Lviv students protest government interference in rector's election (03/30/03)

Lviv students protest government interference in rector's election

by Matthew Matuszak and Liliya Kovalyk

LVIV - Approximately 4,000 students gathered on March 25 in the square near the statue of Ivan Franko, across the street from Ivan Franko National University in Lviv to protest Ministry of Education interference in the election of a rector for the university. Ivan Vakarchuk's contract as rector of the university ended on March 24, and students and staff of the university object to the interference in the process of electing another rector.

On March 18, Vasyl Kremin, Ukraine's minister of education, issued an order stating that Vakarchuk would continue as acting rector until the position was filled. On March 19, Mr. Kremin informed Dr. Vakarchuk that, because of the pressure of certain political forces, he was forced to retract the order and appoint a person who does not work in the university.

To date, no one outside the university has ever been designated as rector.

According to Dr. Vakarchuk, Minister Kremin said, "I must do this." On March 20, Dr. Vakarchuk gave a report on his work at the university as rector at a staff conference and received the unanimous support of the delegates, representing 28,000 students and staff. Thereafter, V. Bykovskyi, head of the personnel department of the Ministry of Education, phoned and asked him to return the copy of Minister Kremin's order.

On March 24, another order came to the university from the Ministry of Education stipulating that Dr. Vakarchuk will act as rector only until April, when a staff conference will be held at which time the staff will be asked to support the candidacy of a new rector.

That same day, Oleksa Hudyma, national deputy from the Our Ukraine bloc announced: "We will not allow certain political forces to destabilize Lviv National University. ... Prior to the presidential elections, we cannot doze off because some people want to rule, not only the university, but other structures. Educational institutions should not be the playthings of certain political forces."

The normal procedure for choosing a rector is for the teachers of the university to vote and for the election to be confirmed by the Ministry of Education in Kyiv.

On March 25 Mr. Hudyma joined the striking students, who came from the Lviv Polytechnic Institute, the Forest Technology Institute, and the Medical University, as well as Ivan Franko University. Stepan Hordii, head of the teachers' union, announced at the strike that the teachers had decided at a meeting on March 24 that the whole teaching staff also will strike if necessary.

According to the newspaper Postup, the students are not coming out for or against the candidacy of Dr. Vakarchuk for the position of rector. Holding signs reading "The election of the rector is an internal matter of the university," they simply demand that the election of the university's rector be done openly and honestly.

According to a statement released by the staff, this incident "casts doubts on Lviv National University's capacity for autonomy and self-regulation of its activities. ... At the same time, this demonstrates the inability of government organs of authority in education to use democratic principles in government educational policy, with conditions of university autonomy."

There is speculation in Lviv that Dr. Vakarchuk has been targeted because in February and March 2001 Lviv university students were involved in anti-Kuchma demonstrations and the rector refused to punish these students. Student leaders say that Dr. Vakarchuk was asked if the students would have any problems, and that he responded that the students would not have problems, but he would.

In addition, there is talk that since Mr. Kremin is a member of the pro-Kuchma Social Democratic Party-United, he can secure the appointment of a rector who can be used next year during the presidential elections in encouraging students to support the candidate endorsed by President Kuchma to be his successor.

"I went to Volodymyr-Volynskyi to meet with Vasyl Kremin," said Dr. Vakarchuk, "and he confirmed that he was satisfied with the work of the university, but he did not dispute the fact that the order was revoked. When I asked him 'why,' he answered, 'circumstances have worked out that way.' "

The press center of the university is preparing an appeal to President Leonid Kuchma, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn regarding the situation.

This story was written with materials from the newspapers Postup, Vysokyi Zamok and Lvivska Hazeta.

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