Parliamentary Vote 2014: Ukraine Heads West

It took nearly 400 years plus an additional 23 for the Ukrainian nation to finally muster enough singularity of purpose to chart a clear national course toward Europe and the West, shedding all connections with the treasonous and larcenous legacy of Viktor Yanukovych.

Truthfully, Russia’s war against Ukraine helped – it opened everyone’s eyes to the Kremlin’s unfettered imperial aggression.

The parliamentary elections of October 26 democratically demonstrated an indispensable national resolve that perhaps may not immediately guide Ukraine and the nation to a bountiful, untroubled existence but it will surely not lead the people to hell as the alternative would have done so quickly.

Ukrainians took to the polls and voted overwhelming for candidates from political parties that are nationally aware, cognizant of the danger of re-aligning Ukraine with Russia, and favor joining Euro-Atlantic structures. Together with the election of Petro Poroshenko last May, yesterday’s parliamentary vote should defuse forever the notion that Ukrainians do not possess a mutual idea about their future. Indeed, there will always be pockets of greater or lesser dissent and opposition – the kind of loyal opposition that exists in other civilized countries – which are vital to the political life of any democracy.

“Ukraine is voting in parliamentary elections that could cement a new pro-western course for the country, seven months after the revolution that toppled the former president, Viktor Yanukovych,” observed Britain’s The Guardian today.

The election culminated a national revival – revolution – that began with Yanukovych rejecting joining the EU, the demonstrators’ toppling the first Lenin monument in Kyiv in December 2013, Euromaidan and the related killings, and Yanukovych’s ouster.

The vote will assemble a Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine – the national legislature – that for the first time in more than nine decades of Ukrainian history will not include communists. Their presence has served as a stubborn impediment to Ukraine’s development and now their absence is expected to hasten national growth.

International election observers, global unions and the United States among others lauded the conduct of the elections and the outcome.

Observers declared that the vote was the most honest in the past 20 years. President Barack Obama congratulated Ukraine on holding successful, orderly and peaceful elections. Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Grzegorz Schetyna observed that Ukraine chose the European way and that it is the beginning of a new era in Ukrainian reality.

US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt and US Ambassador to the OSCE Daniel Baer stated: “The atmosphere was upbeat and positive. Today’s vote is yet another step in Ukraine’s democratic journey. We congratulate all those at home and around the world who were able to take part and look forward to the assessment of today’s vote by domestic and international observers.”

“The EU welcomes the holding yesterday of parliamentary elections in Ukraine. We take good note of the OSCE/ODIHR’s preliminary assessment that they marked an important step in Ukraine’s aspirations to consolidate democratic elections in line with its international commitments. This was a victory of the people of Ukraine and of democracy. The electoral mandate given by the Ukrainian people must now be implemented,” jointly commented Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council and José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.

The National Democratic Institute’s delegation in Ukraine stated: “Ukrainians should feel proud of the progress they have made in promoting electoral accountability, new entrants and grassroots campaigning as key features of the political landscape.”

The Central Election Commission is expected to release official, fully tabulated results tomorrow. However, as of today, President Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk’s parties are tied with fractions separating them.

Another winner is Oleh Lyashko’s Radical Party. Lyashko, the flambyont, Swamp Fox-type lawmaker who has been known to force Yanukovych partisans and Russian sympathizers to renounce their offices, was featured in a New York Times article on the eve of the elections.

Yanukovych’s Party of Regions recolored as the Opposition Party also seems to have passed the 5% barrier required to win seats in the parliament.

Poroshenko was visibly jubilant in assessing the favorable outcome that he and pundits foresaw. He said: “The exit polls results allow making the first conclusions. Yesterday I asked you to vote for democratic, reformist, pro-Ukrainian and pro-European majority. Thank you for hearing and supporting this call. Constitutional majority – more than three-quarters of voters powerfully and irreversibly supported the course towards Europe…

“I am glad that the majority of people voted in favor of the political forces that support the peace plan of the President, seek political means to address the situation in the Donbas and pay due attention to the strengthening of the Armed Forces…

“Another important and symbolic conclusion. People’s Court, above which is only the justice of Heaven, has passed a death sentence to the Communist Party of Ukraine. For the first time in 96 years there will be no communists in the Ukrainian parliament. Ukrainians have made a final hit to the fifth political column.”

A disturbing side of the elections was the Western media’s coverage. Headlines and stories displayed an extraordinary amount of misunderstanding of Ukraine and its evolution, sympathy toward wounding Russia’s feelings, and observations that the vote will fail to resolve the political divide in Ukraine. Some of the examples are:

·         “Ukraine’s parliamentary elections could endanger crisis resolution”

·         “Ukraine elections will not assuage Russian fears”

·         “Ukraine leader wins pro-West mandate but wary of Russia”

·         “Ukraine’s Parliamentary Vote Won’t Heal the Nation’s Divide”

David Herszenhorn’s pre-election article on October 25 was headlined: “Parliamentary Elections Show Political Turmoil Is Continuing in Ukraine.” As with the previous examples, after reading this I immediately tweeted a commentary that included Herszenhorn’s Twitter handle: “Why this spin? Do elections solve political turmoil in US?” Much to my surprise, he favorited my observation.

CNN committed a major faux pas by soliciting comments about the elections in Ukraine from a Russian: Anton Fedyashin, executive director of the Initiative for Russian Culture at American Culture.

However, I found a great lead and assessment in The Daily Beast a day after the elections: “Pushed against the wall by Russia’s naked aggression, a wounded nation now wants to seal itself off completely from its jingoistic neighbor.” It summarizes the Ukrainian situation concisely: Russian war against Ukraine, Ukrainian patriotism, separation from Russia, and an appropriate description about Russia.

Though the Verkhovna Rada has been overhauled into a pro-Western composition, Poroshenko’s task going forward will not be easy. He and Yatseniuk, who come from different parties, will have to partner to mold the national deputies into a cohesive team that will vote in favor of the greater national picture. So far the two leaders seem to be ideologically aligned. Parliament will have to adopt a host of anti-corruption laws that will eliminate crooks from all levels of government and spur western investments. It will have to write national, historical laws and practices aimed at raising the patriotic consciousness of the people. Kyiv will have to build the armed forces into a modern, well-equipped and trained army. Examples abound of national political systems where partisans fight for advantages but when it comes to higher issues of national existence, well, everyone is on the same page.

Not least of all, Poroshenko, Yatseniuk, the government and parliament will have to deal with Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Enemy troop movements have been reported in eastern Ukraine even on election day. Despite diplomatic pressure to force Ukraine to accept a political solution, Putin’s behavior should have proved to everyone that he won’t be convinced, cajoled or arm-twisted into withdrawing Russian soldiers and mercenaries from Ukraine. Only a determined global effort backed by harsh sanctions will make Putin choose between ostracism and withdrawal.

But let’s focus on a positive takeaway. As Volodymyr Ohryzko, former foreign minister, observed today: “But the general conclusion, in my opinion, is more than positive. Under these circumstances, given to us today, this alternative is better than other potential ones. I only hope that the winners will make conclusions based on the not too distant past (in which they also participated) and not step on new-old rakes.

“We have now a unique opportunity to leap forward. Anyone who is capable of at least some practical and positive action should not sit aside but rather work for the success of Ukraine.”