When is genocide not genocide?

Another example of the Ukrainian Genocide dropping conveniently from sight -- National Geographic has run an article on genocide without even mentioning one of the worst examples in history. As Cyber Cossack notes:

"Really, how can there be an article on Genocide in this icon of intelligence - and not a single mention of Ukraine? Its like Sci Fi Magazine failing to note that a UFO crashed on the pointed ear exhibit at the Star Trek Convention!

And talk about Genocide Denial! The only mention of World War 1.5 (more died in Ukraine than all soldiers killed in WW I) is that the Soviet Union killed some of “its own” - thus whitewashing away this genocide as being just another revolution ( a revolution where only one side died?)

We all know that the Holodomor stopped at the border between Russia and Ukraine, that Stalin deposed the UkraineSSR hierarchy when they refused to carry out his war against Ukraine, and that those areas of Russia that were afflicted by engineered famine were actually habitated by Ukrainians and other ethnic enemies of Russia."

When is totalitarian genocide not genocide? When it's left-wing genocide. . . As I've said before, try to imagine fashion shows with Nazi motifs or red and black t-shirts with the image of Goebbels being chic among the intellectual set. Then you'll see the double standard for what it is. The Soviet Union was an Evil Empire, and only Reagan was courageous and clear-eyed enough to say so.

Ukraine Update -- 22 Feb

- Tymoshenko has met with reps from the IMF. She’s requesting expert help in bringing the Ukrainian economy out of the shadows. A good 50% if the economy is underground, due to both old-fashioned corruption, and a healthy desire to avoid confiscatory tax rates. The government is facing a budget shortfall due to the previous regime’s massive hike of pensions. As Yulia puts it – the economy is underground, but the pensions aren’t. And so the tax base just isn’t there to pay for it all.

- Interior Minister Lutsenko is sending 1,000 militia special forces to the Zakarpattiya Region to crack down on street and organized crime. Some of you may remember that this is the area where paramilitary and criminal groups tied to Medvedchuk’s Social-Democrats have had a very strong presence. They brutally stole the municipal elections in Mukachevo during Kuchma’s regime. There was actually an armed stand-off between some of these people and militia loyal to Yushchenko during the Orange Revolution. Lutsenko is also planning “targeted crackdowns” on organized crime in Donetsk Region in the near future.

- Medvedchuk says that his party is looking to unite with Yanukovych’s Regions Party for 2006. He also said that Yanukovych may be the appropriate leader for this bloc.

- Surprise! The Communists are still idiots. Symonenko has called Kuchma a traitor, and called for Yanukovych and Medvedchuk’s imprisonment. A quick historical reminder – the Communists sat on the sidelines in total silence throughout the Orange Revolution. Now that these criminals are safely defeated, these Communist jackals suddenly roar like lions.

- Yanukovych says he wants to meet with Yulia. He says that it’s traditional for the Opposition to meet with the PM, and he sees no reason to disrupt that. He wants to discuss questions that are troubling people, and wants a larger role for the Opposition. He said his people will continue to work against NATO membership and for more independence for the regions of Ukraine, and will also try to demonstrate the untimeliness of EU membership and the importance of closer relations with Russia.

- Forget the Nuremberg Defense – Yanukovych has given an interesting interview where he used what we might call the Schultz Defense” – named in honor of the clueless Hogan’s Heroes guard who “knew nothing.” According to his version of history, he wasn’t even interested in being president – he even protested against it. As for the falsifications, he maintains that he didn’t know a lot of what was going on in his headquarters, and that moreover, he was against a lot of what he DID know.

- One of the new minor parties here in Ukraine is the “Freedom Party.” They’ve announced they’ll be taking part in the 2006 elections. They’re a self-described Centrist party which mates left-wing social stances with right-wing positions on nationalist issues. So far they support Yushchenko, but have declared a willingness to go into Opposition depending on the decisions the government makes along the way.

- Justice Minister Roman Zvarych has changed his mind about resigning. This threat of resignation was the first crisis of the Tymoshenko government. Zvarych made some cryptic complaints about people in the government trying to force members of his family into corrupt deals. Two leaders from Our Ukraine say that the problem has to do with his opposition to the government’s decision to stop the re-export of oil from Ukraine. I have to admit to all of you that the situation still isn’t clear to me, and I haven’t had the time to read-up on it yet. Either way, he’s staying.

- Minister for Family, Youth and Sports Pavlenko believes Ukraine is poised for a demographic crisis in ten years. They’re in a mini-baby boom at the moment because of a high birth rate from 1977-82. But that’s going to stop soon. He also says that he doesn’t like the massive increase in payments to new mothers. He doubts this will cause a noticeable increase in births, but is afraid that the payments may prove tempting to women in economic hardship.

- Yanukovych spokesman Taras Chornovil says that they’re forming a :civilized, European Opposition”. He says that Yanu’s people will be coordinating with Vitrenko’s Progressive Socialists up to a point. She’s definitely earned that – her people were the vanguard of anti-Yushchenko protests after his recent victory. Chornovil says there will be two tiers to the Opposition – and Yanu’s tier will be a sort of loyal Opposition, working constructively with the government to raise the standard of life in Ukraine.

- Parliamentary Speaker Lytvyn, a Centrist, doesn’t expect stiff Opposition to Yushchenko’s policies until at least next November. With the exception of the Communists. He also said that people’s trust level in Yushchenko remains incredibly high.

- Yushchenko will be having a private meeting with George Bush early Tuesday morning in Brussels. There will also be talks with the head of NATO. The Defense Minister’s prediction for Ukraine’s entry to NATO is 2009.

- Yushchenko’s family has put out the word – don’t give the president expensive presents for his birthday. Instead, give it to a social-humanitarian organization. According to the press release, the days when government functionaries received precious gifts for their birthdays are over.

Ukraine Update -- 19 Feb

I saved my Ukraine update for last, and now I really need to hit the rack. For tonight, in lieu of my regular stuff I'm going to post links to some good English-language resources on the contemporary sitch here.

- SBU launches criminal investigation into eavesdropping on Yushchenko and Tymoshenko.

- Too many corpses (Kyiv Post editorial)

- Deprivatization, carefully (Another KP joint)

- Political analysts chat about the Zvarych resignation

- MOVEMENT TOWARD UNIFICATION OF PRO-YUSHCHENKO CAMP STALLS

- PROFOUND GENERATION SHIFT FOLLOWS UKRAINE'S ORANGE REVOLUTION

- Check back tomorrow for a full update!

Ukraine Update -- 17 Feb

- In an amusing exchange, State Secretary Zinchenko said that the President's new Secretariate isn't a "second government", but rather a state think tank. So the former head of the Kuchma Administration, Medvedchuk, chimes in that during his tenure they had real geniuses there. Yep, thinkers so clever they managed to destroy their own base of power; sweep into office their mortal enemies; and deal Putin, their primary international ally, his first major embarrassment. Plus they had a real "Proffesor" running things.

- Kuchma's allies gave him a comfy retirement packages in the last moments of his presidency kleptocracy. Yulia's yanked it back now, and her Justice Minister is deciding what benefits Kuchma deserves. I have a few suggestions.

- Yushchenko has appointed Boris Nemtsov, one of the remaining liberals in Russia, as an "external advisor."

- Putin will be making an official visit to Ukraine, likely in March. He'll be visiting Kiev, Crimea, Lviv and at least one central city.

- Government Secretary Zinchenko was in Odessa Tuesday, and spoke to a crowd in the city center. Following some of the themes of Yushchenko's recent visit to Donetsk, he offered an olive branch and a warning to the people there. He spoke about the need to formulate a new national idea of unity. Then he warned legal consequences for separatists. The Ukrainian Constitution criminalizes separatism. Zinchenko also promised that the law would be the same for all people.

Yushchenko spent the 15th in Crimea, a separatist hotbed, meeting with the head of that autonomous republic's parliament. Both expressed satisfaction with the meeting.

- First PM Kinakh, whose minor party joined the Oranges during the election season, says they may unite with Yushcheno during the 2006 elections. Now that Constitutional reform has raised the bar to enter parliament, this will probably be a good idea for Kinakh.

- President Bush is requesting $105.2 million in aid for Ukraine, including financial assistance and training for the Ukrainian military. There's a long way to go until Ukraine is ready to integrate into NATO.

- The Cabinet of Ministers is reviewing Kuchma-era documents about the Common Economic Space with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan -- sort of an EEC for repressive backwaters. Their focus is in discerning how the CES will affect Ukraine's national interests.

- Yushchenko called today for regulation of agricultural prices. I'm curious to know how much this has to do with the Socialist Party successfully negotiating for the Ministry of Agriculture slot. Was this part of the deal?

Ukraine Update -- 13 Feb

- Talk continues about forming a united "Nasha Ukraina" (Our Ukraine) party. The "Sobor" party has decided against joining before the 2006 elections. The see themselves as to the Right of any potential united party and don't want to abandon that niche. After the elections the question may be reopened. It looks like the Ukranian People's Party will also remain separate. However, it's likely that all of these groups will unite in a voting bloc for the actual election.

- In another sign that Ukraine is moving toward a Western model, the SBU intel service is being split into two organizations -- one devoted to intelligence gathering, the other a "National Bureau of Investigation". This second group will handle, well, national investigations as well as counter-intel work. This looks a lot like the American CIA/FBI division of labor, or the British MI6/MI5 division of labour.

- Yulia's Cabinet of Ministers has decided to liquidate 14 government committees. The work of many will be folded into surviving committees. One friend of ours works in the Ministry of Agriculture. It's expected that at least 30% of her department will lose their jobs.

The Communists promised the government would wither away after the Revolution. They just didn't expect it to be the Orange Revolution. . .

Yushchenko's High-Water Mark?

One commenter here made the observation recently that the rough 55-45 split in Ukraine probably represents a high-water mark for Yushchenko, and that the 2006 elections might not be as kind to him. If I remember the comment correctly, the idea was that the euphoria of the Revolution would fade over time, and some of his popularity with it.

This is undoubtedly true, to an extent. But I think it misses some other aspects:

1. This period also represents the high-water mark of the irrational hatred of Yushchenko in the east. The people in Donetsk were taught to believe, literally, that Yushchenko is a fascist lackey of America who wants to drive ethnic Russians from Ukraine. He now has two years to conduct a charm offensive in the east. He's taking advantage of the time, as can be seen in both his recent visit to Donetsk, and Tymoshenko's.

2. The media will be balanced next time. Revolts by journalists fed up with being told what to report have helped see to that. Yushchenko's replacement of partisan managers at state-run channels will help too.

3. There's no united Opposition, and there really can't be much of one. Even if the Socialists were to cross over, the entire Left could garner maybe 15% on a good day. Meanwhile, what do they have in common with the oligarch parties like Regions or the Social-Dems? It's unlikely that a compelling alternative vision is going to come out of such a mish-mash of Communists, opportunists, demagogues and oligarchs. This sort of Opposition would also be easier to work around, given its diversity. Such a group will have trouble enforcing discipline, and it'll be easier for the Orange people to pick off votes from the Opposition.

4. Other things I'm too tired to think of right now! What do YOU think?

I've been cursed?

One of the fascinating things about Ukraine are the medieval weeds that peek up unexpectedly through the concrete of modernity -- pagan remnants that Communism couldn't quite stamp out. It doesn't take long here 'til you can understand why vampire stories fit so well in the Carpathian Mountains.

For example, the cab driver who spent half an hour telling me about the rich Gypsy Baron who lives in a nearby town and the many, many ways Gypsies have of hexing you. Or the fetishism of the babushki kissing and praying to the bones of dead monks in the caverns of the Pecherskaya Lavra monastery. Or try getting a Ukrainian man to shake hands across a doorway.

One woman who's very dear to us finds curses every time something major happens to our family. The day after Calvin broke his arm a few months ago, she came to us and breathlessly explained the situation. It turns out, a neighborhood lady had given my children the evil eye while they played on the playground.

Now that Tennyson's had pneumonia, she's discovered why -- a twisted pin and piece of colored glass stuck into the back of our couch. These are apparently elements people use in curses here. She's right about one thing -- those things didn't randomly appear back there. Which leads to the creepy conclusion that someone else sharing the same superstition actually TRIED to curse us. And it's someone who comes in our home. Weird.

None of this is said in any disrespect of Ukraine or her people. It's just one of the interesting aspects of life here.

Ukraine Update -- 11 Feb

- Tymoshenko met with a US congressional delegation today at the "House with Chimeras", my second-favorite building in Kiev. Among the delegates were Sens. John McCain and Hillary Clinton. The group supports the idea of lifting the Jackson-Vanick Amendment, and granting market status to Ukraine. Tymoshenko also spoke with Madeleine Albright by phone and thanked her for her support of democracy during the Revolution.

The House with Chimeras

- Yuschenko will likely travel next month to Washington. He's expected to meet with President Bush, to address Congress, and to push for Ukraine's entry to the WTO.

- The united "Our Ukraine" party may be formed by the end of February. A spokesman said the party's platform would be almost identical to that of Yushchenko's parliamentary bloc which has the same name.

- To make the party system a little more confusing, the People's Agrarian Party is now just the People's Party. They've signed a manifesto supporting national and geographic unity in Ukraine, and calling for the end of the oligarchic system in Ukraine. The manifesto calls for it to be replaced by a true "people's government."

- Lutsenko has fired all the deputy Minsters of Internal Affairs, and is in the process of changing the leadership structure there. There will be one "first deputy" and six deputies.

- In one of those only in Ukraine moments, Yushchenko may ban both hunting and visits to the public steam baths for members of his government and for militia (law enforcement) commanders. These venues are notorious for corrupt dealmaking. He's considering a 10 year ban for such people. Coming from a different culture, this one's a little weird to me. :-)

- The Communist Party leader, Symonenko, has asked Yushchenko to name a Communist as General Prosecutor. He said it would be a test of Yushchenko's rhetoric about "European values." Editors note: Just because the French do it, I'm not sure that putting Communists in charge of things can be considered a "European value."

- Yushchenko flew to a Swiss clinic today to consult about his skin condition. The General Prosecutor went with him to collect evidence for the investigation.

- Keeping busy, Yushchenko spent the 10th down in Donetsk. He introduced the new governor, and spoke to both opponents and supporters. He made the case that the corruption and criminal system keep investment away from Donetsk, and pledged to reform the system.

Ukraine Update -- 9 Feb

- CLARIFICATION: I mentioned Ukraine would be the US's largets aid receipient. Obviously, that would be Iraq, followed by Israel. What I intended to say was the largest aid recipient in the former Soviet Union. . .

- Dan asked the other day about Poroshenko's appointment. It came today -- he's the new Secretary of National Security and Defense. My understanding is that he'll be in a position to make major reforms in this bloated sector.

- Speaking of which, terms of conscription are now dropping from 18 months to 12. That's six months less violent hazing and bad food. Our poor youth pastor was drafted about 16 months ago. Bad timing.

- The Party of Regions (Yanukovych) will likely enter the 2006 parliamentary elections independently, rather than uniting in a bloc as they have in the past.

- The Social-Dems, on the other hand, are actively seeking partners. This is a matter of survival. They got 6% last election, but are around 1.5% these days. Likely partners include Trudovaya and "United Ukraine."

- Yushchenko is going ahead with the troop pull-out from Iraq, but his Foreign Minister says they're going to be replaced with businessmen, diplomats and instructors.

- Ukraine will be the highest aid recipient from the US next year, with Georgia in second place. Over the past few years I've had a lot of people ask why the US wasn't giving more to Ukraine. I explained that Kuchma had made Ukraine pariah, and the State Department was waiting. It's nice to see that change.

- A column of PORA protesters are coming to Kiev from the western city of Uzhgorod. They're protesting the financial abuses of the local city head. That region is anomalous as the oligarchs' only solid outpost in the west of Ukraine -- the Social-Dems were strong there. This type of pressure is exactly what PORA needs to be doing.

I may have some news for you tomorrow about a PORA political party. Had a VERY interesting convo today with a potential candidate for parliament.

- For an English-language look at some of the new Ministers, check out Zerkalo Nedeli. Thanks Valerie!

- Also, one of my favorite blogs, Ace of Spades HQ, is blogging about Ukraine. Thanks to Rapid Transit for the head's up.

Now for something completely different -- The new Ukrainian spy chief is Baptist

One result of the Revolution was a higher (and more positive) profile for Evangelicals. Reformed churches first came to Ukraine 450 years ago, and even during Communism there was a solid Evangelical presence. But the real growth has come since Independence. Out of a combination of Orthodox territoriality, lingering suspicion of the West, and the ubiquity of sects like the Mormons, Evangelicals have had a hard row to hoe at times.

So it was a defining moment when the heads of the Baptist Church and several other Protestant groups stood on stage with Yushchenko, alongside the leaders of the Kiev Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church and the Eastern Rite Catholics. Protestants were resolute in support of democratic reform -- Evangelical prayer tents, literature and people were everywhere.

Still, I never imagined something like this. Multiple sources have told me that the new head of the SBU, Oleksander Turchinov, is a Baptist believer. It'll be interesting to see what he can do with such a corrupt and factionalized organization.

Ukraine Update -- 6 Feb

- Here's a great resource to get a look at Yulia's new Cabinet. It also gives background, for those of you who read Russian. For those who don't, find an online translator. ;-) In the end, the Socialists got 3 spots, rather than four. Yushchenko's Nasha Ukraina got the lion's share, and Kinakh and some others were given a place at the table. All in all the appointments look good.

- Given the results of the Prime Minister vote, it really looks like there won't be a united Opposition in the near future. At least not the "harsh" Opposition that Yanukovych was wanting. Too many on the other side want to win whatever concession they can from the Oranges to actually fight back. As Regions, United Ukraine and the SDPU shrink, it'll be interesting to see how they respond. They need to make 5%, if memory serves, to get into Parliament after the 2006 elections. Only Regions has a real shot at that right now.

- Lutsenko and Turchinov have taken over the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the SBU (the Ukrainian Intel Service.) They're talking as a team about reforming their respective organizations, and eliminating the systematic corruption within them. I like what Turchinov had to say: "Today there isn't going to be a division -- who can, who can't: everyone is equal before the law. All who break the law await an accounting. This in the first place, is what millions of people are awaiting from us, who believed in us." (Word for word translation, rather than a pretty one.)

- Petro Symonenko, the Communist Party leader here in Ukraine, says that the Tymoshenko vote demonstrates that the Communists are the only real Opposition in Ukraine. He has a point. They were the only ones to refuse to vote for her en masse.

That might seem academic at this point, but remember that in 2006 you'll have the rumps of half a dozen oligarch parties, plus the two Centrist parties of Lytvyn and Tyhypko, plus Vitrenko's Progressive Socialists and the Communists all scrabbling for the 45% who voted for Yanukovych. Being able to say you're the only consistent Yushchenko-hater will have its benefits.

Given that the Communists have gone from getting in the 40-percentile to the 5 in presidential elections, they need all the help they can get. Especially as another of their Deputies quit the party yesterday to become an Independent. The day before they kicked out two others for voting for Yulia.

That last seemed a bit self-defeating. But it's their Party and they'll die if they want to. . .

- Yushchenko is following through on his campaign promise to increase the benefit payment to new parents 12-fold to 8460 grivnas. This is about 1560 dollars. While I'm not generally a fan of social engineering, this might be a really good idea. Ukraine is a dying nation. Affordable housing and decent wages are what's needed in the long term, but anything that gets the birth rate up is a good thing.

- Tymoshenko's people are drawing up the documents right now to take the massive Krivorozhstal factory back and Pinchuk and Akhmetov and hold a real auction. I've seen 500 million dollars quoted as the additional revenue that could be raised. That's low-ball, IMO. There were bids for 2.1 billion, and the oligarchs took it for 800 million. That'll pay for a lot of birth benefits. . .

- Joe St asked ages ago about a Kyiv Post article on abortion in Ukraine. I finally found a copy of the article. Here are some highlights:

Background from me: a few years ago Ukraine had the world's highest abortion rate, according to the WHO. The estimated lifetime average was as high as six per woman. Part of the low birthrate in Ukraine is attributable to high rates of infertility due to abortion-related complications.

According to the Kyiv Post, rates have dropped from 1 million per year in 1991 to about 300,000 in 2003. This is still very high. In Holland the rate is 6.5 per 1,000 women. In Ukraine 23 per 1,000. Use of the Pill is only at 12% for women of childbearing age. At $10 a month, this is about 10% of the monthly wage.

Ukraine has also changed its late-term abortion laws, dropping the allowable period from 28 weeks to 22.

Quick Tennyson Update

Our little buddy is now in a comfy private hospital and doing much better. He's finding the remote control TV and adjustable bed endlessly fascinating. He should be home on Sunday. :-)

Ukraine Update -- 2 February

Yulia Nomination:

- Leonid Kravchuk, former president of Ukraine and leader of the Social Democrats, has said he'll vote in favor of Yulia Tymoshenko. He's doing this as an individual, and not as an official act of his party. He had some interesting things to say, including that while his party is heading into Opposition, they haven't yet done so. As he puts it, the real Opposition won't start until after the 2006 elections. For those who don't know Kravchuk well, he's a pure opportunist -- he's been a pseudo-nationalist when it served him, and he's toadied to Russia when it did the same.

- The Social Dems as a party have decided to vote for or against Tymoshenko under an "open regime." In other words, each Deputy can decide for himself. The SDPU is now down to 27 MPs.

- The Socialists have clarified their threat. They won't go into hard Opposition if their shake-down demands go unmet. But they will pick and choose what government initiatives to support and what to oppose.

Other news:

- On the reform front, Yushchenko fired four more heads of regional government administrations.

- Andrei Kluev, who you may remember as a former head of Yanukovych's HQ and one of his Vice-Prime Ministers, has declined to go into Opposition against Yushchenko. This is especially significant because he's one of the big boys down in Donetsk. He's also a leader in Yanukovych's Donetsk-centered Regions Party. He says that in place of Opposition he hopes to have a civilized, mutual relationship with Yushchenko. Another sign that of a fracturing Opposition.

- During an earlier post on the Yushchenko agenda, I mentioned that military downsizing was probably in the cards. The Defense Ministry announced today that it's cutting 50,000 troops from the rolls in the next year. This is good. If Ukraine is serious about joining NATO it needs to invest in a lot less troops and a lot more force modernization.

Ukraine Update -- 1 Feb

Randomness:

- Tomorrow I'm going to post the Top 5 responses on the caption contest. There were just too many to choose from, so I'll have you all vote on them. :-)

- The view from our balcony on the 15th floor. Our neighborhood is mainly sand and giant Soviet ant farms. I'd never appreciated spring's greening until I came to Ukraine. Your eyes just drink in the grass at Shevchenko Park when the snow melts away.

Yulia's Nomination:

- Lytvyn, the Parliamentary Speaker, says they'll vote on the nomination on Thursday. Yulia will also present her program of government activity at that time. Lytvyn, a Centrist, estimates that Yulia has about a 25-vote margin for error right now.

- In an unexpected move, the leader of the "United Ukraine" party announced that his people intend to support Yulia.

- The "Will of the People" party is meeting with her on Tuesday to discuss their support. I think they'll end up backing her. Kinakh, the faction leader, has already said he's ready to work in Yulia's government.

- The incredible shrinking Moroz is now saying that his people might settle for four ministries, including Transport,Education and Industrial Policy. Oh, and one-sixth of all government appointments.

- Poroshenko, whose Solidarnost Party has made noises about not backing Yulia despite their alliance, says the final decision about 100% support for her will only come after a meeting with her. He thinks the crux of the discussion is whether or not she'll remain leader of her political party while PM.

- Petro Symonenko and the Communists haven't yet decided about Yulia's nomination. They despise her, so I'm not sure what calculations are behind the delay. Interestingly, Symonenko is predicting Yulia will be confirmed with a solid 260-270 votes.

Other News:

- In more good anti-oligarch news, talk is that Yushchenko's government may review two other major corrupt privatizations -- the Petrovskiy Metallurgical Plant and the Ukkrudproma privatization. Both of these belong to Akhmetov, Yanukovych's patron and Ukraine's richest man.

- Symonenko, the Communist Party leader, wants the Parliament to rethink the wage and lifestyle compensation it's giving to President Kuchma. I think Kuchma SHOULD be given compensation for the work he did as president -- free hots and a cot at the closest MVD prison.

- Yushchenko's mother, 86 year old Varvara Tymofeevna, died yesterday. Poor thing.

Ukraine Update -- 31 January

Good morning! Here's a QUICK update before I head off to work. . .

- PORA has officially disbanded its campaign organization. It's planning to organize public orgs and analytic centers on the basis of the old PORA. When I first read of this, I was a little skeptical. But there are a lot of poli sci grad students among the leadership of the organization, and they really could pull off a youth political party or political institutes. I'll try to pop over to the HQ this week and get more details about what's in the works.

- Yushchenko has announced that the Ministers for his government will be named in the next four days.

- Yushchenko gave an interview to the BBC while in Davos. He called both Russia and Europe his "strategic partners" and said that Ukraine has interests both to the east and the west. His rhetoric continues to be diplomatic, as always.

- One thing that's constantly absent from his speech is the United States. Remember the anti-Orange critics in the West who saw the Revolution as an American conspiracy and Yushchenko as some sort of puppet? I said back then that this was simply stupid -- Ukraine's focus is on Europe. It was true then and it's true now.

- Yushchenko is requiring those who will serve in the Cabinet to make a public declaration not only of their property, income and expenses, but also those of their close relatives. This is to keep them from hiding assets with those close to them. As he explained: "I constantly repeat to the members of the future government -- 'You stood on the Square, and those who stood near you, those thousands of people believed and hoped that the new regime would be honest and would work in the national interests." (translation mine)

- Typically, the Socialists have now refused to join Yushchenko's Cabinet. They apparently didn't get the three posts they demanded, and are taking their toys and going home. There are soooo many Russian words that would summarize my opinion of them. English is the world's greatest language for poetry, but if you drop a hammer on your toe there is no better tongue than Russian.

Caption Contest and Ukraine Update -- 30 Jan

Think up the best caption for this shot, and win the mildly-coveted honor of Clog of the Week!

CONFIRMATION NEWS:

- The vote on Yulia's confirmation is this Thursday.

- Poroshenko's Solidarnost Party decided to back Tymoshenko despite earlier reports that 18 of them would sit out. That makes the margin a lot less dicey.

- Yushchenko is speaking with his usual tact about Yulia's detractors, saying he understands their actions, and that everyone involved is in a search for compromise.

OTHER NEWS:

- George Soros denies financing the Orange Revolution. He stated in an interview that he helped with exit polling, but that the Revolution was in reality a "revolt of the people."

- Yushchenko has negotiated an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development that will bring in up to one billion Euros in investment to Ukraine each year.

- The Prosecutor General says that the date for the identification of Gongadze's body will be set next week, and the ID will definitely be done in February. It'll be done by foreign experts in either Germany or Switzerland.

Photo: Kommersant

The OSCE and the Conspiracy Mongers

One of the tactics employed by the opponents of the Orange Revolution was to attack the primary election monitors -- the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. If you read some of the articles of the "Post-modern Coup" variety, you get the impression that the OSCE are the shock troops of Western aggression. The underlying thought is that they only point out the falsifications of the anti-Western candidates.

My buddy Dan over at Orange Ukraine politely eviscerates such critics in his article, Consistency.

I remember the 1999 elections. While I didn't like some of his strongman tendencies, I supported Kuchma because he was infinitely preferable to a Communist dinosaur like Symonenko.

Here's an excerpt from the post:

"It was immediately and painfully obvious which ruler Europe would rather have in power. Kuchma was illiberal, but no Lukashenko. Kuchma, at least, was not against NATO, the EU, or greater ties with Europe. Kuchma, at least, was not for wholehearted support of greater integration with an anti-Europe Russia and disinterested in all things European.

Nonetheless, the OSCE delivered a final report that was, if anything, more scathing of Kuchma's government than in 2004.

Ukraine Update -- 29 January

Update- Yushchenko announced in Davos that the Ukrainian security agencies will be led primarily by civilians during his administration, something that's standard in Western societies. I believed in his commitment to reform during the Revolution, but it's so great to see it actually lived out.

Taras Kuzio provides an alternate viewpoint to the New York Times' piece on the SBU's role in preventing anti-Orange crackdowns.

The Prosecutor General has finally closed the criminal case against Tymoshenko. After 8 years, they'd still hadn't managed to secure a conviction. "The Prosecutor General mentioned that the law is supposed to function under a presumption of innocence, and that if law enforcement organs aren’t able to prove the guilt of the accused, then the case should be closed."

According to Yushchenko's estimate, the Parliament should vote on Yulia's confirmation in about six days.

The Socialists have been demanding three spots in the Ministry. Today they announced which three -- Finance, Oil and Gas, and Ministry of Internal Affairs. I'm surprised at the greediness of the list -- I thought Socialists were into equitable distribution of things. . .

Another leader of the Social-Democrats has walked away from them -- Nikolai Pesotskii. They've branded him a traitor, while he calls them authoritarian. Once on of the flagship oligarch parties, the SDPU is floundering these days.

The Socialists have agreed to back Tymoshenko for Prime Minister. In Moroz's words, they have "nothing against her." He seems smaller everytime I read his speeches.

Check back tomorrow night for a fuller update. Real life has kept me busy the last couple of days, but I'll begin posting detailed Ukraine updates again tomorrow.

Ukraine Update -- 27 January

Korrespondent Magazine carried this photo from the Donetsk protests. Bush holds the leash on Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, while NATO and the EU loom behind him. Subtle.

News:

- Tyhypko's "Trudovaya Ukraina" party has entered into "qualified opposition" to Yushchenko. He's a former campaign manager for Yanukovych, so this is to be expected.

- According to Yushchenko, the government is going to revisit corrupt privatizations, and expects to bring in around 2 billion dollars extra from this. Given that the budget is only 10 billion, this is a tidy sum.

- The politburo of the Social-Democrats (oligarch Medvedchuk's party) voted to go into the Opposition against Yushchenko. A senior leader and member of parliament quit the party soon after. Today, a second leader and MP, Mikhail Papiev, also left the party. The SDPU is in serious trouble. They're at about 1% in current opinion polls. 3% will be the barrier to enter Parliament in the 2006 elections.

- Poroshenko's "Solidarnost" Party (part of Our Ukraine) is sitting out the vote for Yulia Tymoshenko. Apparently the idea is to scuttle her nomination and allow the second place finisher, Poroshenko, a chance. This is the Orange Coalition's first real political division. Let's hope it mends.

- Yushchenko's Austrian doctor says his appearence will be back to normal in a couple of months.

- In another sign that Yushchenko is serious about reform, his minster for Euro integration is planning a raft of legal changes in Ukraine to prepare it for entry into the WTO. Yushchenko plans to have Ukraine in the World Trade Organization by the end of the year. Another reason for Pat Buchanan and the dwarves over at antiwar.com to hate Yushchenko.

- It was initially reported that Poroshenko's party of 18 deputies wouldn't be backing Yulia for PM. An hour and a half after that initial announcement, a second press release was, well, released. It stated that the party still hasn't reached a decision about the situation.

Ukraine Update -- 26 Jan 05

- I had a reminder a couple days ago about why we fought to elect Yushchenko. I found a solid contact who could secure me an interview with former president of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk for our book. Everything seemed smooth until he mentioned that I'd need to pay money to a "charity" that his boss runs for orphans. This is the Ukraine the Revolution fought to change -- a Ukraine where everything runs on bribes and shakedowns.

Yulia's Status:

- The Socialist Party has said that their support may be contingent on Yulia's support for Constitutional Reform. She's making placating noises in their direction on this count. One of the key Socialist leaders is saying he expects the party to swing their 20 votes her direction. The Socs want 3 cabinet posts.

- We have one Nasha Ukraina defector so far -- Bessmertniy is refusing to back her, saying she "blackmailed" Yushchenko into supporting her (though he provides no evidence except for the agreement that Yushchenko himself signed.)

- Yanukovych's Party of the Regions still hasn't decided whether or not to oppose Yulia. At least two deputies are on record saying that they might actually back her.

Other Stuff:

- Poland's foreign minister is talking about putting together a "packet of material support" for Ukraine's economy. I love Poland.

- History's End brought Yushchenko's Blog to our attention.

- Yushchenko is going to demand that the General Prosecutor complete its investigation into the Gongadze murder by April. In order to cover up the murder, the Gen Proc's office had to know quite a bit about it. The deadline seems reasonable.

- Yushchenko will have his new government appointed by the end of next week. While still unannounced, he's already selected 4 out of 5 vice PMs.