A Call Out to President Poroshenko – Your Inaugural Address

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Dear Mr. President Poroshenko,

As a Canadian of Ukrainian heritage and someone who has dedicated at least all of my adult life to Ukrainian issues including working on democracy development during my nearly ten years living in Ukraine, I would like to congratulate you on your election on May 25, 2013 and upon your inaugural address which you made on June 7, 2014. I wish you Godspeed in trying to accomplish all that must be accomplished during the very difficult times for our nation.

Yes, I have claimed Ukraine as “our” nation because true Ukrainians wherever they may be hold Ukraine in their hearts and minds. While still under the yoke of Soviet oppression many Ukrainians beyond its borders carried our flag when no one had an inkling of the significance of the azure blue and yellow of our country's flag. Things have changed greatly in nearly a quarter of century though it is due time that Ukraine takes its place amongst civilized and dignified nations.

I would now like to comment on your inaugural address. Not as some highly paid analyst, but as someone who looks at things in a slightly different way. Anyone who has read my commentary in the past clearly know where my loyalties lie.

No Modern Ukrainian Nation Without Bloodshed

While the world in the past held up Ukraine as a poster-child of democracy just a little more than nine-years ago after the Orange (R)evolution, I somehow understood very quickly that I was completely justified in refering that period in 1994 as a period of evolution and not revolution. In 2011 I was asked to write an OP-ED for a Ukrainian e-publication, due to some tecnical difficulties I ended up having to self-publish my opinion piece, entitled “Bigger Sticks and Carrots, for Some in Ukraine”. In that piece I clearly put forth the following:

“While I do not condone violent uprising in Ukraine as a way of bringing about the needed changes, it is a prospect that seems to become increasingly realistic if the current authoritarian trends continue to be exerted further and further. People are now being pushed and jostled a little harder than Kuchma dared to push! The decisively anti-national, and socio-economically erosive policies are in fact, riling people in Ukraine to the point that I have not once on various Ukrainian fora seen it being asserted that peaceful means of resistance are no longer considered to be a viable option.”

Apparently, my writing had sparked some discussion and one individual mentioned that sometime before my statements above, former Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Dr. Yuri Shcherbak speaking to a Toronto audienced stated that “he believed the situation in Ukraine will not be changed without violence.”

Mr. President Poroshenko, unfortunately, my statements somehow became prophetic. There were many heros in Ukraine's past – though these contemporary heroes, Ukraine's Heavenly Hundred was just the beginning, unfortunately. Since then through criminal means have been used to try to destablize Ukraine and more innocent lives were lost. It was very appropriate that you had a moment of silence for these heroes. There have been others who have become innocent victims of these criminal/terrorists with extremely modern and foreign weaponry clearly pointing out who is santctioning their criminality. Those responsible have to be brought to full international accountability for their terroristic means of trying to destabilize Ukraine.

Fig Leaf and Bandit

Mr. President Poroshenko, I appreciate that you want to get down to business in creatng peace and stability and Ukriane's territorial integrity! Without these, conducting business in even its simplest forms is not even possible. You for certain understand the importance of stability for distribution networks, and even as a person going about their day-to-day business. Due to the criminal annexation of Crimea I have friends in Canada who's busineses have suffered a great deal as well as the possibility of Canadian-Ukrainian business projects. Not certain, but could a class action international lawsuit be launched against the perpetrators of this act?

The simple business operations have been denied to the people of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts – and I hear about this daily not only from distant contacts living in those regions, but also from a friend and neighbour who's wife is from Luhansk and still has family members there. I have another acqaintance now living here who's brother was involved ATO in those regions and who was seriously injured, and from thousands of kilometres away he has to comfort his mother. Though this even raises a more core issue? Why did these people leave Ukraine?

I wholeheartedly support that you don't need to be carrying out discussions with criminals and are trying to reach out to the common person in those regions – I believe that due to the media access and choice of media which they have been exposed to they are very suspect of you as President, though nevertheless there are probably thousands of individuals who wanted to vote last week though feared for their lives. Clearly a frank dialogue must be restablished with the people of this doubting region, but also with all of Ukraine.

Regarding mercenaries they should be allowed to ruturn home, though it sould be made official who was financing them and what they cost. If it is criminal Yanukovych, then it is Putin's responsibility to use his due influence on him and recall those soldiers of fortune being paid no doubt with funds which Yanukovych stole from the Ukrainian people, Putin for the first time in his life do the right thing. Extradite Yanukovych to Ukraine to face trial for his criminality or face the wrath of those he treated like second class citizens, much in the way the pakhan treats his underlings. Remember criminals like him have their own system of justice, so before any of that crap happens it should be also a priority for Ukraine to ensure all the funds he stole are repatriated, because his time of being pakhan are over and those funds will be absorbed by the pakhan of the Russian Federation.

Mr. President Poroshenko, I think that those in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts that doubt just what a criminal Yanukovch ever was and still is. Find a public relations means to show these individuals just what an opulent pig he was. Clearly, the media they were watching in their regions wasn't lettting them see what a Nero he was. There was no violin for him in his collesium – his Rome burnt in a different way... as he fled to his puppetmaster, his cronies attempted to destry the evidence of just what a scum he was. His vassals of 17 years have to know the truth! Set up travel tours of Mezhyhirya at a reduced rate for those individuals so they can see the opulence with their own eyes. Let the see where their pensions went! I want them all to be free! Even those in Hughesivka – who want to speak Welsh?

Trust no one – Particularly your enemies

Mr. President Poroshenko, it is all very easy to say in retrospect that we should have done this over that! One of those matters was the Budapest Memorandum. Back in the years before that I had many discussions on Ukraine's nuclear arsenal – in my heart I told friends that I didn't believe that it would be respected. Particularly with a signatory like Russia that has been lying for the last half millenia of its existence. The friends I debated this the most about were some of the early heros of our country, even before Ukraine introduced the Hryvnia as its national currency!

“But freedom is not given once and forever. One must always struggle for it,” as you stated in your innaugural adress Mr. President is very to the point. I spoke on such a them to many while living in Ukraine with my deceased friend Ilko Kucheriv. In short, a greater part of democracy happens between ballot boxes. This was clearly demonstrated in the last six months in Ukraine. I just hope that peace comes to Ukraine and that we never again experience such violence preceding the vote, as demonstrated by the terrorists in the east of the country. Politicians have to be held accountable and have no right to be above the law. This is not part of a democracy!

Now to the military side of things! There are plenty of theories of how the military became nothing more than a piece of paper! I don't have time to get into it Mr. President, though I would like to commend those individuals who have used social media in order to crowdsource the funds needed for very short term needs of the Ukrainian army. There are a few individuals should be at least given a thank you, though it is time that the funds needed for Ukraine's military needs be raised by the state in order to meet its needs.

Regarding true hardware and techonologies! We have some unique manufacturers and now we must ensure they find local and international markets. In this stage of reorientation of the military industrial complex should be carefully evaluated. In addition, with a the type of friend Ukraine has as a neighbour, it is time for Ukraine to re-arm itself in such a way that such wanton use of terror never happen in Ukraine again.

On last matter, it is time that Ukraine's law enforcement agencies be reformed to meet the standards of Ukraine's western neighbours.

The Rule of Law for a New Ukraine

Mr. President Poroshenko, in your inaugural address you state, “It's time to build a new big country. Modern, high-tech, tenable, competitive country.” This is not a new idea, and I'm quite certain I heard such talk in the early 1990s, before Ukraine had a new constitution and before the hryvnia was introduced in the autumn of 1996 as Ukraine's national currency. However, why hasn't Ukraine developed as such over all these years? It is actually we could all enumerate a list as long as your forearm, but in fact it is a lot simpler than that. It's a very simple phrase and principle known as The Rule of Law. Many of Ukraine's problems can be solved by adhering to this simple princple.

Ukraine has plenty of good legislation on the books though it must be implemented equally and fairly for all citizens of Ukraine as well as to its visitors, and business persons. In order to do there there are many reforms which will be necessary and one of these is to reduce the ratio of police to population ratio and to ensure that those individuals are to there to police are there for the right reasons. This will involve the appropriate screening and training of what will be a new and professional police force. These law enforcement officials must be paid at a level which would put them in a position that would not require them to even have the slightest desire to ask for a bribe of anyone for any reason. In fact doing so would become extremely costly, with fines, relief of duty without pay and possible incarceration. They will have to be examplary individuals who will set an example for the rest of society. Now let's return to the police to population ratio. I examined this at the beginning of this year in my piece Europe’s Sado-masochistic Approach Towards Ukraine and having done a bit of research I found that “Ukraine has about 644 at a minimum and other sources say that it is closer to 800 police officers to 100,000 population. In Canada that number stands at closer to 202 per 100,000” and most of Europe's police to population ratios range from 200 to 350 per 100,000 population, though there some anomalies in some countries. A goal should be set to reduce the police to population ratio by fifty percent in the next five years while at the same time improving the qualifications of the officers. The omni-presence of police officers is not good for tourism, particularly when they can't communicate with tourists and being a positive image of their city and more greatly of all of Ukraine.

You Mr. President Poroshenko, from your own experience know and understand the benefit speaking English affords you. Would you not say that it would be good for police officers to be able to speak more than just Ukrainian or Russian? A half-hearted effort was made in a PR effort to teach officers foreign languages prior to the Euro-2012, this should be a part of continuous improvement of all officers, particularly of those who are in cities considered to be tourist destinations.

When, The Rule of Law – becomes a priority for law enforcement, the judicial system and the population as a whole the changes necessary to “build a new big country” will be much more achievable. In doing so there will be foreign individuals and companies who will be encouraged to invest in the people of Ukraine, its most important resource in order to develop different niches within Ukraine's economy. The road map to doing business in Ukraine should be clear without any surprishing hair pin turns in the road as often is the case. Disputes between investors and the beneficiaries of such investments bust be dealt with fairly, which has often not been the case since Ukraine has become independent. I hope you Mr. President and the team that you assemble will work fastidiously in this area. It will play an important role in Ukraine's future and its contemporary history.

A World Culture of Ukraine

You are completely correct in stating, “Nobody will protect us until we learn to defend ourselves.” Mr. President Poroshenko, well said in a military sense. Though those in people in Ukrainian society who are most vulnerable must also be protected by well targeted social policy and the rule of law. However, as grantor of Ukraine's constitution are you prepared to carry this over to cultural matters as well?

This is an area that will eventually need major reforms, though at this point it is not a priority, though it can be done by all consciencious Ukrainians simply as a matter of choice and the creation of a market demand. It must be given serious consideration if we are to develop a national cultural industry. This would include Ukrainian content laws which promote local musicians. This is something I have been dealing with for the last fifteen years in a number of different ways for Ukraine, but the same komsomol organizations let the garbage prosper at the cost of new talent. Music and culture can be a very vialble industry. Right now in Ukraine it is nothing, because of no structured policy and a lack of vision.

I will give you an example, in Canada because of Federal legislation and the competition created by it, I can hear about twenty contemporary bands who travel internationally, many that have not penetrated Ukraine yet, but who will in time. Sweden is another country who's cultural industry policy is well developed in exporting its cultural products abroad.

Ukrainian culture needs a policy. Not conceived by political hacks and musicians in favour of one group or another but composed of professionals who want to lift Ukraine culturally to a different level! It isn't what you think or what the average individual things about it. There has to be a systemic approach to culture, and this means cooperation and shared risk on projects, without the egos that so many seem to have.

This crisis has shown us a physical crisis – which I'm certain not all will ever understand, though the few times below have to be followed trough on in the cultural industry in Ukraine if it is to become a great country we would all like to see it become.
1) The last years of neglience of many aspects of Ukainian life has left us with a lot of third and fourth class artist making money for nothing!
2) We must eliminate the Soviet style of People's artist which has been simply another corrupt means of civil servants of lining their pockets, let the market decide on who is an artist, writer, performer or whatever other type of designations are given in the arts.
3) Copyright and intellectual property rights have to be respected in both contemporary arts as well as more traditional art forms.
Ukraine is a country full of uncut diamonds, they have to be show respect and given the opportunity to show their brilliance. Through the wise implementation of proper and progressive policies in this area, in concurrence with sticking to The Rule of Law, the progress that will be made in the very short period will give all Ukrainians regardless of where they live to be extremely proud to be Ukraine.

May God bless you and the people of Ukraine Mr. President Poroshenko in the challenges you face.

Sources: President Petro Poroshenko's Innaugural Address



Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant
The commentary of this was first published on the wpawlowsky.com site.

Call out to President-Elect Petro Poroshenko

Exit polls are not an exact science, though from my years consulting with Democratic Initiatives Foundation, the first Ukrainian NGOs to ever use such a tool as form of control over elections, they are pretty damn accurate when properly designed and with an appropriate sample size. Given all the problems cause by one man by the name of Vladimir Putin. He can be considered one of the greatest threats to peace and environmental destruction in this world, and is clearly turning out to be a product of his dictatorial past as an agent of the KGB.

Today's elections in Ukraine where historic in many different ways. With two of Ukraine's eastern oblast of Luhansk and Donetsk being under the control of Russian sanctioned terrorists, voting in the industrial heartland of the country was next to non-existent – in Luhansk oblast only 2 of twelve Territorial Commissions have been able to set up and run, and in Donetsk there were only 7 of twenty-two according to official figures of the Central Electoral Commission on the morning of May 25 on election day.

In the mean time the newly formed independent region of Novorossia, led by pro-Russian anti-democratic and nothing short of criminal backed Oleh Tsariov, decided to burn ballots, destroy ballot boxes and continue to use terror to keep people from voting. This had been the modus operandi of those who have wanted to be self-proclaimed leaders in different districts of Eastern Ukraine.

The people have spoken - Moscovy continues with lies

Regardless of all the difficulties Ukrainians turned out en masse to vote. As I pen this voter turn out was sitting at 60.44% of all eligible voters. Let's just think of what it may have been if all those heavily armed people were wreaking havoc in the highly populated eastern oblasts of Ukraine. I have no doubt that number may have reached 67-72% of the eligible electorate. In Donetsk oblast only 12.04% of eligible voters were able to cast there ballots for a new and legitimate president.

Those stifiling the vote in Eastern Ukraine being three different types of individuals/groups. Firstly, they traitor/criminals who want to carve up the regional territory, this includes the douche bags like Tsariov and others elected to the Verkovna Rada. Though there are also the criminals who don't believe in the rule of law, and have no value for anything including life! Having had a few friends killed in Ukraine since independence it really doesn't surprise me how few valueless people live in Ukraine. The second group, are really those who shipped in to the region, just like in Crimea, by Moscovy – with top-of-the-line armaments and wearing the uniform of the Colorado Potato Beetle, in one simple little ribbon – which really means nothing but oppression to Ukrainians – regardless of the language they speak. The third group are the lazy good-for-nothings who have been brainwashed by Moscovy's propoganda, or are decendants of Russians suplanted in Ukraine after Stalin conducted his genocidal program against Ukraine and its people in 1932-33!

As in many elections before in Ukraine there were many, what are called technical candidates, though this seemed not to matter in any way at all. The most comical of these technical candidates where not those that were really as such, but which turned out to be a great slap in the face to the propoganda coming from Moscovy over the last six months!

'The hunta government of Kyiv is filled by fascists from the Right Sector and other fascists!”

All of Russia has been deprived of any type of independent media and this media has been the main source of information for many Russian speakers. The fear mongering from Moscow has been a seventy-year old story about people who fought for an independent Ukraine. They talk about Nazi-collaboraters. Yet according to some sources, the full report of the Nuremberg Trials were not publishes in their entirety by Moscow in order to discredit Ukrainian patriots.

There were a number of volumes which dealt with Nazi-collaborators which exonerated Ukrainians – members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists both of the Bandera and Melnyk factions, though these were never published in the USSR!

Unlike, in Moscovy over the last nearly quarter of a century many of Ukraine's youth have been exposed ot their history. From the Holodomor, to the valiant efforts of those who fought both against the Nazi's and the Red Army and those who simply wanted to destroy the Ukrainian nation. I have friends amonst that group - including the acting MFA of Ukraine Andriy Deschytsia, and former diplomat Bohdan Yaremenko whom I both have known since before Ukraine's independence. I know many others individuals who are competent and have to be engaged now, and not used by political parties and exploiters. Unfortunately, there were political parties that tried to use this last Maidan in such a manner – and the resuls reveal who they are!

Yes, I've digressed! Though exit polls show us is that the “rabid facists” have garnered a great deal fewer votes then the propoganda machine of Moscovy predicted.

Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

If you really believe the propoganda of RT – the “soft power” project of the Kremlin then let's take things one step further!

Today, Russia's first national televison program took their lies oe step further. Today, during a live broadcast and declared that the Right Sector presidential candidate Dmytro Yarosh had received 37% of the popular vote and the he had in fact won Ukrainian Presidential election.

Russian First National stating that Dmytro Yarosh won Ukraine's Presidential Election of May 25, 2014 with 37% of the popular vote![

This is so far from the truth that I have to wonder just how much is Tsar Putin going to try to continue his lies? Though this is not just directed to the world's newest dictator! I think that most of the independent media in the world to also understand the bullshit that you have been fed by Moscovy and even some of the big press agencies, who were never ready to tell the truth but to pull Moscovy's line. Calling those with Russian supplied armaments pro-Russian separatists, with gun-handling abilities that are only afforded to those with many years of military experience. In short, those media who have been misrepresenting what has really been going on in Crimea, and now in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts – forget it you are not jounalists but pawns of Mosovy!

When people are terrorized? What do you call those that terrorize them? Answer it yourselves!

I know that there are many journalists out on the line who can see this, but it is time for the editorial boards and management of media to start being honest! Unless of course the Kremlin has a controlling interest in your media.


All hoping for a new direction

One of the biggest problems in Ukraine in its nearly twenty-three years of independence has been the lack of reforms and following the rule-of-law. While they are still counting the votes I know Petro Poroshenko will be President. Though I have some questions to him as new leader and I hope he will do something to change it. Some journalists have been attacking him about divesting of his television company.

To a very great degree I can see where they are coming form, but they are being very narrow minded. Twenty years ago I spoke with young Ukrainian leaders and spoke to them about a number of pieces of legislation that would be a positive move towards a more demo-economic system. This included such things as anti-nepotism laws, conflict of interest laws, and transparency in all transactions. For Poroshenko to simply sell this media holding may in fact cause more problems then they can imagine without all the other legislation in Ukraine in place and being enforced.

Asking Poroshenko, or others who are politically involved under the current legislation of Ukraine to give up their control of any form of media would be a very dangerous and foolish step! Without the legislation in place that can properly contol many different problems in the sphere of press freedoms, conflict of interest, nepotism and other matters this would be detrimental to Ukraine's development.

Calling for a new generation

While Petro Poroshenko is not one without skeletons in his closet, I do have some reservations of the things I heard regarding much of the electoral campaign. Much of this was from people who would make statements that were very much along the lines used in Soviet times in order to discredit individuals.

This same method was used to vote for Petro Poroshenko. Why you ask? Many key intellectual persona would state – “He's a good person from the information I know!”

In this case, this was true – though Ukraine needs a total reformation and I hope that Poroshenko can make it happen.

In contemporary Ukrainian society it is just as easy as it was to disseminate a lie and a rumour during Soviet times. Say something to people in the metro or in a local watering hole and everyone will think you are either an informant for the FSB or CIA.. I know this form personal experience.. Thank you to an incopetent diplomat or someone on the payroll form Moscow from the EU.

However, a new generation must be built upon those who spent time working for Ukraine. There has to be revision of those who are trusted.

There has to be a review of what dual citizenship and privleges of those who want to build a nation has to function. Individuals who come into the country to discredit it should be arrested and eventually deported. We have a clear example of a sex-pat from the UK, who did nothing but look at Ukrainian women as those to exploit. We should all know who he is, and if you don't – ask here I'll you. However, I have a bit of a bias.

Mr President call on all specialists

Petro Oleksiyovych, we met once in passing in 2005 and I have pictures wth you. You know me from Adam, but I think I speak a great deal for many Ukrainians who grew up beyond Ukraine's borders. No one every really valued Ukrainians abroad! Do you? Do you care about how Ukrainians who are still Ukrainian citizens, and those who have been supporting Ukraine form as second and third generation Ukrainians? I hope you do!

You are very much aware of the unofficial anti-diaspora program that existed in order to ensure that transparency in business didn't exist in Ukraine. I personally understand this much better than many, I hope you can start ensuring business works on the basis of transperency.

I hope that this changes a great deal. I hope that young students, who are thoses who followed me in leadership positions in SUSK (Soiuz Ukrainskoho Studentsva Kanady). I was denied such opportunities because of the damn bureaucracy that existed and still exists – hiring incompetent idiots in Ukraine, and all the other, fucked up beauracracy that exists for individuals to invest in Ukraine.

I expect that you find a way to integrate Ukrainians from throughout the world who are top in their line and that the be conpensated for their speciality!

I know there are plenty of very qualified Ukrainians, though there is also a necessity to recompense those who have been screwed by other political leaders. I know many qualified indivduals in that sphere...

You have shown from what I have heard of paying employee's officially and not an envelope – time for all of Ukraine to work that way.

Dealing with Liar from Moscovy

It has become very clear that Moscovy has become a land of propogandistic lies. How should we be dealing with this? For the most part it will be the same way that the people of Ukraine have dealt with the lies and bull shit that thier polititions spew to them. While I was against Yanukovych's method's and non-judicial means of throwing Yulia Tymoshenko in prison, Ukrainians have clearly understood that her populusim was a lot of bullshit. I hope they from this day forward hold every politician from this day forth accountable for every single action they take.

Though the most important aspect of any democracy is the accountabilty of elected officials, and this being the case – the not yest president-elect has to introduce a bill which would eliminate the bullshit which has existed for the entire period of Ukraine's newly-found independence in 1991 – this concept of immunity of persecution of elected officials. That really has to be the first decision! With that decision – Ukraine will start to move forward – at least I an many others hope it will.

Once the rule of law is put into place and starts to function, then dealing with those liars to the northwest will be extremely easy. Petro Oleksiyovych – make these things happen. Find those who want to move as far away form Sovedepia as possible and help all Ukrainians to prosper. In doing so the motion will be set as an example and our neighbours will understand that this will come through a more liberal and all inclusive democracy, regardless of its limitations.

Today was not only a great day for Ukraine but for all the people in its neighbouring countries.

Yes, democracy is still not perfect, nor is capitalism for that matter, but if Ukrainians are open and extremely progressive – they will set a great number of examples for the entire planet. Particularly in the area of renewable resources – and in doing so giving Moscovy a good kick in the crotch for it's arcaic attitude of global affairs. If you understand where I'm coming from – there is no need for explanation. If you need an explanation – you are a simply a sovdep dinosaur and I could talk to you until I'm blue in the face – and that is not my desire! I've been doing this for the last quarter of a century!

Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant
The commentary of this was first published on the wpawlowsky.com site.