Yushchenko Thinks Positive

President Yushchenko: I’d say we've had enough of being how something is ruined, how something is drifting. Now let’s show how we start rebuilding things — to raise the spirits.

Putting out fires. Rebuilding flooded homes. He’s the man. If your home doesn’t get rebuilt by winter, call him.

Video uploaded from: http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/91586.html

Tymoshenko, Yushchenko on Reconstruction in Flood-Hit Areas

Here they are, sounding as optimistic and can-do as the upcoming presidential race behooves them.

PM Tymoshenko: People have water, bread, food, and prices are not being ramped up by profiteers as is the case in other disaster areas. Flood water is being pumped out; almost all residential areas, except for one, have electricity. Besides, as for gas supplies, there’s only one problem town.

President Yushchenko: Funding has been allocated, an emergency meeting of parliament has been held. We have everything. Now, slowly but surely, with consensus in the community, we will proceed with reconstruction, starting with roads, electricity, communications, gas, homes. We’ll do everything.

Video uploaded from: http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/91400.html

Flood Victim? Can I See Some Propiska?

A few days ago, PM Tymoshenko threatened to fire government officials in Kyiv who resort to red tape in liaising with local governments involved in flood relief efforts

In addition to meager victim compensation, the frontlines appear to be replete with the very bureaucratic runarounds Tymoshenko warned against.

Narrator: Today the first precedent occurred. Newcomers were required to show passports with propiska. Lilia Ivanova is one of those who failed to show her ID.

Lilia Ivanova: We lost it. I took my black bag, that bag. I left this black bag with my ID and instead I took this one.

Narrator: Evacuation center employees are outraged at this order coming from the top. They say there’s hasn’t been a huge supply of free riders.

Relief worker: People who have no electricity, no water, no gas, people who have already consumed whatever food supplies they had and came to have some warm meal, I believe that in this case, the passport should…it’s not the sort of document that should be required of them.

In the USSR, propiska served as a system of residence registration that severely restricted freedom of movement and employment opportunities.

Despite being outlawed by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine in 2001, propiska and internal passports remain very much in use.

Video uploaded from: http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/91094.html

30 Killed, Thousands Evacuated in Western Ukraine Flood (Updated Jul. 30)

At least 30 people, including 6 children, perished after heavy rain flooded western Ukraine, namely Lviv, Zakarpattya, Ternopil and Chernivtsi oblasts.

The flood hit

40,601 homes
360 vehicular bridges
561 pedestrian bridges
680.61 km (423 miles) of roads
33,882 ha (83,724 acres) of agricultural land

President Yushchenko: The disaster we’ve encountered is the number one issue in Ukraine today.

Premier Tymoshenko: We will fully compensate you for all the loss. We are now convening, here, in Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, a meeting of the government. We are putting together all the money that is now held in the emergency fund and is held in other accounts that are on hand.

Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2008/7/28/79237.htm
http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/90910.html

Update
Novy Kanal has three video reports:







Tabloid has pictures of helicopter mom Tymoshenko flying over the flooded areas.

The death toll has risen to 30. More video reports from Novy Kanal:







Videos uploaded from:
http://video.novy.tv/reporter/reporter_2008_07_25-01.htm
http://video.novy.tv/reporter/reporter_2008_07_28-01.htm
http://video.novy.tv/reporter/reporter_2008_07_28-02.htm
http://video.novy.tv/reporter/reporter_2008_07_29-01.htm
http://video.novy.tv/reporter/reporter_2008_07_29-03.htm
http://video.novy.tv/reporter/reporter_2008_07_29-04.htm