Parliament Votes for New Mayoral Elections in Kyiv
It finally happened! In a long-awaited vote, the Verkhovna Rada Tuesday paved the way for new mayoral elections to be held in Kyiv within 70 days. That means the elections will be held in early June.Kyiv Mayor Leonid "Kosmos" Chernovetsky: I’m in the middle of a political process. I’m not thinking about resignation. I have lots of things to do. But, in principle, my readiness — to do whatever needs to be done to make everyone better-off — it is there 100 percent. I’m a man of resolve, and…uh…it’s, like, not a problem for me.
Amen to that! Hopefully, today’s vote will mark the beginning of the end for the two years of Chernoco's rule. Let the countdown begin: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ignition!
Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2008/3/18/73238.htm
http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/79165.html
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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7 comments:
Imagine viewing Kosmo's term from the perspective of history twenty years from now as just part of the learning process about democracy.
He did prove that by helping the poor, one can increase your chances of getting elected. That stands for something....
He also proved that the OR has improved the quality of the media and the public exposure of Kyiv gov't so that past practices cannot persist.
The vote also shows how Timo can work the system to get her way and make significant reforms by winning Communist party support on issues.
This weakens the PoR and those anti-Timo NUNS. This and the Gazprom deal bode well for your political future.
dlw
Well, I want the learning process to reach its advanced stages before my hair turns gray, OK?
Chernoco proved that by “helping” the most disadvantaged, one can “help” the less disadvantaged become more disadvantaged. For me, that means less sunshine, fewer parks and playgrounds, and more stabilnist. That’s the equation I get from my experience.
I consider the Communist Party an unreliable and abominable ally. It was the Communist Party that left its cadre of apparatchik cronies sitting on a stockpile of Soviet spin to build a comfy incubator for Ukraine’s oligarchy.
If Chernoco gets voted out — and he can always count on my vote in that regard — he should land in jail. Unless the crime meets the punishment, it will be next to impossible to destroy the governance standards he set.
Chernoco must go, and so must his corporate culture.
Well, I think it's a matter of picking one's battles and, of course, it's your country and I'm just a foreigner with a far less vested interest in the matter.
I prefer to emph what can be learned from the errors of the past. Yes, Chernoco used charity to line its own wealth, but that doesn't mean that others cannot also use similar charity to provide more socially-responsible leadership for Kyiv.
I also wd hope that Chernoco got prosecuted. I also hope that Ukraine learns from the past and sets up better fire-walls around the Prosecutor-General in the future. My fear is that bitterness over how the first may get done poorly will spoil efforts at the latter...
dlw
David, we do pick our battles. And the battles we pick often result in physical injuries for people who gather in peaceful assembly.
Undoubtedly, charity can and should be practiced in Ukraine. The question is: How?
I believe that meager handouts must not be used as a substitute for social responsibility. Nor must they be used as a springboard to power on a Chernoco scale.
And finally, there’s a grave issue of continuity. If he doesn’t get what he deserves, his successor will have a free hand in further fun.
T:Undoubtedly, charity can and should be practiced in Ukraine. The question is: How?
I believe that meager handouts must not be used as a substitute for social responsibility. Nor must they be used as a springboard to power on a Chernoco scale.
dlw: Well,past history seems to suggest that they have "worked" for gaining political power. I agree taht that shd not be the means by which someone gains political power, but I think politicos need to balance between their ideals and the facts of how much we fall short from the sort of disciplined citizenship that you display here at your blog.
T:And finally, there’s a grave issue of continuity. If he doesn’t get what he deserves, his successor will have a free hand in further fun.
dlw: I agree he needs to be punished, and if he is not punished adequately formally then informally in ways within the law. My point was more that I expect formal institutions to lag behind informal institutions and so if the official punishment is less than ideal then I'd focus on making sure this doesn't set a precedent for the future... A possible alternative is for people who care like you to get so angry at the system that you might give up trying to make more changes.
dlw
Unless the public puts the pressure on “the powers that be” to root out this precedent with the full rigor of the law, the fungus culture planted by Chernoco will continue thriving in the City Hall.
Regardless of who gets the job, further massive attacks on the public good will be forthcoming.
Give up trying to make more changes? Like that disenchanted girl who elaborated on her career plans? Well, I’ll think about it as time goes by.
We’d make one hell of a team, wouldn’t we?:)
I don't know what to say.
I'm too far removed at this point to really say anything.
I accept your anger and rejection of my pov.
dlw
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