Gathering on the eve of official celebrations, others offer their assessments of the Orange Revolution (12/04/05)

Gathering on the eve of official celebrations, others offer their assessments of the Orange Revolution

by Zenon Zawada and Yana Sedova
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - As Ukrainians were preparing to officially mark Freedom Day decreed by President Viktor Yushchenko for November 22 to mark the first anniversary of the Orange Revolution, Kyiv was witness to other gatherings also focused on the first year of Orange power.

Pora on Bankova Street

The day prior to the anniversary, the Pora political party, also referred to as "Zhovta" Pora, held a conference in two large yellow tents on the maidan.

Afterwards, more than 1,000 activists marched in a wide column to Bankova Street with the intention of dismantling the iron gates that prevent pedestrians from approaching the Presidential Secretariat building.

"The high gate on Bankova Street became an obstacle between society and the government," said Yevhen Zolotariov, a Zhovta Pora leader.

For several months, Zhovta Pora had demanded that the new government dismantle the gates that the Yushchenko administration made even higher after the Orange Revolution.

However, top officials paid no attention to their claims.

"Though the government changed, relations between the government and society haven't," Mr. Zolotariov said. "As it was before, top officials are not in a hurry to submit to society's control."

As the Pora activists approached the President Secretariat, about 400 police officers, many of them in body armor and helmets, lined up in rows in front of the iron gate.

The scenario began to resemble last year's events, when Leonid Kuchma's regime placed rows of police in front of main government buildings.

However this time around, Presidential Secretariat Chair Oleh Rybachuk diffused and prevented any confrontation. Just as the marchers began heading down Bankova Street, Mr. Rybachuk ordered the police to open the gate and invited journalists into the gated area.

Pora activists joined them without any disturbance and demanded that the government dismantle a symbol of separation between government and society.

Mr. Rybachuk said "the gate was built by our enemies," with approval from the Kyiv local government. At times yelling into a megaphone in his dialogue with the activists, he said the government wouldn't dismantle the iron gate.

After their loud meeting with Mr. Rybachuk on the steps of the landmark Building with Chimeras, Pora activists presented him with a metal cutter for him to dismantle the gate in case it is closed again.

Then the activists crossed the street and went back to Independence Square.

Mr. Rybachuk promised that the gate would remain open, unless there is a an official meeting between President Yushchenko and top foreign officials.

Vitrenko on the maidan

Two days prior to Freedom Day, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine (PSPU) Chair Natalia Vitrenko was the first political leader to deliver a public speech in relation to the Orange Revolution's anniversary.

The main purpose of the so-called "Progressive Maidan" rally, attended by about 2,000 pro-Russian demonstrators, was to condemn the Yushchenko government and urge the Ukrainian people to unite with Russia and Belarus.

During her one-hour speech, Ms. Vitrenko said President Yushchenko and the Orange Revolution's leaders had deceived Ukrainian citizens. "I want all people to know how deceitful, greedy and amoral are those who stand on the maidan, these ringleaders," Ms. Vitrenko said.

Massive political repressions started when Mr. Yushchenko became president and 18,000 government officials lost their positions because they didn't support the leaders of the Orange Revolution, Ms. Vitrenko charged.

She also cited an Internet article she had read that Mrs. Yushchenko had been awarded the rank of general in the Central Intelligence Agency for her spying activities in Ukraine.

Her party's leaflets called last year's events "an Orange takeover" and said the new government "is selling the country, attacking the Russian language and the Russian Orthodox Church."

Many of her supporters arrived from Crimea and the eastern regions of Ukraine and waved PSPU and Party of the Regions flags, as well as those of Russia and Belarus.

Tetiana Prokofieva, 58, voted for Viktor Yanukovych in all three rounds of the presidential election and said the former candidate was the only person able to bring Ukraine out of crisis.

"When Yanukovych was prime minister, social programs were launched and life became stable," Ms. Prokofieva said. "Now these programs do not function."

Many participants of the meeting asserted that unity with Russia is the only way for Ukraine to revive.

They were sure that Ukraine's eastern neighbor would offer cheap energy resources, such as natural gas, in exchange for the country's loyalty.

"We are spiritually together (with the Russian people) and they will always support us," said Oleksii Oleksandrov, 20. "Western countries used us and they will do so in the future."

Vera Rozum, 66, echoed the words of Ms. Vitrenko, referring to the Orange Revolution's leaders as thieves. "Yushchenko says that his hands are clean," Ms. Rozum said. "But his right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing."

Pensioners from Crimea said the economic situation has become worse and they barely survive on their pensions. "Two months ago, one canister of natural gas cost $17, now it is $30," Ms. Rozum said. "And our pensions are $60 a month." Families in small towns and villages buy canisters of natural gas for cooking food. One canister is enough for one month.

"My ideal is the unity of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia," Ms. Prokofieva said. "These Slavic people were together, and they should be together. Ukraine can economically benefit only from unity with Russia."

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