Quotable notes

"The Ukrainian Parliament is a rather curious creation. Virtually all of Ukraine's businessmen are members of the Parliament, which serves as their meeting place. It is frequently stated that about two-thirds of the Ukrainian parliamentarians are dollar millionaires, and the Ukrainian Parliament might actually appear more reminiscent of the New York Stock Exchange than the U.S. Congress. One reason for all these businessmen sitting in Parliament is that parliamentarians enjoy legal immunity, but their often large corporate interests mean that they are easily subject to repression from various state inspections of their enterprises. Another reason for their presence in Parliament is that government interference in business remains excessive."

- Anders Aslund of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, during the hearing "Ukraine's Future and U.S. Interests" by the Committee on International Relations of the U.S. House of Representatives on May 12, as cited by RFE/RL Belarus and Ukraine Report.

"In my view, no political event in Europe this year is more important than Ukraine's presidential elections next October. They amount to two clear-cut choices between democracy and dictatorship, as well as between a Western and Eastern geopolitical orientation."

- Anders Aslund of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, during the hearing on "Ukraine's Future and U.S. Interests" by the Committee on International Relations of the U.S. House of Representatives on May 12, as cited by RFE/RL Belarus and Ukraine Report.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, June 20, 2004, No. 25, Vol. LXXII

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