LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (09/10/06)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Democratic process is alive in Ukraine

Dear Editor:

For nearly a year I have read in The Ukrainian Weekly and elsewhere the in-depth criticism of President Viktor Yushchenko - blaming his actions or in- actions for the direction that Ukraine has headed since the Orange Revolution. The level of disapproval seems ever worse since Mr. Yushchenko accepted the nomination of Viktor Yanukovych as Ukraine's prime minister.

Although I disagree with a number of Mr. Yushchenko's actions, I remind myself of the conversation I had two days before Mr. Yushchenko was voted into office with a gentleman named Sashko living in the tent city on the maidan. I had earlier witnessed the man with fevering style waving his orange flag and chanting "Yush-chen-ko, Yush-chen-ko, Yush-chen-ko." He later explained to me that he had been living in the tent city for over a month and that he was "not there for Yushchenko but rather to guarantee the right of his vote." He explained that Mr. Yushchenko was merely the pinnacle of the revolution.

Sashko wasn't standing for Yushchenko. He said that if "Yushchenko doesn't cut it - then we'll simply vote him out when the time comes." Evidentially Sashko understands the democratic process.

As an aside, is it Mr. Yushchenko's promises or the diaspora's expectations of him that did not come to fruition? Perhaps this is what we should debate.

Many have announced that the Orange Revolution is dead. On the contrary, the last parliamentary elections prove that the democratic process is in full force in Ukraine. According to Sashko, this is why he and others stood on the maidan - for their right to freely choose their own leaders. They chose Mr. Yanukovych and his party. By all accounts it was a free election. Recognizing the will of the people, President Yushchenko appropriately accepted the nomination as any believer in democracy would.

The guarantee of a democratic process was the single most important promise made on the maidan. What started in November 2004 will take many years to finish. Democracy, however, is alive in Ukraine. It's still a toddler, though - so, let's be patient.

Borislaw Bilash II
Millburn, N.J.

The letter-writer served as an election observer in Kharkiv during Ukraine's 2004 presidential elections.

Omissions about Famine Commission

Dear Editor:

Oh, how soon we forget! On August 20, The Ukrainian Weekly printed a lovely picture of Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and the smiling Ulana Mazurkevich and Chrystyna Senyk with an article recalling the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine. There are several glaring mistakes, inconsistencies and omissions in the article that warrant our attention.

The first mistake is the date of the commission. The date was 1986 and not 1998. We remember this date distinctly since Ihor Olshaniwsky was invited to the opening ceremony of the commission in Washington in the spring of 1986. However, he could not attend since, by then, he was on his death bed and died several days later.

There is no mention in the article that Mr. Olshaniwsky, while being president of Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine (AHRU), was the driving force behind the establishment by the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine - an effort that took from 1982 to 1986.

It appears from the article that Sen. Dorgan, Ms. Mazurkevich and Ms. Senyk suggested that a reprint of the congressional eyewitness reports of the 1932-1933 Famine in Ukraine be done and that it should be given to the people of Ukraine on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Famine-Holodomor.

In fact, several years ago the findings and archives of the commission were personally taken to Ukraine by Ms. Mazurkevich, Dr. James Mace and Bohdan Fedorak and given to the library of the Parliament of Ukraine. Since the Parliament of Ukraine purportedly represents the people of Ukraine, the people of Ukraine already have the congressional eyewitness reports of the Famine-Holodomor.

Bozhena Olshaniwsky
Newark, N.J.

Editor's note: The article in question was submitted by Ulana Mazurkevich.

Zawada is true to his profession

Dear Editor:

The letters to the editor in the September 3 issue were for the most part right on target about Zenon Zawada. However, it amazes me that some of our English-reading public fails to see the accomplished newspaper reporter that Mr. Zawada is, and how fortunate we, The Weekly readers, are to be able to read his articles.

Mr. Zawada is true to his profession and writes the story as it is - not how the diaspora would like to read it. So saying that Ukraine's enemies are helped by Mr. Zawada is totally irresponsible and mean-spirited on the part of the letter writer.

I am not a fan of Taras Kuzio, however, I agree with his statements that "Mr. Zawada's opinion article will not be to the liking of a small group of diaspora Ukrainians." If this small group of diaspora Ukrainians thinks that the bright stars of the Orange Revolution were all squeaky clean nationalists, then how did these stars rise to high government positions during the Communist period? We in the diaspora conjured up images of Mr. Yushchenko and others in the Our Ukraine bloc waving the blue-and-yellow or the red-and-black, but the reality is that their primary color in their youth was red. Mr. Zawada had the audacity to remind us of this.

I know Mr. Zawada and have had conversations with him. His opinion is his opinion, and he shares it with us in his column "Reporters Notebook." His opinion is the most informed that comes out of Kyiv because it is researched and all his sources are named. At the same time, while reading Mr. Zawada's newsstories in The Weekly I have never read his opinion - only fascinating reporting.

Zenko Halkowycz
Teaneck, N.J.

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