Last week the parliamentary opposition were denied an emergency parliamentary session despite having the necessary number of signatures demanding such an event. Today the opposition's demand that the ruling parties adhere to a fundamental constitutional voting rule - one man one vote, has not been met. The parliamentary session has been blockaded by opposition deputies as a result. The vast majority of Ukrainian voters want VR deputies to work ethically, attend parliament regularly and stick to the rules. The opposition know this so it is an easy win-win policy for them to stick with.
But Party of Regions' deputies seem comfortable with the opposition's tactics - unlike previous occasions when they have cleared the plenum chamber by physically assaulting their opposition colleagues with fists, flying chairs etc.
The parlimentary speaker and the ruling parties are deliberately making Verkhovna Rada unworkable because they know this is the last place where the country's political opposition can still fully express its opinion and influence events. Right now opposition forces are too weak, society too apathetic, for 'people go out onto the street'.
President Yanukovych and his 'banda' are therefore intent on making the V.R. unworkable and irrelevant..
p.s. If there is a problem with the V.R. electronic voting system why can't the parliamentary speaker, the Neanderthal Rybak, merely agree to voting by show of hands, or by an individual roll-call of those deputies who are present in the plenum chamber?
In the Westminister parliament, the mother of parliaments, members of parliament vote by walking through one of two narrow doors, the Aye door, or the No door, as they exit the main parliamentary chamber. Independent counters and party checkers do a simple head-count. What could be easier - or more foolproof?
I suspect Yanukovych and his parliamentary supporters know in their hearts sooner later one man one vote in parliament will become the norm. The days of vote rigging are over - this is the 21st century after all. To merely say the opposition are blocking the work of parliament just to score cheap points simply will not do any more.
Ukraine's political elite have consistently betrayed the people and democracy. They continue to not act in the best interest of the state.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost Ukraine was betrayed by Victor Yushchenko who opposed Ukraine becoming a democratic state in 2002 and continued to do so in 2006 when his faction refused to support the formation of a "Orange coalition government" Yushchenko continued to betray Ukraine in 2007 when he illegally and unconstitutionally dismissed the previous parliamentary convocation.
Tymoshenko betrayed Ukraine when she failed to support propsals in 2008 to reform Ukraine's constitution and adopt a European style Parliamentary democracy and remove presidential power
Yanukovych previously he had supported and advocated that Ukraine adopt a parliamentary system of governance, since being elected President he has sought to consolidate presidential authority and in the process undermine effort to democratize Ukraine.
The current ongoing game of blocking parliament serves no one. It only undermines confidence in Ukraine's right to self governance.
The Opposition failed to outline a positive agenda for Ukraine's future. They failed to advocate for constitutional reform in line with the recommendations of the European Venice Com mission and PACE.
They failed to oppose the restoration of a split mandate MMP Parliamentary model and the reintroduction of First-past-the-post voting system
Blind Freddy could see that the current system was going to end up as it has. Blocking the rostrum of the parliament is not the answer. Articulating a vision and calling for reform is.
Until such time was the opposition can unite and call for the introduction of a democratic parliamentary model Ukraine will continue to be a dysfunctional state divided along arbitrary lines of political dissension.
It is not the government or current parliamentary majority that loses out when the parliament is seen to be a collection of rabble but the people of Ukraine who rightly have lost trust and faith in all of their political leaders.
They are, by default, playing into the hands of the ruling elite by demonstrating their own failure to act to bring about reform when Ukraine was at a cross roads. Now there is not plan, direction or goal.
They need to rethink their tactics and begin to act to build and restore confidence before they can influence Ukraine future.
The basis of a true democracy of it's parliament.
Ukraine would be well served if it adopted a Westminster style form of government with a European parliamentary representative model.
As long as Ukraine remains beholden to presidential rule it will NEVER be a free open transparent and independent democratic state.
The first step is to have a vision the second step is to remove Presidential power