Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Yushchenko didn?t do so badly to end his ?revolution? now and come in out of the political cold

u’re confused after the Dec. 8 deal between Viktor Yushchenko’s camp and those whom members of that camp have been calling “bandits” every day from the Independence Square stage. We sympathize. But as Yushchenko walks away from parliament today, allow us to defend the political art of compromise.

Actually, a compromise was key, and here’s why. The so-called Orange Revolution was the most important event in Ukraine’s independent history – a massive victory for the Ukrainian people and civil society. Yet while it shook the foundations of power, it wasn’t quite powerful or corrosive enough to destroy them. The corrupt tycoon class is still here – still in possession of tremendous power. Running, say, Rinat Akhmetov out of the country would have required a cataclysm on the order of the Bolshevik Revolution, something that would have created more problems than it solved. The country would truly – as opposed to merely in the feverish dreams of scoundrels like the mayor of Kharkiv – have split apart.

The compromise deal isn’t as bad as it looks. The next president will retain full presidential powers long enough to rid Ukraine’s house of at least a few rats, and push through crucial reforms. That’s why, indeed, it’s important that the right man win the presidency. May the hordes of Ukrainians clogging Kyiv now go home and swarm local polling stations on Dec. 26. May they, as citizens of democratic countries must, remain as committed to the mundane work of maintaining a healthy civil society as they have been to the thrilling work of making Kyiv a place of revolution. They’ve shown that no amount of riot cops, corrupt bureaucrats and rapacious tycoons can roll them if they’re not in the mood to be rolled. They did what in our gloomy moments we thought Ukrainians would never do: they stood up.

Right now, it looks like Yushchenko will be elected on Dec. 26. But Yushchenko will come and go. It’s more important that the spirit of the Orange Revolution live on to create a new culture of grassroots activism. Ukrainians have to join political parties, run for office, start citizen watchdog committees. Otherwise, politically speaking, neither Yushchenko nor anyone else will be able to save them.

Politics in a healthy country is not usually the art of revolution. It’s rather the art of compromise, organization and constant vigilance. That’s the art that Ukrainians now must learn, and that the Dec. 8 events will force them to learn.