The Political Situation in Ukraine

Hey!

Kiev is still filled with pink (socialists), red (communists), and blue (Yanukovich-supporters) flags and at another location also orange flags (Yuschenko-supporters), and nothing much has changed the past week since President Viktor Yuschenko decided to dissolve the Parliament and call for new elections at the end of May. The Parliament, led by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, still says that the decision was unconstitutional, and that they won't do new elections, and Yuschenko says that he will not back down either.

So we're at a very locked down point. Experts in law texts from Western nations such as Austria and Switzerland have been called to Ukraine to help understand the law text and to check what the constitution really says.

It's all a big mess. The excitement that surrounded the Orange Revolution in the fall of 2004 is long gone. People are disappointed that President Yuschenko didn't change things for the better in drastic ways in a year. And the political climate in the Parliament is one where no serious work and reforms can take place. Yuschenko felt he had to appoint his big rival from the Orange Revolution, Yanukovich, as the Prime Minister due to pressure from the majority in the Parliament. This in turn means that Ukraine is in a situation, where they have a President who has one agenda (working with the West, being integrated in Europe and eventually - hopefully - join the European Union) and a Prime Minister with a very different agenda (remain in a very close relationship with Russia).

What's the solution? Hmm...the Ukrainians need to agree. About something. As far as I can see there isn't much of a choice. In terms of financial prospects for Ukraine, the country needs to look West. There is no strong economical future in sight in a partnership with Russia. It's simply not gonna happen. And people need to understand that the idea of just working closely will Russia will never work either. Russia doesn't exactly have a history of working well with its surrounding nations. Russia and Vladimir Putin will like to control Ukraine, as they have already done for many years.

But Ukraine wants to and needs to be free. It's time to tell Moscow that Ukraine is Ukraine, and Ukraine will make its own decisions, regardless of what Russia thinks! It's time for Ukraine to elect politicians who will think at the future and make the necessary financial reforms instead of only focusing on what works today and gives me money today. It's also time for Ukraine to work more on rediscovering what is truly Ukrainian as opposed to Russian/Soviet Union-Ukrainian. Soviet Union succeeded in destroying much understanding of what Ukraine is and people are confused. But God has put his specific finger prints on all nations, including Ukraine, and it's the Ukrainians job to find out where they are and how God wants Ukraine to be a blessing to other nations. Ukraine is very new in terms of democracy. The 17-18 years of independence since the mid-90's is in fact the longest period in Ukrainian history where they have been there own master. Let's hope and pray that something good will come out of this political crisis. Something that helps establish Ukraine as a modern, independent, democratic nation. And something that unites Ukraine as a nation where people disagree on many important issues.

God bless Ukraine!

Torben