Ukrainian riots show necessity of reform

Source:Global Times Published: 2014-2-24 0:13:02

Ukraine's Parliament announced the decision to turf President Viktor Yanukovich out of office and voted in Parliament Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov as interim president.

By now Ukraine has suffered another round of pains. Public opinion predicts Ukraine is unlikely to remain unified and instead may witness a split between the east and the west.

However, messages hailing "a new victory of democracy" have appeared online in China. Those with a slight sense of international relations comment such remarks as "foolish," which is indeed reasonable.

The conflict shrouding Ukraine is denoted with many layers of meaning, the most projected of which lies in the fierce confrontation between the pro-Western force in western Ukraine and the Russia-oriented people in eastern regions. In any turmoil, there has always been scramble for democratic rights to some degree.

European and US public opinion has rarely used "democratic revolution" to describe the coup in Kiev and seldom called Yanukovich the "dictator." It is understandable that the domestic forces propelling the coup cry the "victory of democracy."

Ukraine dismissed Yanukovich from power within 24 hours, which is viewed in Europe as highly stunning.

To recover the effectiveness of democratic politics and achieve reconciliation between the east and the west will probably be top priority for the present Ukraine, but also the most difficult objective to realize. Among all the member states of the former Soviet Union, Ukraine underwent one of the most catastrophic democratic processes, like an expectant mother who suffers miscarriage every time she gets pregnant.

It is still unknown what comments history will offer for this Ukrainian incident. Suffice to say, however, the country could be regarded as a rarity in Europe because it is still adopting bleeding street politics to resolve conundrums that should have been addressed through democratic procedures in the past 23 years.

Nobody believes that most Ukrainians are willing to sacrifice some 20 years of their life for the uncertain future of their nation.

Not a single political force will stand up to take responsibility for the present devastating scenario in Kiev. The domestic forces have condemned each other for leading to the current circumstances and will not compromise for the well-being of the general public. What they will likely do is continue fighting for their selfish political interests in the name of justice. A country, in particular a large or medium-sized one with a huge population, should learn how to carry out real reform, which constitutes the foundation for them to enjoy democracy and prosperity.

Posted in: Editorial

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