It is already hard to call this a trend. The title of this publication suggests the most apt characteristic of what is going on with Ukrainian opposition today. We have criticized it many times, not for the sake of criticism, but in order to point at mistakes, warn, define guidelines that we think are correct, but the opposition is stubbornly following the road of absurdity. Below you will find the analysis of recent event.
Last week the Verkhovna Rada was working, which is quite an achievement for the current parliament, where there is more blocking than voting. Previously the power agreed to put all three demands of the opposition to the vote: Kyiv elections, abolition of the pension reform, and the resignation of Azarov’s Cabinet. The opposition in response unblocked the rostrum, and what is more important, pretended that the majority’s session in Bankova Street outside the parliament did not take place (the president has even signed the bills approved at this session). Almost everyone came together to the session hall and in a similarly unanimous manner failed all the three demands mentioned above. They argue that they lack votes. We agree (actually, they are parliamentary minority), but the behavior of the opposition also shows that they lack the desire, too. Why block the rostrum, put forth demands, if it is unable to elementary gather its own members, subsequently seven MPs from Batkivshchyna and UDAR each did not turn up? Political scientists call Vitalii Klitschko’s absence his greatest mistake over his entire work in parliament. In this context the statement of First Vice Prime Minister Serhii Arbuzov that the absence of UDAR’s leader in session hall during the voting for resignation of the government was “an indication of his political maturity” is quite symbolical. So, the first problem is lack of mobilization.
Second. According to the MPs who do not belong to any factions, nobody has discussed the question of voting with them. The communists say the same. Of course, the latter do not fit in with the opposition camp, but no consultations with them have been held either. Nonetheless, both groups partially have voted for the basic demands. There is no doubt that in this situation everyone is playing a game of his own, but the opposition’s inability to lead an elementary dialogue tells a tale.
The third problem is the bad memory of the opposition. The battles on previous demands have just ceased, when the opposition put forth the new ones. For example, what will happen to the elections results in five districts based on majority, where oppositionists won, which have never been recognized by the power? They are forgotten or mentioned by inertia. Lack of results from sensational statements causes even more distrust among the citizens who understand: this is a new PR move of the opposition.
What about the party-switchers? There had been publications about them even before the elections. So? The forecasts have come true. Who will be held responsible for this?
The list of the problems can be continued: the candidature for Kyiv mayor from the opposition has not been announced; there have been rotations in Batkivshchyna (Viacheslav Kyrylenko resigned from the post of head of the faction).
However, the voting on Eurointegration bills continues by inertia. There are no passionate statements on the matter. Is the opposition calling to revolt because the fulfillment of the demands of the so-called “Fuelle” list is being hampered? No, they regard it as better to announce a new action like “Ukraine, wake up!” and tour the country with lofty slogans.
“‘Don’t raise the alarm when the bell has not been molded’ are the words that seemingly have been written to perfectly describe our situation today,” historian Volodymyr Viatrovych writes in his column on tsn.ua, citing Lina Kostenko’s phrase. “The bell of the Orange Revolution has been totally damaged, and striking it today would mean just rending the air. The opposition has to prepare a bell of its own and only after the work is over, use it to gather people. It is possible to bring the meaning back to words that have been devaluated. But it is not enough to stop scattering about the words. The words can be filled with meaning with the help of concrete work. When you call citizens to one or another action, it is important to remember: not only should a politician be ready for this action (although for the most part we are lacking even this), but also take up the responsibility, so that others were prepared too. I am sure with such an approach there will be less talks on revolts and overthrowing the power and the actions will get concrete meaning and bring real changes closer.”
Today the opposition is ideologically weak. It imitates the struggle, rather than shows a systemic approach. And what the oppositionists call a political struggle is in fact a crisis of relations and beliefs. Voting for government resignation is vivid proof of that. Incidentally, there is an interesting nuance. Freedom Party in this case showed a 100 percent result, providing the turnout and positive voting of its MPs. So no one should be surprised at seeing where the votes flow and why. The lack of principles of the rest of the opposition makes the voter take a radical stand.
Sometimes the views get so radical that people start speaking about cutting off territories. Noted journalist Vakhtang Kipiani has mentioned this when he said that “within present-day territorial borders Ukraine cannot be a successful country.” Radical statements also emerge, among other things, because the society does not see in the opposition an alternative to the current power. Incidentally, the latter looks quite more apprehensible in this situation.
