News
that Ukrainians strongly believe their state has become more corrupt over the
last two years caused barely a ripple; the sense of vindication shared among
civil society campaigners and activists was likely the strongest reaction.The
sole official mention of the survey was a brief summary tacked on to a
Zaxid.net report on opposition MP Mikola Tomenko’s comments about the
Yanukovych government’s failure to address corruption in the business sector.

However,
a closer look at the GCB results suggests that public expectations of
government are changing. A more nuanced section on individual attitudes towards
fighting corruption turned up very different results than in recent years:
Ukrainians say they are ready to take a stand against corruption. More than two-thirds
of respondents said they would participate in a specific anti-corruption
action, such as joining a protest, signing a petition, or spreading awareness
through social media.

Indeed,
in recent months the government has been forced to act following public
protests, in particular against corruption and impunity in the police force.
According the GCB, the police ranks as the second most corrupt public
institution. The top accolade went to the notoriously government-friendly
judiciary. In May, lack of government intervention following police inaction
during the assault of journalist Olha Sodelat at a political rally prompted a
week of protests. Following the demonstrations, led mainly by local
journalists, the Interior Ministry finally condemned the assault and promised
disciplinary action against the police officers who failed to protect Sodel.

Less
than two months later, public outrage against the police erupted once again
when police officers were identified as the perpetrators of a horrific sexual
attack against a young mother in the normally peaceful town of Vradiyivka, Mykolaiv Oblast. Irina Krashkova, hospitalized with serious injuries including an open
skull fracture, named two local police officers as her attackers.

 According
to the Global Corruption Barometer, more than 80 percent of Ukrainians believe that
personal contacts at public sector offices are important. Among Vradiyivka residents, this belief
translated into direct action when they saw one of the accused officers
buying raspberries in the local market as the victim lay in hospital. More than
500 local residents stormed the police department, driven by fear the officers
identified by the victim would escape prosecution due to family connections
with higher-ups. Demonstrations
also spread to other major cities, including Donetsk, Lviv and Kyiv. In the
capital, protesters gathered near the Presidential Administration before being forcefully
dispersed by police. The accused officers have now been detained and President Yanukovych
ordered a full investigation of the attack. 

 Public reactions to the Sodel and Krashokova cases correspond to the
GCB’s findings on Ukrainians’ stated willingness to act against public sector
corruption, and suggest further that public protests are seen as the most
effective way of communicating dissent. So far, however, protests have been
fairly short-lived, contained by official responses to the demonstrators’
initial demands. More significantly, public demands for government action have
not exceeded the specifics of the particular cases, both of which centered around
police impunity. Belated disciplinary and legal action against the police
officers involved seemed to quell public outrage, and the protests petered out.

 If Ukrainians continue to turn to public protest as a conduit for their
growing frustration with public sector corruption, Yanukovych will face an
increasingly complex set of challenges as national leader. Freedom of assembly remains
a somewhat murky area in legal and practical terms, and the treatment of
demonstrations and demonstrators will play a key role in shaping Ukraine’s
political orientation. That the Director of Transparency International Ukraine,
OleksiiKhmara, yesterday received a police caution for his involvement in an
anti-corruption protest in front of the Presidential Administration sends a
worrying signal on this front.