Uladzimir Matskevich: Maidan has no grounds to stop the protests

Ukrainian authorities only demonstrate their readiness to resolve the political crisis; but they haven’t taken any real actions for that yet.

Viktor Yanukovich accepted the resignation of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada abolished “dictatorial” laws and is going to form ad hoc commission for constitutional changes. Europeans consider these actions as a first step in surmounting the constitutional crisis.

Uladzimir Matskevich, the Head of the Board of International Consortium "EuroBelarus", gives his assessment of the latest Ukrainian events.

- The observers consider the actions of the authorities to be a first step in surmounting the political crisis in Ukraine. But it is the President who is fully responsible for the events in Ukraine, not the Prime Minister, who is just anexecuting officer.

- We can’t say that that first steps in surmounting the political crisis have been made; Ukrainian authorities only claim that they are ready to resolve the political crisis. Azarov’s resignation was due to happen long time ago.

Yanukovich is Ukraine’s legitimate President, who was democratically elected several years ago. Of course, he is partially responsible for Maidan, while members of the top brass, who gave order to destroy Maidan, hold straight-line responsibility. But military and policing branches of government are under the Prime Minister’s authority.

Moreover, it was Azarov who voiced the refusal of Ukraine to sign the EU Association Agreement; so at that moment he was responsible.

On a large scale, the responsibilities of the President and that of the government are two different things. Besides the refusal to sign the EU Association Agreement, Azarov also is associated with global economic, political and social problems. Accordingly, the government, who ignored these problems for several years, has to resign.

We can’t say that Ukrainian authorities have taken first steps to resolve the political crisis; they only demonstrate their readiness to do that.

- Will the opposition and, what is more important, Maidan be satisfied with the concessions made by authorities? Julia Timoshenko stated that the crisis can be resolved only if politicians fulfill all the demands of the people.

- Ukrainian authorities didn’t take any real actions to resolve the crisis, so Maidan has no grounds to stop the protests, though it might be reasonable to refrain from aggressive actions.

- What should authorities do in order to hold dialog with the people?

- I’m afraid that Yanukovich has no idea how to solve real problems that Ukraine faces. If Yanukovich was ready for real dialog, he should have admitted his mistakes and initiate serious thorough dialog with the opposition and the civil society, especially with those people who formulated and articulated their stance at Maidan. In order to solve problems on a national scale, experts and public opinion leaders should be involved in the dialog.

The problems that Ukraine faces are too serious to find simple solutions.

- Ukrainian society is divided in the same way that Belarusan society is divided. How natural is this discrimination?

- I wouldn’t ask such a question, as even people who have negative feelings about Maidan condemn the force used against the protesters. It is methods of protests that are at stake; as problems that Ukraine faces are clear for everyone.

Poverty, corruption, terrible public management structure, ineffective economy have triggered in due time and with due effect. For decades Ukraine cannot overcome the consequences of Soviet Union disintegration. Ukraine is undergoing paradoxical situation: being a relatively free country, it has fully failed in economy and social sphere. And search for those who are to blame in such situation is useless; it doesn’t solve any problems, but only leaves them unresolved.

- How can the peace between the people, who are now in two camps, be restored? At the post-Soviet area those authorities, who laid their hands on power, are used to imposing the minority opinion to the majority either by falsifications or forcefully.

- We do not need to re-invent the wheel; solution to this problem has long ago been invented and is widely used in civilized world: it is democracy and wide public dialog.

Only situations in Belarus and Ukraine are wholly different.

It is 18 years since Belarus has been deprived of legitimate president, government, parliament; usurpation of power lasts for almost two decades.

Ukraine has legitimate president; it has Verkhovna Rada with the representation of the opposition; it has local councils. The fact that social and political order in Ukraine is defined as oligarchy, that’s another story. Ukraine has to involve in the social and political dialog oligarchs, who are today’s levelers of society and economy.

Whereas situation in Belarus is absolutely different.

However small minority is at stake, it has to be heard and it has to be respected. As it is some small, though active part of the society, that resolves the most difficult problems. Disregard of minorities is a systemic mistake of all undemocratic regimes.