Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Looking back at the last five years: Revolution helped break from past, but Ukraine now needs more evolution.

The Orange Revolution was a big step forward for Ukraine, even after five years of disappointment with its unfulfilled promises. The peaceful uprising against election fraud marked a break from the nation’s authoritarian past and advanced democratic progress. The millions of people who protested a rigged presidential election on Nov. 21, 2004, won. They were vindicated by the courts, by a new vote and by history.

Everyone had hoped for more by now – better living standards, a redress of economic and political injustices, and punishment of high-ranking officials responsible for great crimes against this nation. Little of this has come to pass, despite the promises of the now-warring Orange Revolution heroes, President Victor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

While Ukrainians enjoy much more freedom today by comparison, the nation has stalled on the path to democracy and economic prosperity.

Ukraine has failed to establish the rule of law. None of the major crimes haunting Ukraine since 1991 has been solved. The lone exception is ex-prime minister Pavlo Lazarenko, who is in prison thanks only to the United States’ judicial system.

Ukraine’s economy still remains too dependent on Soviet-era heavy industries, too inefficient, too unproductive – and too captured by a handful of billionaire oligarchs. Ukraine’s Western neighbor, the European Union, has yet to make an unconditional commitment to the nation.

The nation has an opportunity in the near future to show the progress it has made by holding a clean, honest and fair presidential election on Jan. 17. Regrettably, its politicians have passed a presidential election law that creates opportunities for fraud. That is not the only problem with the nation’s political life, run by people with impunity and immunity. The nation still lacks a tradition of grassroots politics and civic commitments, banding together ordinary citizens to push for change.

All in all, what happened five years ago was no revolution, as it turns out. But it was a healthy evolution.