SBU powers grow
The Security Service of Ukraine continues to strengthen its apparent control over public life. The next object of SBU attention is, in particular, non-governmental international organizations.
For one of them – The International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) – SBU officers have very politely requested information about the goals and objectives of fund’s projects, their spending and their influence on the electoral situation in Ukraine and the cooperation with non-governmental organizations in Kyiv Oblast. The International Renaissance Foundation’s executive director, Evgeny Bystritskiy, said that the fund is not engaged in political activity, so it cannot make any impact on elections at all.
It is difficult to understand just what the management of the SBU is seeking to achieve by this and other pseudo-repressive actions. They appear to be using the SBU as the authorities in Russia use the FSB, namely as an instrument of political discussions, a role the FSB has held since 1917.
Meanwhile, the authorities continue to want spending by international non-governmental funds to be more tightly controlled by the security services, as in Russia.
People First comments: It is difficult to understand just what the management of the SBU is seeking to achieve by this and other pseudo-repressive actions. They appear to be using the SBU as the authorities in Russia use the FSB, namely as an instrument of political discussions, a role the FSB has held since 1917.
The Ukrainian SBU, on the other hand, is repeatedly on record for its support of national democracy with no repression at all. While he may have initially created a climate of fear in the media, many editors and journalists are now seriously questioning why they should do his bidding and are returning to reporting the news in a fair and balanced manner.
Segodnya, Zerkalo Nedeli and Kyiv Post newspapers, for example, have consistently reported the news as they always have with no consequences at all. The attempts at quashing comment from seats of learning have also met with derision and condemnation and, if anything, have added fuel to the fire of public resentment. One such incident resulted in a public apology for “inappropriate conversations” between members of the SBU and the management of the Ukrainian Catholic University of Lviv. In checking the validity of the international non-governmental organizations, it would appear that the SBU is again trying to flex its muscles.
Only this time, it has backfired spectacularly, resulting in Yanukovych coming under direct fire from the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and senior members of President Barack Obama’s administration in Washington, D.C. So one has to question just what it is the SBU’s management is trying to achieve and perhaps who might be pulling its strings. Ukrainians have withstood all that the Soviet agents of repression could throw at them for 70 years.
Authorities begin to restrict citizen’s right to free assembly
Organizers and participants of the protest meeting against government policies on Sept. 7 have complained about the pressure from the traffic police and Security Services. Representatives of the regional party cells from two opposition parties have registered complaints about the many deliberate obstacles placed in their way by the police during their travel to Kyiv on the day of the meeting.
In particular, in Lviv, Volyn and Lugansk, transport arrangements were severely disrupted by police, who threatened to repeal the licenses of companies transporting protesters. While representatives of the Security Services held “explanatory” discussions with local deputies, representatives of the regional offices of the State Auto Inspection said that there was no pressure at all on citizens. Such actions by the authorities, in particular the traffic police, were also observed during the arrival in Kyiv of supporters of the Kyiv Patriarchate on the anniversary of the christening of Kyivan Rus-Ukraine on July 28.
Again, pressure was applied to transport operators to make them give up the transport of pilgrim groups by threatening to take away operators licenses, despite the operators being paid for their services in advance. Preventing the free movement of citizens for any reason is a clear violation of article 39 on freedom of assembly and 33 on freedom of movement of the Constitution of Ukraine.
While what has transpired within both the Verkhovna Rada and in the presidential administration may be technically within the law, morally it has no foundation whatsoever.
People First comments: On the Oct. 24, 1945, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic became a full member of the United Nations. On Dec. 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations, including Ukraine, approved “The universal declaration of the human rights.” Article 13(1) of that declaration states that “everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.” Article 20(1) states that “everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.” These human rights are now enshrined within the Constitution of Ukraine. Through the deplorable actions detailed above, the government of Ukraine and the local police forces that enforce their orders are not only in breach of the Ukrainian Constitution but also one of the sovereign international documents of state. If they can be so cavalier about their international human rights responsibilities, then how can any nation or government trust them on any other issue? Coupled with the growing list of repressions, the present government of Ukraine has done more damage to the human rights reputation and credibility of the nation in the past six months than the previous administrations have done in 19 years.
Yanukovych seizes Kyiv
With the adoption by the coalition in parliament of changes to the law on the democratic systems of Ukraine’s capital, Yanukovych has received the right to appoint the head of Kyiv State Administration and to grant him powers previously reserved for the elected mayor. From now on, the mayor democratically elected by the city community will have virtually no power and will only chair city council meetings and be a figurehead at receptions for visiting delegations and citizens. At the same time, Yanukovych will appoint the head of the executive authorities of Kyiv with wide-ranging powers and resources. Almost immediately after the law was ratified, the Kyiv City Council decided to eliminate the 10 district councils as of Oct. 31, in accordance with the new law. Ninety five deputies voted in favor of the changes, including many opposition members. As a result, on Oct. 31, the people of Kyiv will be deprived of their representative body of local government – district councils, their elected mayor will have no serious authority and the Party of Regions will ultimately establish control over the Kyiv government and administration of the capital. The procedural violations during changes to the law will enable all interested parties to challenge the new version of the law in courts.
The abolition of district councils within a month may save valuable resources but it leaves little time to establish alternative systems of administration thus an already stretched system will most likely fail completely. All the power and authority has been transferred to a presidential appointee. In other words, local democracy has been surreptitiously usurped. If the present administration continues to abuse the democratic and human rights of the people, then it will not be long before they are asked to step aside.
People First comments: While what has transpired within both the Verkhovna Rada and in the presidential administration may be technically within the law, morally it has no foundation whatsoever. The bill was rushed through the Verkhovna Rada without due process being followed. Under this new legislation, the people of Kyiv will retain the right to elect their ownmayor. But instead of the mayor being a local politician with the ability to influence the direction of the city, he or she will now be a purely ceremonial head. The abolition of district councils within a month may save valuable resources but it leaves little time to establish alternative systems of administration thus an already stretched system will most likely fail completely. All the power and authority has been transferred to a presidential appointee. In other words, local democracy has been surreptitiously usurped. If the present administration continues to abuse the democratic and human rights of the people, then it will not be long before they are asked to step aside.
Children in orphanages getting less
Increasing incidences of childhood deaths in orphanages, the last one – the death of four children and one adult in a Nizhen orphanage — shows that the situation in Ukraine concerning the protection of orphans remains dire. According to the state statistics, in Ukraine there are 684 state boarding schools, which care for approximately 30,000 children. At the same time, the number of orphans in the country is more than 100,000. Violations of children’s rights in orphanages and children’s homes are widespread and include beatings, rape, child labor and cases of torture that sometimes lead to child suicide. The inability of state and society to ensure normal conditions for the education and development of these children shows the low level of social protection of the population, which is very much dependent on the development of democracy and human rights.
Civilized society is judged by the way it cares for those most vulnerable. One of the great strengths of the former Soviet system was the respect tendered to senior citizens and to the care of children, particularly orphans. Today orphanages that are successful are, in the main, as a result of the personal care and commitment of the staff that run.
After the recent cases of child deaths, the authorities have taken some steps to improve the situation. In particular, Yanukovych has instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to help restore the system of patronage over orphanages by labor groups, charitable foundations and non-governmental organization, as well as increased control over the conditions of the detention of children. However, the government approved a plan in support of boarding schools for orphans until 2017, despite the fact that European experience shows that the best education for orphans in terms of their social security is the expansion of family type homes or foster families and the gradual reduction of boarding schools.
People First comments: Civilized society is judged by the way it cares for those most vulnerable. One of the great strengths of the former Soviet system was the respect tendered to senior citizens and to the care of children, particularly orphans. Today orphanages that are successful are, in the main, as a result of the personal care and commitment of the staff that run them and frankly most of them deserve medals. In Ukraine, there are around 100,000 orphans, of which only 30,000 fall within the state system. In Europe, the orphanage system has been virtually phased out in favor of state-funded family units limited to around 10 children.
This system is being very successfully tested in Ukraine by numerous non-governmental organizations with authority from the state and funding from charities. But it has yet to be adopted as national policy, despite the fact its costs 4 to 6 times less for an appreciably better service.
Viktor Tkachuk is chief executive officer of the People First Foundation, which seeks to strengthen Ukrainian democracy. The organization’s website is: www.peoplefirst.org.ua and the e-mail address is: [email protected]
