zuzak20141014UPAanniversary.html

Prognosis on 26Oct2014 elections to Verkhovna Rada

It is amazing how little has changed since I was in Ukraine as an Election Observer for the parliamentary elections on 26Mar2006 as recorded under Will Zuzak Letters on my MoZeus page at http://www.willzuzak.ca/tp/index.html
or specifically
SPALAKH: UPA resistance in the Bereziv region Book Review, May 31, 2006
Zuzak Ukraine Political Report; Part II Jun. 02, 2006
Zuzak Ukraine Election Report; Part I Sunday, Mar. 26, 2006

Today, 14Oct2014, there were marches all across Ukraine to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the establishment of UPA and the thousands of UPA fighters who sacrificed their lives in an effort to establish an independent Ukraine. Since November 2013, thousands more Ukrainians have died in an effort to maintain Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity against the ravages of Vladimir Putin's regime. And yet the Verkhovna Rada has once again declined to designate these patriots as heroes. In my review of the book SPALAKH noted above, I highlight the life of Oleksandra (Tomych) Payevska and conclude my review as follows:

The spirit of "Orysia" from Nyzhni Bereziv reflects the aspirations of hundreds of thousands of her compatriots, who fought for freedom from the Polish, German and Soviet occupations -- and for an independent Ukraine. I would suggest that every deputy in the Verkhovna Rada -- including those from the Party of Regions and the Communist Party -- has a duty to recognize her and the UPA as true Ukrainian patriots. Otherwise, the deputies themselves could be labeled as "enemies of the Ukrainian people".

In my Election Report, Part I, I conclude:

On 26 March 2006, the Ukrainian people democratically elected and legitimized the 450 "criminals" (with immunity from prosecution for criminal acts) to the Verkhovna Rada. In other words, although the election procedures were fair and legitimate, the legitimacy of the politicians ranked in the "party lists" of the various Parties is questionable.

In my Political Report, Part II, I outline the political realities in Ukraine at that time. I suggest that the "rankings on the party lists should be removed from the party heirarchy and placed in the hands of either the general electorate, or members of the particular party, or even the very people on the lists (via secret ballot). Whether this should be done, before the election campaign, during the election campaign or even after the elections is unclear. One can also envision the Central Electoral Commission conducting scientifically rigorous polling in this regard. Whatever the optimum solution, it is absolutely necessary for the electorate to have some oversight or "checks and balances" on the composition of the party lists." My concluding paragraph reads as follows:

The word "kripaky" in the Ukrainian language translates into "serfs" in the English language. Ukrainians were "kripaky" in the Russian Tsarist and Austro-Hungarian Empires during the middle ages up to the twentieth century. The Ukrainian (and Russian) people were "kripaky" in the Bolshevik/Communist Empire in the twentieth century. Will they end up being "kripaky" to the Oligarchs in the twenty-first century?

The parliamentary elections to the Verkhovna Rada are scheduled for 26Oct2014 (if Vladimir Putin allows them to proceed). Obviously, the circumstances and election environment are more critical than they were eight years ago. Can Ukrainians hope for a positive result?

Respectfully submitted
Will Zuzak; 2014.10.14