Public servants only travel in style
Europe is amazed at the record Ukraine has set for the number of state-provided cars for senior officials: there are 6,972 “state’’ cars in Ukraine, compared to 191 in Great Britain and 23 in Denmark. This figure comes at the same time that Prime Minister Mykola Azarov announced an austerity regime for financing state administration. The idea of seeing a Ukrainian deputy on his or her way to work on a bicycle or in metro, as is quite common in Europe, is simply laughable.
Since the year started, the Ministry of Economy has rejected the purchase of only 27 cars, whilst the Ukrainian media report that more than $2.5 million has been spent on the purchase and maintenance of deputies cars during the same period. According to experts, officials have found legislative loopholes to avoid running into car purchase caps; these seem to involve rather dubious state/ private enterprises. The authorities charged with policing financial abuse must be either profoundly incompetent or complicit; perhaps the fact that they also arrive at the office in Maybachs and Mercedes Benz holds a clue. To those in power, personal comfort is much higher priority than economic prudence for the sake of the increasingly impoverished people they supposedly represent.
People First Comment: What is the purpose of a state-owned motor car? It should be to convey elected officials around the country in a comfortable manner in order that they can do their work effectively. In the UK for example all the cars used by ministers belong to the government car pool and are allocated on a daily basis to whichever official needs a car. There is no such thing as a state-purchased “personal” car.
For security and the promotion of British industry, the United Kingdom’s prime minister has an armor- plated Jaguar and there are an additional 12 armor-plated BMWs for high security ministers and visiting dignitaries. The BMWs were selected as a result of a public tender and they are all the same. All the other cars are modest medium-sized sedans from Ford, Opel and Toyota. For inner-city use, the UK government has recently purchased some hybrids to cut down on pollution and operating costs and if the journey is less than one and a half kilometers, even top ministers are expected to walk. MPs use public transport. David Cameron only stopped using his bicycle on advice from his security team. For longer journeys, ministers are expected to use the rail network or economy seats on low-cost airlines. In the UK, a government car is a means of transport, not a symbol of personal prestige or importance of office.
The maximum budget allocation for a Ukrainian ministerial car is $120,000m whilst lesser officials rarely drive cars of less than $60,000. Assuming an average of $90,000 per motor car, the value of the current government motor pool is around $630 million… Perhaps this goes some way to explaining why there is no money for the hospitals and schools and to add insult to injury the government is spending additional millions on new traffic infrastructure simply to ensure that deputies have a smoother ride to their country mansions. This is nothing short of a gross abuse of power.
Afghan veterans’ protest sets a strong example
In the middle of February, on the anniversary of the day that troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan, members of civil organization “Nikhto Krim Nas” (Nobody But Us) protested the ruling regime by literally turning their backs on President Viktor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov as the officials were laying flowers on a monument to Afghan war veterans. Nearly 200 Afghan war veterans participated in the protest. They said that the government had turned their back on veterans long before and it was time to return the favor. War veterans expressed their attitude towards a system which has reduces their benefits and in doing so demonstrated to other civil organizations a way in which they can express dissatisfaction with the authorities in power.
After such an open demonstration of disrespect to the governing authorities, law enforcement officials suggested Olexiy Kovalyen, leader of “Nikhto Krim Nas,” leave the country. He also informed that his business had become a target for tax inspection. The authorities have also”put the heat” on other members of the organization as well.
The organization’s leadership and members promised to continue to stand up for veterans’ rights through demonstrations and political campaigning – they demand that the government fulfill their obligations to the people.
People First Comment: The veterans’ action was a classic form of non-violent protest. In a democracy all citizens have the right to express their opinions, withdraw their labor and take part in non-violent opposition as a means of sending a message to the regime. Unfortunately for the regime, they are either going to have to build much larger prisons or get used to such protests as they will only increase as the nation grows ever more weary of their broken promises, abuse of power and contempt for the people and their rights. Well done veterans you made your point and made it well.
Party of Regions hometown takes lead in corruption
Donetsk, which secured Yanukovych and the Party of Regions core support base during the last elections, became the national leader by number of corrupt practices and cases in 2011. The Interior Ministry registered 42 cases of corruption in Donetsk, compared with only 16 in Kyiv, whilst between 2009 and 2011 there were 189 officially recorded crimes related to corporate raids.
Nationally throughout 2011, there were over 16 thousand recorded crimes related to corruption, 8300 individuals incurred some level of penalty. From these cases the largest reported bribe totaled Hr 10.5 million ($1.3 million), more than triple the highest bribe of 2010 at Hr 3.2 million ($400,000). Growth in corruption in Donetsk Oblast has been staggering: a 14 percent increase between January and December.
Besides the issue of corruption, the governing party’s native region is in 26th place out of the 27 administrative regions with one of lowest living standards in Ukraine. At the same time, experts report that Donetsk is the most polluted out of all Ukraine’s regions despite also having the highest gross domestic product per capita.
Unfortunately the government is yet to move past rhetoric in terms of a genuine fight against corruption. Andriy Klyuev, secretary of the Council of National Security and Defense of Ukraine, is the latest member of the ruling regime to cite corruption as one of the biggest obstructions to democratic transformation.
Tomas Fiala, elected president of the European Business Association, also believes that corruption and excessive regulations are the main problems which investors face in Ukraine. His data speaks volumes: in 2008 bribes accounted for 6 percent of the profit of foreign companies in Ukraine, by 2011 it had reached 10 percent.
People First Comment: What more can we do but offer our most sincere congratulations to the officials of the city of Donetsk. Not only does Donetsk have the one of the highest rates of mining mortality and HIV infection and one of the lowest living standards in Ukraine but now it is also the capital of Ukrainian corruption and corporate raiding. Was this really what the President meant when he ordered a crackdown on corruption? Did he really mean crack down in my backyard… or is this just an indication of the true scale of the problem in his hometown.
Sociologists have already proven the socially destructive links between public despair, drug abuse, prostitution and HIV. Corruption and corporate raiding are just two more indicators that the very fabric of society in the East of Ukraine is in steep decline, a decline that can only be laid at the door of the regime. High level corruption cannot take place without high level support and thus the chain of criminality must go very close to the top of the regional administration… but what does the regime do???
Perhaps it is time to start rewarding corruption with a national annual award for the most corrupt city in Ukraine with special awards for the most corrupt mayor, the most corrupt city treasurer and the most corrupt judge. Clearly the fair city of Donetsk might well be a front runner however it might prove a little embarrassing for the president to present such an award and sadly some of the nominees might even take their nomination as a compliment.
Internet censorship a Ukrainian reality
The number of government attacks on Internet resources in Ukraine has recently been on the rise. For example, on Feb 14 the Desniansky District Court ruled to temporarily shut down a popular website, “Dorozhny control” (roadcontrol.org.ua), in response to a libel action by Hennady Hetmantsev, a traffic police officer, who complained about insulting comments on the website. Journalists and Internet users rallied against the decision forcing the Interior Ministry to demand that the court action was overruled – as a result the website resumed operation. The first attempt of the authorities to ban an inconvenient information source ended in a fiasco which fortunately averted an all-out war between the ruling regime and the Internet community.
Member of parliament Volodymyr Pylypenko moved to uphold justice by asking the court to review the legitimacy of its decision to shut down the website. His close connection to Andriy Portnov, a top lawyer at the Presidential Administration, gives reason to believe that government representatives have adopted a “kid-gloves” approach to the Internet community.
Pylypenko even referred the case to the Supreme Council of Justice and demanded that the judge be fired if she did indeed exceed her authority and violate the law. Such a fair punishment could be the beginning of a new constructive relationship between the government and the people interested in protecting freedom of speech.
People First Comment: In some ways it is amusing to see how naive politicians, lawyers, judges and policemen seek to hold back the tide of progress. The regime might think that they have the power to hold back the Internet and bend it to their will but history is full of such delusion. The Internet cannot be stopped; it can only be delayed with barriers and legislation, persecution and prosecution but in almost every case in the world today all that actually happens as a result of regime pressure is that the groundswell of public support for the freedom of the internet increases thus for every head the authorities metaphorically cut off, hundreds, if not thousands more appear.
In Iran, the government has invented its own Internet system to replace the worldwide web. Within days of its limited area launch it was brought down by hackers and bypassed by thousands. The Chinese government sought to ban access to the word democracy and any site that included this word. The hackers didn’t even bother to try to bypass the government fire-walls, they just changed the word to something innocuous that the authorities could not block without shutting down the whole system.
Sadly these relics of a previous culture have a great deal to learn about the power of modern communication. Many will just have to accept that the only way to steer clear of an internet attack is not to indulge in practices that will get you noticed. There is a golden rule in society… If you don’t want people to shoot at you, don’t stick your head over the parapet but if you have to, make sure that you have a good tin helmet and flak jacket. The web is unstoppable simply because the public that use it are always ten steps ahead of those that seek to repress it… long may it stay that way.
Viktor Tkachuk is chief executive officer of the People First Foundation, which seeks to strengthen Ukrainian democracy. The organization’s website is: www.peoplefirst.org.ua and the e-mail address is: [email protected]
