Translated by Eugene Ivantsov
Members of the Western parliaments never vote with cards of other MPs. In February of this year the parliament of Italy (the weakest democracy in the Eastern Europe) failed vote of confidence to the government because one of the seven senators-for-life supporting the ruling coalition was not at the session.
Mr. Yanukovych says he will not execute President Yushchenko’s decree as it is unconstitutional. However, let’s recall that it is not the first decree ignored by the PM. Other decrees were not given so much publicity.
Let’s move on. What would Mr. Yanukovych do if former President Kuchma issued such a decree? I think the answer is obvious. Everybody remembers that PM Yanukovych executed all decrees issued by Leonid Kuchma. Why did Mr. Yanukovych execute all decrees then and refuses to do it now? Leonid Kuchma could fire him any time while President Yushchenko is helpless. This is logic of a typical criminal, isn’t it?
When German Chancellor called an early election, this decision was also considered by the Constitutional Court. But everybody accepted the decree until the Court announced its decision. There was not much publicity abroad regarding such hearings in the Constitutional Court.
In parliaments of West-European and North American countries only those businessmen, running an absolutely legal business and paying taxes, can become MPs. Of course, in the US there are businessmen who have off-shores actives but they are ‘minor league’.
Party lists must consist of active party members only who appear on the top of the list having been a party member for many years or having joined another party. Yulia Tymoshenko has persuaded the public that an early election is necessary for ‘purification’ of the political parties. What about ‘purification’ of BYuT itself?
A politician never forms his own party when he gains popularity. Hilary Clinton could have easily formed her own party and run for the US presidency in 2008 on behalf of this party.
Instead, as a devoted member of the Democratic Party she is going through a tough competition which will end up in primaries this summer as if she is nominated from the Democratic Party she will become a front-runner.
In Ukraine, every former PM and speaker has formed his own party. How long does it take for us to learn from our mistakes?
Never betray your beliefs. Without an imperative mandate, members of Western and North American parliaments never move from one faction to another. Now the difference between the ruling Left coalition and the Right opposition is one seat (158 to 157).
Civilized politicians never change their views depending on the political conjuncture.
In Ukraine leader of the opposition faction is an ardent supporter of an imperative mandate but when the same leader is the Verkhovna Rada speaker he conveniently cites provisions of the Venetian Commission against such a mandate. An oppositional MP demands to adopt the Law on Opposition quickly forgets about this bill, having gotten into a position of authority.
Blocs of political parties that run for parliament together never collapse after elections. Looking for a compromise to form a coalition in Germany, Gerhard Schroeder used to say that CDU/CSU was not one united party (that is why his SDPG was a winner).
His statement caused a violent reaction as CDU/CSU is actually perceived as one party, because in the West blocs are formed forever but not before each election.
By the way, when forming coalitions European parties take into account views of their voters but not offices and positions they are offered. The Left will never serve the Right and vice versa.
Formation of a broad coalition (when it is impossible to find out the winner) of different parties is the only exception.
In Germany, when neither SDPG with the Green Party nor CDU/CSU with its satellites failed to gain majority, the Green Party refused to form coalition with CDU/CSU (as the Green Party is traditionally left oriented). That is why SDPG and CDU/CSU formed a coalition together.
How can Lenin’s Ukrainian successors serve the most liberal party in Ukrainian parliament that wanted to cut a number of social programs when working out draft budget 2007 and consented to increase salaries only under the president’s pressure?
Civilized politicians never cling to power. Resignation is a matter of honor for them. For the short time of his premiership Romano Prodi repeatedly asks to vote confidence to his government regarding most urgent issues. As known, the parliament failed one of these confidence votes (regarding foreign policy) and he resigned.
So, if Mr. Yanukovych was a Western-type politician, he would have immediately resigned just after adoption of the Law declaring Holodomor a genocide of the Ukrainian people. As known, his coalition split over this issue.
When German Chancellor called early elections after loss of his party at local elections in some regions of Germany, his coalition in the parliament had a huge advantage while the situation after election did not look particularly good for him.
Making such steps, Western politicians show that they are very attentive to voters, checking if people still back them. Such politicians usually resign if voters do not trust them anymore.
Mr. Moroz, having mixed up epochs, seems to dream of Brezhnev’s career.
There is another aspect. If a European politician violates the law, he immediately resigns and resigns from politics and never performs that duty again.
Imagine that! For instance, a person in Sweden, who: 1) chaired Central Election Commission (CEC) that rigged election, as proven by the Supreme Court, 2) then works as the dean of a law school, 3) enters the parliament, 4) puts up a monument to himself 5) and then tries to get the position of the CEC Chairman again!
Can’t those for whom he rigged elections give him enough money to start a business and honorably quit politics and law? The same situation is with former head of the State Property Fund whose confessions of cheap sales of enterprises everybody has read about on the Internet.
Ladies and gentlemen, please leave so that the new generation does not acquire your ‘wisdom’.
It is dangerous to ignore opinion of minority both in parliament and society.
In Ukraine, one third of the society supports an early election (Gallup Polls are usually a week behind the public mind). What is the coalition waiting for?
In such a situation, western lawmakers would have called early elections long ago, without additional conditions like ‘simultaneous presidential and parliamentary election’, ‘putting off till autumn so that we have time to sell some enterprises’. Out of respect to their followers European lawmakers never adopt important decisions in the end of the convocation.
PACE has repeatedly stated that an early election is a normal procedure. Instead, Ms. Lukash says that the parliament may or may not accept resignations from certain MPs. Does she understand that those 150 lawmakers represent one third of Ukraine’s population, which is millions of people?
In 1993, when Russian parliament opposed President Yeltsin the parliament was supported by most of lawmakers and the society. But the price for ignoring interests of the minority was too high for Khazbulatov and Co., since Moscuvites were the minority that had its own opinion and eventually supported Boris Yeltsin.
Angry minorities seizing power through military coups has become a tradition in Latin America.
Ukrainian politician refuse to learn lessons from their own mistakes.
Do not lie. A ‘white lie’ (i.e. populism) is acceptable in politics. On the other hand a ‘true lie’ is prohibited for statesmen. It is quite understandable if the Interior Minister is embarrassed over the inability to solve the murder of an accused escorted from the courtroom: no one taught him political culture.
But when this man who must maintain law appears to be on a fake sick leave I would like to ask him a question if anyone taught him that lying is bad?
It concerns ‘sick’ CEC members as well.
Kost Kirnas, for UP
