the electoral list (million for "parliamentary impunity"). What
constituency would have voted for Bilozir as their representative in
Parliament???

I would like to hear what Taras has to say on the question of proprotional
representation. Is this question debated in Ukraine. It seems to me that the
abolition of "parliamentary immunity" (in Ukrainian law it should read
"impunity") is not enough to remove the great number of unworthy "deputies"
from VR, and make the rest accountable to the electorate.

Roman Serbyn

Le 10/07/08 22:45, « Natalia Pylypiuk » <natalia.pylypiuk@ualberta.ca> a
écrit :

> (and to Mr Baloha):
> 
> http://pda.pravda.com.ua/blogs/kuzyo-48762a97b0301/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> N. Pylypiuk
> Modern Languages & Cultural Studies  [www.mlcs.ca]
> University of Alberta
> 
> 
> 
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