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What do I mean? We are
representatives of the international anti-corruption organization and
receive funding from abroad. And it means that we are foreign agents.
We collect
declarations
of ministers, governors and mayors and
monitor their
lifestyle. And this means that we make libel. We are working
on anti-corruption reforms in Ukraine, and it means that we are
engaged in politics and are particularly dangerous extremists.
Everything
above mentioned is truth according to the law of Vadym Kolesnichenko
and Volodymyr Oliinyk. Nonsense? Not at all, such stupidity is legal
in Russia more than year already.
How is
this law dangerous more? It is dangerous with its idiocy, or rather
stupid power of roller, which can flatten anything into a pancake.
What do I mean? For example, non-governmental organizations receive
funding from abroad. On the basis of open tenders and according to
transparent procedures. By the way, they receive the funding from the
same organizations which give money to the government. For the
purpose that the latter makes some reforms at least.
So, if
such organizations receive foreign money, they shall recognize
themselves as foreign agents according to the law of Vadim Kolesnichenko.
And they also shall write a phrase “a foreign agent” in their
name, register in the special register of the agents, submit the data
on financial receipts and directions of spending money to the
Ministry of Justice monthly, and report on the activities in Internet
and government newspapers quarterly. Of course, with a “foreign
agent” remark everywhere. And it means to agree to live like Jews
during the Nazi terror. And in case of disagreement to do this an
organization will be liquidated at the initiative of the Ministry of
Justice.
Why
does everything happen? The first bullets went, when the so-called
list of Oleh Tsariov
appeared. It is a list of hazardous
on the author’s opinion organizations and movement, which
“destabilize” the situation in the country. Remarkably, that the
list includes us and the organizations which make at least some
changes in the country. For example, they monitor transparent
spending money for construction of stadiums or treatment of cancer,
care about free access to information or study youth to use actively
their own rights and openly call a spade a spade.
Logics
of Tsariovs, Kolesnichenkos and others like them are simple –
active organizations shall be discredited and most controlled.
Especially, it takes place before the landmark President elections in
2015. So, due to this situation this law has appeared. Because it
allows controlling everything: people, money, activities. And if the
organizations refuse, the authorities can terminate their activities.
Russia followed the same path. However, they use the carrot and stick
approach. In particular, in last year the government significantly
increased the general budget of the federal competition of
presidential grants for supporting non-governmental organizations. To
make it more clear we speak about two hundred million USD per year.
But we understand that Ukrainian government does not have such money
for the society. So, in Ukraine the government decided simply to bend
a public sector and change civil activity into total loyalty and
consent.
Russia followed the same path.
By the
way, they behave with journalists and civil activists even tougher.
Any manifestation of the position was treated as libel or extremism.
For this purpose they make a
line for dozen options for “crimes”
– from driving in column in six to
standing at the entrance near a corrupt office. And all these
“offense” can be followed by real prison time. If Viktor Yanukovych
signs this law, policemen will have real legal grounds to put ALL
participants of Euromaidan and just passers-by to prison the next
day. Or at least to mulct several thousand UAH everyone. I think it
is rather clear why the government has adopted this law.
What
are we going to do further? We will do everything possible that
Yanukovych vetoes the bill and Rada can not to approve it again. It
is a task not only for Transparency International, but for all civil
society of Ukraine. Now there is a clear attack on freedom of each
active citizen. However, we will do the same as we do before.
Recently we brought out our priorities
for 2014, and among them we have promotion of a new law on conflict
of interest, disclosure of bidding information in 7 Ukrainian
cities/towns, monitoring of lifestyle of 400 high-ranking officials
and a lot of other useful things.
And
the funniest thing is that yesterday the Cabinet
of Ministers praised us
for that that it has thought the law
of Kolesnichenko a work of foreign agents. In accordance with the law
the political activities of foreign agents are any civil initiatives
which are aimed to influence on making decisions by the authorities
and changing the state policy determined by them. So, the whole last
year Transparency International Ukraine pestered Prime Minister Mykola Azarov’s
government to change the State anti-corruption program. We have even
written the desired text of the program. Yesterday the Cabinet of
Ministers voted for updating it. And it thanked to us. But today we
become a foreign agent. It is not funny.
