what will be the most decisive election in the country’s independent history.
For the past three years, I have read endless articles about how this will be the nastiest, most expensive, most challenging, etc., etc. election ever. Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko has been preparing for this election ever since he was unceremoniously dumped as prime minister back in 2001. President Leonid Kuchma has had two years to settle on a candidate to uphold his legacy, meaning that both sides have had over two years to amass war chests and map out their strategies.
In numerous articles, dozens of experts, Ukrainian and foreign, claim that this election is going to be the costliest ever, running each candidate tens of millions of dollars in advertising and media. Rumors about the candidates buying up the media have run rampant throughout the city (let’s not forget that President Kuchma’s son-in-law launched a daily newspaper, Fakty, in prelude to the last election). Last but not least, dozens of concerned bureaucrats from Brussels, Washington and other European capitals have come through town and expressed woes about how brutal the campaign will be.
Inside our newsroom, we have gathered our journalistic strength and geared up to report on a brutal campaign, aiming to do our best to impartially report each trick and verbal joust of the candidates. This is an election for the heart and soul of Ukraine, but it also would make great copy.
Now with less than two months left, I want to ask a simple question: When will the actual campaign begin?
Let’s see. In June, I received an invite from the European Business Association to hear Yushchenko speak. He delivered a sonorous speech vaguely expressing the hope that Ukraine should join Europe. I vaguely remember one rally with Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko in Kyiv in June. I’ve noticed a bunch of Yanukovych billboards across town, describing him as trustworthy and dependable. Yushchenko, I believe, has a few yellow tents on main streets. If you go up to one of them and ask politely, his supporters will give you a nice brochure with a picture of Mr. Yushchenko and a bunch of oddly disjointed campaign promises – “I plan to create 5 million jobs,” “I plan to make the army strong,” “I plan to help agriculture,” etc.
We at the newspaper sent invites to both candidates, Yushchenko and Yanukovych, to come in and speak to our editorial staff so we can better cover their campaign. Sorry, no time, no interest was the response.
Oh, I got a card on Independence Day from Mr. Yushchenko. Other than that, nothing. Zip.
Maybe the big battles in this campaign are taking place out in the regions and in the country’s agricultural areas. But sitting here in Kyiv, you would have a tough time even knowing a presidential campaign is going on. Worst of all, I doubt anyone really has any idea what the candidates stand for.
I look at this in comparison to the United States, which is also gearing up for its presidential election, which will happen six days after Ukraine’s. Over there, you are bombarded daily with election news. John Kerry giving speeches attacking President George W. Bush’s record on Iraq. President Bush attacking Kerry’s record in Vietnam. Each candidate outlining plans for new tax policies or health care plans. President Bush posing next Arnold Schwarzenegger. Kerry posing next to Jane Fonda. This has been going on every day for the past six months.
With less than two months to go, I guess Yanukovych wants us to believe that he is too busy running the country, as well as the Ukrainian Olympic team, to really actively run for president.
I guess the Yushchenko headquarters will claim that the media is biased against him, so that’s why we don’t hear anything about him. But we are here trying to be objective, and we still don’t hear anything from him.
I believe that this election truly is the most important election in the history of independent Ukraine – a chance for the voters to set the course for the future of the country in the post-Kuchma years. I only wish both the candidates treated it as equally important.
Jed Sunden is the Kyiv Post’s publisher.
