The year 2013 will arrive despite the Mayan calendar and other apocalyptic forecasts. 

Those people who are inclined to believe in mysticism and superstition tend to not like the number 13, the devil’s dozen. Many hotels in the world, for example, have no 13th floor or rooms with that number. The Formula-1 race has no car number 13.

But there are no historic reasons to be afraid of the number. It was in the year 1913 that the Ukrainian artist Kazimir Malevich painted his famous Black Square.

That same year in the U.S., boxing legend Archie Moore was born.

Eventually, he lost his titles to Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali, but those are truly great boxers, and it’s no sin to lose to them.

So what does 2013 have in store for Ukraine?

Looking at the year through the Ukrainian budget, it’s anything but good. The new/old government of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov decided to greet compatriots with the New Year by adding 13 hryvnias [about $1.50] to the average salary.

This isn’t symbolism. It’s cynicism and cruelty.

Nevertheless, I sincerely hope that the next year will be lucky for Ukraine.

I would like to believe it. I also know that we all have to work hard to achieve it. The “we” here stands for politicians and members of parliament who have just been elected and who have promised people to change their lives for the better.

So far, the democratic opposition does not have the majority of votes in parliament. However, just the first days of the new Verkhovna Rada have demonstrated that even a minority can stand up to destructive powers and behaviors and bring back to politics the notion of honesty and dignity.

Next year we are obliged to establish the kind of rules of the game that make it perfectly clear that voting with someone else’s card in parliament, for example, is not acceptable. It’s unacceptable to break laws and procedures even if power is in your hands.

We need to demonstrate that betraying the people by moving to other factions is not acceptable.

We must not allow politicians to betray national interests by the push of a button or by the wave of one’s arm that makes one vote by command.

We’re going to try to prove that politics can and should be honest. If we manage this task, it will be a good and effective year in the country.

This new, higher quality of politics will bring a new quality of life to the people. If we stop bureaucrats from stealing and the incumbents from abusing their own people, if we stop corruption and wasteful spending, we will live in a very different Ukraine in just a year.

I believe we can do it, and would like you to believe it, too. Ukraine and its people deserve a worthy and happy life.

My wish for the next year is that at the end of it, most of the common people can proclaim: Yes, this year was good.

So, have a Happy New Year.

Vitali Klitschko is the leader of Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform, a new political force in parliament with 42 seats. He is also a world heavyweight boxing champion.

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