Ukraine: The Opinion of the Other Side

[Alina Israeli]

>According to a recent review, the media coverage in Russia (except the First
>National Channel) is predominantly biased in favour of Viktor Yushchenko.
>Many of media owners and the vast majority of top journalists have open or
>hidden anti-Putin sentiments.
>
>
>
>http://www.regnum.ru/bestnews.html

Contrary to my expectations, it was not an analysis of the press. Instead
it was an opinion of one Modest Kolerov. His most interesting statement, I
think, is the following:

у значительной части национальной бюрократии есть иллюзия, что можно
по-прежнему подчинять Галиции, Западной Украине остальную часть страны,
производящую 80% валого национального продукта

In other words, those that produce most of the GDP should dictate the
outcome of the election. I am not saying that democracy a la Kolerov never
happened anywhere, but it is certainly not what is understood as democracy
in those countries where there is an attempt to follow the demos in 2004.


I believe there is also a confusion in this discussion: there are facts and
there are opinions; too much is given to who is pro-Yushchenko or
pro-Yanukovich. There are facts (known in Russian as упрямая вещь). It is a
fact that dead people "voted" in Chicago during the first mayor Daley
administration (Democrat). It is a fact that some people who had the right
to vote in Florida in 2000 were not given that right (Republican
administration). By the same token, there were observers in Ukraine who
claimed "ballot stuffing". Ballot stuffing could be in either direction,
both are reprehensible.


The outcome of the elections reminds me of yet another joke:

На второй день после президентских выборов звонит Председатель Центральной
избирательной комиссии Ельцину:

- Борис Николаевич, у меня для вас две новости: одна хорошая, другая -
плохая. С какой начинать?

- Ну, давай уж с плохой.

- Вы знаете, Борис Николаевич, Зюганов набрал 65 процентов голосов.

- Ну к какая же после этого, понимаешь, хорошая новость?

- А вы - 72 процента!


__________________________
 Alina Israeli
 LFS, American University
 4400 Mass. Ave., NW
 Washington, DC 20016

 phone:    (202) 885-2387
 fax:      (202) 885-1076 

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