Journalists are feeling pressure to choose sides in Ukraine’s March 31 presidential election. The Kyiv Post will resist: We will not endorse a candidate in this race. The only scenario where we will make an exception is if a clearly pro-Kremlin candidate ends up in the runoff. We’ll endorse anyone over a pro-Russian candidate because the Moscow path is a death trap for Ukraine.
Although common on the opinion pages of U.S. newspapers, endorsements aren’t perceived the same in Ukraine.
When most newspapers and TV stations serve the interests of their owners, usually oligarchs or politicians, endorsements are seen as a sign of servitude.
When we endorsed Yulia Tymoshenko over Viktor Yanukovych in 2010, we were derided as the “Tymoshenko Post,” an absurd moniker given our tough but fair coverage of the former prime minister. We still believe we chose the lesser of the two evils. We are proud of consistent warnings about the disaster that Yanukovych would bring. It was easy to predict, yet some Western embassies and chameleon-like pundits – who switch political allegiances with the speed of a bank transfer – were defending Yanukovych as a democrat.
We aim to provide intense and fair coverage of this presidential race. We will support the right of Ukrainians to a free and fair vote. We will publish opinions of reputable writers.
Two months before the vote, the result is unpredictable. While Tymoshenko leads, the same polls show she is disliked by more people than liked. President Petro Poroshenko’s chances are uncertain, too.
Ukraine has re-elected only one president, Leonid Kuchma in 1999, and suffered badly as he became more corrupt and autocratic in his second term. The same may not apply to Poroshenko and, admittedly, it’s hard to get excited about his challengers. A Poroshenko-Tymoshenko rerun underscores the lack of political evolution in five years. By April 22, when the results of the expected second round are in, hopefully Ukrainians will have made a clear and honest decision about the nation’s future.
