FOR THE RECORD

UCCA's open letter to Kuchma

Following is the text of an open letter to President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine from the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. The letter is dated February 20, but was released to The Ukrainian Weekly on March 7.

Dear Mr. President:

Nearly 10 years ago, the Ukrainian nation rejoiced in the re-establishment of an independent Ukrainian nation. After 300 years of foreign occupation that suppressed even the most basic human rights, in 1991 the Ukrainian people once again bore witness to the re-establishment of democratic principles in their nation and finally gained the opportunity to live freely in their own homeland. We, Ukrainians who live in the diaspora, together with the Ukrainian nation, experienced moments of euphoria with the declaration of independence and have striven since then to support the Ukrainian nation in its establishment of a democratic society.

We are heartened that in the past year Ukraine has seen some measure of economic growth. We are, however, troubled by the current situation in Ukraine, which has reverberated negatively in U.S. government circles and within the mass media. On December 20, 2000, the chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, Rep. Christopher Smith, stated that the mass media [in Ukraine] should operate in an independent and free manner, without any [outside] pressure, to inform the people since freedom of the press "is a fundamental element of any democracy." The mass media continues to give detailed reports of the tragic situation in Ukraine and stresses its negative influence on economic and political relations between Ukraine and the West.

Our dream of Ukraine quickly becoming a strong democratic country, in which the rule of law protects the Ukrainian people, has not yet been realized. As the president of Ukraine, you, Mr. Kuchma, are the guarantor of the Constitution that protects the rights and freedoms of its citizens and ensures the rule of law within Ukraine. Notwithstanding the positive steps taken in the economic sphere, such as payment of pensions, the increase in the GDP and acquired foreign credits, the Ukrainian people are still concerned about their future and are losing faith in the current government structures.

After nine years of independence, economic and democratic reforms have not yet led to positive changes in Ukraine. So-called "oligarchic" control of the economy and politics, the perceived corruption of law-enforcement structures, the suffocation of the mass media, the deaths of journalists (including Heorhii Gongadze), the killings of political figures, as well as the lack of transparency in the actions taken by government officials in response to these issues give the impression that lawlessness, rather than the rule of law, governs Ukraine. This situation has led to anti-Ukrainian forces that are trying to create chaos within the society in order to destabilize the reform efforts.

All of these instances undermine the authority of Ukraine within the Western world. The Ukrainian diaspora is troubled by the recent political reorientation of Ukraine, which has created closer ties with Russia while moving further away from Europe. Commenting on these events, The Financial Times wrote on January 22 that Ukraine "is changing its foreign policy priorities in the sphere of security towards Russia rather than the West." We believe that such instances will lead Ukraine back into the tragic 1654 Pereiaslav Treaty. An independent Ukraine is important not only to the Ukrainian nation, but also to the Western world, which believes that an independent and democratic Ukraine is the guarantor of stability on the European continent.

We [Ukrainians in the diaspora] would like to accentuate that the diaspora always has stood in defense of the Ukrainian nation and will do so in the future as well. But, we are disturbed by the recent events in Ukraine which are detrimental to the Ukrainian nation and its further development. Taking into account these issues, the Ukrainians in the diaspora demand that the government structures in Ukraine rectify the situation in accordance with the law. We are convinced that only through determined means of all government structures, in accordance with constitutional provisions and the laws of the country, transparency and coherency, can the current crisis be overcome and steer unlimited support from the Western world to Ukraine.

Michael Sawkiw Jr., President
Marie Duplak, Secretary
Ukrainian Congress Committee of America

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 18, 2001, No. 11, Vol. LXIX

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