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Ukraine's Democracy in Trouble?
September 14, 2005 |  Printer Friendly
After Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko dismissed his government last week, some observers expressed concern over the strength and direction of democracy in Ukraine . Upon the resignation of his chief of staff, who accused the President's cabinet of corruption, Yushchenko fired his entire government, including the populist Prime Minister Tymoshenko. This signals an end to the alliance between Yushchenko and Tymoshenko's political parties and suggests the likelihood that they will compete against each other in March 2006 parliamentary elections. Such a scenario, some observers suggest, opens the door to the possibility of the return to power of the previous regime. In fact, in a September 12 article, the Financial Times reported, “ Ukraine 's former president, Leonid Kuchma, gave his support to the troubled administration of Viktor Yushchenko at the weekend, in what analysts said was a signal that opponents of the Orange Revolution could be brought into the new government.”
At the same time, constitutional reforms taking power away from the presidency and giving them to parliament, a condition Yushchenko accepted when he took the reigns of the presidency, were approved by the Constitutional Court . This means after January 1, more power will lie with the Prime Minister.
A Christian Science Monitor report on the events, suggests that the falling out between the coalition of Yushchenko and former Prime Minister Tymoshenko was to be expected saying, “ many experts say the falling-out among the Orange revolutionaries was probably inevitable and need not be fatal to Ukraine's struggling democracy.”
In a Washington Times commentary, Richard H. Shriver voices optimism that democracy remains strong in Ukraine . He notes, “… no matter what else the future holds, the Orange Revolution moved Ukraine irrevocably toward the West and Western norms. The next president will be truly elected, not appointed by a Russia- or oligarch-controlled mafia.” Shriver argues that since there is not yet a strong tradition of democracy in Ukraine, that Yushchenko's government showed signs of corruption “should neither surprise nor shock” anyone. Shriver argues that forming a strong democracy takes time and this sort of turmoil should be expected in a country with such a huge population.
A September 14, 2005 article in the Financial Times expressed skepticism about the situation. It notes, “The next weeks will show whether Mr. Yushchenko can salvage hopes of stabilising democracy, promoting development and opening Ukraine more to the west. A test will come next month when Vladimir Putin, Russian president, visits Kiev .”
Sources
Financial Times, September 12:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/af8c01b8-2329-11da-86cc-00000e2511c8.html
Christian Science Monitor, September 12:
http://search.csmonitor.com/2005/0912/p06s02-woeu.html
Washington Times, September 13:
http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20050912-090351-2172r.htm
Financial Times, September 14:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/b9fa1f48-24bb-11da-a5d0-00000e2511c8.html
Agence France Press:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050911/wl_afp/ukrainepolitics_050911200034
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