EDITORIAL: The mission is far from over (03/02/03)

EDITORIAL

The mission is far from over

On February 3 the White House released its Fiscal Year 2004 budget proposal. Although the budget must still gain congressional approval, it cuts aid to Ukraine by 40 percent and significantly reduces U.S. broadcasting in that country.

By cutting funding to Ukraine, the budget proposed by the White House for 2004 turns its back on Ukraine, regardless of the same document's words that "America will continue providing assistance to democracy building and civil society programs in Ukraine."

Specifically, the cuts will have a dramatic effect on Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reducing staff and programming and, most importantly, decreasing the effectiveness of two widely recognized independent media that have a history of impartiality and fairness in their broadcasts throughout Ukraine.

The reason given for the sweeping cutbacks to U.S. broadcasts in Eastern and Central Europe - that their mission has been achieved - although applicable to Baltic and Central European states, in no way jibes with the reality in Ukraine.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees VOA and Radio Liberty, was created to help foster an "exchange of accurate and objective news and ideas in countries and regions of the world where, because of geographic, developmental or political reasons, there is a dearth of free and open information."

The BBG, which along with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) initiated the cuts, believes that even with the scaled-down programming U.S.-funded broadcast services in Ukraine would still be substantial enough to fulfill the BBG's mission there.

BBG Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson needs to re-evaluate that position. Simply stated, it is wrong.

The media in Ukraine, in fact, are not free. If protesting journalists, "temnyky" and the murder of prominent journalists lead the BBG to believe that their mission in Ukraine has ended, they should speak with the majority of the country's electorate who are hard-pressed to find a media outlet independent of political influence.

The decision to cut VOA and Radio Liberty Ukraine service funding not only runs counter to U.S. policy, as pointed out by Mykola Tomenko, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee for the Freedom of Expression and Information, it also solidifies the grip that oligarchs have on Ukraine's mass media.

Viktor Yushchenko, one of Ukraine's most reform-minded and popular politicians, recently told The Washington Times that the only thing democratic forces in Ukraine really need is help in assuring that the presidential election will be free and fair.

While the BBG's allocation of $30 million in start-up funds for an Arabic-language satellite television network is an admirable step in the U.S. fight on terrorism, Mr. Tomlinson and the OMB should not forget that Ukraine, a year and a half away from its November 2004 presidential election, faces what politicians in the country have called a terrible political crisis.

With the presidential campaign unofficially gearing up, cutting funding to Voice of America and Radio Liberty, which have a significant impact in Ukraine - 6 million Ukrainians currently tune in to VOA broadcasts and 3 million to Radio Liberty - affects the legitimacy of the election and the democracy the U.S. is trying to build there.

If the United States is truly committed to helping Ukraine's electorate freely and fairly elect a new president, it must not cut such programs as the Voice of America and Radio Liberty. We urge the Congress of the United States to ensure that the 2004 budget maintains the current levels of funding to Ukraine, specifically to VOA and Radio Liberty, in order to help Ukraine move toward democracy - and not away from it.

| Home Page |