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Viktor Yanukovych: "The vicious circle of political egotism should be broken"
Remarks in connection with the 15th anniversary of Ukraine's independence
18.08.2006, 11:37
On the eve of the 15th anniversary of declaration of Ukraine's independence, it is befitting to speak about the epochal landmarks in the history of our nation, so I will follow this path as well. Only I will try to avoid pathos, which I have always disliked. It is alien to my character of a person who is used to thinking in the categories of reality, which can guide a politician in the real developments, rather than drifting by political inertia. The State colossuses find themselves at some point being on the clay legs, if the people who come to power, cannot act decisively and pragmatically.
Pretentiousness and narcissism interlaced with lavish populism can hardly bear any fruit in State building, except for sterile flowers, so to speak.
Fortunately, on August 3, 2006 we successfully avoided this danger. And it is Ukraine's major achievement on the eve of the 15th anniversary of its independence.
We succeeded in overcoming an enemy inside, who is much stronger and insidious that any outside foe. We succeeded in setting aside infighting, internal strife and squabbling. We managed to unite, despite the fact that some disliked what they viewed as an eclectic alliance that was formed in the framework of the "round table". We succeeded in making a step forward to meet each other halfway. We created appropriate conditions for broad consensus in the situation when, in fact, there were two separate nations inside one Ukraine.
Researchers of the contemporary Ukrainian history will extensively argue about the way the broad coalition was formed, as there is an abundance of related food for thought. Certainly anybody has a right to interpret statements and actions of the participants of the 2006 political process. However, it is essential to avoid taking a shortcut of oversimplifying a complex historic process, and trying to fit it in the Procrustean bed of the convenient ideological concepts. Life is much more complex and interesting than politological clichés, and the period of 2004-2006 exemplified it once again.
On the eve of the 15th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, we can declare that the time since August 24, 1991 was not wasted. We moved in uneven patches, often hesitantly, however never blindfolded groping in the dark. Whatever is said about the times of Leonid Kravchuk's and Leonid Kuchma's rule, it was movement forward. While over-viewing the earlier path, one should always keep in mind that the breakup of the USSR left Ukraine with fragments of the earlier unified economic systems. Only 20% of the national manufacturers' produce was sold on the domestic market. And in the military industrial complex, the finished cycles encompassed only 3% of the economy. So millions of jobs turned out to be redundant.
I vividly remember the time when directors of the formerly powerful enterprises were apparently taken aback, as they could not figure out what was happening. On the one hand, they perceived independence, with its colossal attraction, as an opportunity to become masters in our own homeland. However, on the other hand, they found themselves in uncertainty how to work in the conditions when the old Soviet cooperative ties were disrupted. Unlike predominately euphoric politicians, economic leaders displayed little disposition to declarative emotions, as they realized an extreme difficulty and danger of situation in the national economy. Many of them, experienced managers whose character formed in the times of the Soviet command administrative economy, were at a loss what to do. However, fortunately, there were also those who embarked on the new endeavor with confidence that we will succeed in building a new economic model in Ukraine based on market economy relations.
Today their endeavor has not yet been completed. In the 15th year of Ukraine's independence, the reform of the Ukrainian economy continues, as it is adapting to the framework of the continental and global economic systems. However, we have accumulated a tremendous experience and some achievements, which allow us to declare that the most difficult period is already behind. And if we do not make mistakes in the political sphere, in a short while we will find ourselves among the most economically powerful nations.
Let's look back at the period of the early and mid nineties, and compare it to the present. The difference is striking. After reaching rock bottom, the Ukrainian economy began upward movement and achieved considerable success. Whatever is said about it, the process of the change of the form of ownership gave an owner to industry and services. The old bosses who could only follow orders from above, were replaced by the generation of the new managers, who can make decisions on their own and undertake responsibility for implementing them. Meager wages at the State-owned and privately owned enterprises and in the Budget-funded sectors, gave way to better remuneration, providing people with more than just a subsistence minimum. Certainly there is yet a long way to go for achieving decent living standards. However, we are on the right track, and if the Ukrainian politicians display sufficient wisdom, Ukraine's social and economic development in the nearest time will be increasingly fast and successful.
In other words, in the 15th year of Ukraine's independence, the main challenges facing Ukraine lie in the political plane. As it was the case in the earlier periods – take for example, Cossack times, declaration of Ukraine's independence by the Fourth Manifesto on 22 January 1918, or creation of the Ukrainian People's Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic – we remain dependent on whether the Ukrainian politicians come to the understanding, at long last, that power struggle should not harm the economy. There are no ideal societies in the world, which is made of contradictions and competition between civilizations and different political and economic systems. However, despite all, some nations successfully develop, while others fall into decline and degradation. It is well known why it happens so. In the industrially developed countries, the economy depends on politics only to the extent when politics can favor business development. If it is not the case, parliaments and governments go. However, such changes can barely have any negative impact on the national economies, or super-national economies, since the time of formation of such powerful international unions as the European Union. The inertia of the well tuned market economy mechanisms is so powerful, and accumulation of the financial and economic power is so great that political crises cannot do any significant harm to them. Citizens of the industrially developed countries of the world are mostly unaffected by and unaware of any forthcoming changes in the top leadership in power, or imminent government resignation.
I dream of the time when an average Ukrainian will have little interest in who is today Prime Minister, or what political groups formed the parliamentary majority. The sooner it happens, the greater are the prospects of Ukraine becoming a full-fledged member of the united European family and a modern developed country.
The foundations for this process have been laid. Political reform creates preconditions for the country to get rid of across-the-board political irresponsibility. Reaching a compromise in the "round table" format testified to the fact that the Ukrainian politics acquired a new quality. Mutual concessions of the "round table" participants demonstrated that at the critical moment, when there was a risk of repeating fatal past mistakes of the Ukrainian State building, they displayed sufficient wisdom and political will, and made a decision to unite.
We were fully aware that some of our voters would have mixed feelings about our signing of the National Unity Pact. We fully realized what card was played by the forces who did not want to make concessions on their narrow party interests for the sake of the national interests. However, the President and leaders of the three parties had courage to take this step. By doing so, they broke a vicious circle of the Ukrainian political egotism once and for all, I hope.
I would say that on August 3, 2006 a new notion entered our contemporary political vocabulary – it is "political decency". Whatever speculation by opponents of the broad unity, they will never be able to deny the fact that those, who had courage to undertake personal responsibility for Ukraine's destiny in this difficult time, did so with an open visor, so to speak. If the President's nomination of the Prime Minister's candidacy for parliament's approval had happened according to the old rules, it could have been evaluated as a result of the political bargaining. After all, as it often was the case earlier, the Head of State could have once again explained his mistakes by absence of support from the Verkhovna Rada. And parliamentarians, in turn, could have pinned the blame on the inadequate composition of the Cabinet and the Head of Government. And as always, eventually there would have been nobody to blame for power's another policy failure. And those forces, who were really to blame for social and economic regress, would have remained politically afloat without standing any risk of losing public support.
"Political decency" means that, from now on, the Ukrainian public specifically knows who and when is to be held responsible for the consequences of one's policy. First of all, it is the Head of Government, who represents both a broad coalition and also his concrete political force. When? Even after the first 100 days in office. Subsequent 100-day periods in office will either consolidate his societal support, or on the contrary, erode it towards inescapable end of his political career and a sharp fall in his party's reputation.
In such circumstances, relations between power and society acquire the character of a contract for undertaking some social order, undersigned by a concrete contractor. I view such relations between the government and the public as decent. This does not allow manipulations of the public consciousness. It is transparent and open to the public scrutiny.
Undoubtedly, the same principles would apply if another political force came to power. In this context, it is not as if I am asserting uniqueness of the present broad coalition and the government that it formed. However, I suppose the present configuration of the governing alliance is much more efficient than the earlier one, both for the sake of the prospects of social and economic development of the nation, and bridging a rift in society. Alliance of the Party of Regions, Socialist Party and Communist Party, and the prospect of forming a broad coalition with "Our Ukraine", significantly defused tension of the past two years which earlier threatened to degenerate into the open societal confrontation.
Now all depends on rapid changes for the better in the life of our people. Implementation of the Government's anti-crisis program, which is designed to stimulate investments in the Ukrainian economy, to conquer price rises of the consumer goods, and to normalize relations with the Russian Federation in the oil and gas sector, – and other priority measures are expected to produce appropriate effect even in the short term.
In this event, I hope so, we will also rapidly solve other problems, which earlier divided society in two parts. Excessive politicization happens only when people are driven by poverty to looking for solutions for a difficult situation by searching for the internal enemies. And the opposite is the case in successful societies, characterized by a goodwill atmosphere among citizens, regardless of diversity in their religious denominations, languages spoken inside some communities, viewpoints and other differences.
In the event of rapid economic growth, the problems related to our foreign policy will also find solutions. They reckon only with the strong, without dictating terms. At the same time, Ukraine's national interests require not vacillating between East and West, but cooperating in both directions for our greatest benefit. In several days time, we will mark the 150th birthday of the great son of the Ukrainian people, Ivan Franko. Way back, in 1880 the Great Stone Mason, as he is known, wrote a poem where he explicitly articulated the idea for which it is worth laying down one's life for the sake of gaining "freedom, happiness and honor".
At the backdrop of this above said jubilee, the 15th anniversary of the Ukrainian State does not appear to be all that young age. Our history has age-long traditions. And if we somewhat lag behind in some aspects of our development, it is only a temporary phenomenon. Many other nations demonstrated that you can rapidly make up for the lost time, provided that internal political confrontation is abandoned.
Therefore, while greeting all my compatriots in connection with the birthday of our nation, I would like to emphasize once more: Ukraine obtained a unique chance to be led out of the protracted political crisis onto the path of accelerated social and economic development. We have in place everything necessary for this: Unity of the main political forces, stable parliamentary majority, and the government of professionals. We have a profoundly elaborated action plan, and vision of the ways for its practical implementation. Favorable political situation abroad will help us. So we have to do only one thing: to create, instead of destroying, to fill up the trenches of division, instead of deepening them.
On my part, I can assure that our Government will demonstrate professionalism and unity of the team. The Government came to power to meet the terms of the contract which obliges the contractor to serve the public for the utmost benefit for the nation.
The President can stay assured in our ability to fulfill our commitments. His political responsibility before the people is also our concern. I would like to reassure the President beyond any doubt with regard to this.
We see the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine among our strategic allies. I am convinced that in the nearest time it will see formation of numerically even more solid parliamentary majority, which in turn, will allow to expeditiously provide legislative foundation for the plans which we brought to power.
I also count on the constructive cooperation with the opposition. After being in their shoes not so long ago, I know firsthand how important it is to have opposition which is not just a populist critic, but rather a serious oversight authority. Only in this event the public will benefit from interaction between power and opposition.
I am profoundly confident that we will be able to respond with dignity to the challenges of the time, and that the Ukrainian politicians will display sufficient wisdom and responsibility before our people, and that together we will ensure fast and successful social and economic development of Ukraine, and improvement of the people's well-being. | |
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