Representatives of the leading analytical centers and Ukrainian network public organizations discuss political situation in the country

On April 5, 2007, a round table discussion of political situation in Ukraine took place with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.

     Participating in the discussion were representative of the leading analytical centers and Ukrainian network public organization, namely: Valeriy Chalyy (O. Razumkov Ukrainian Center for Economic and Political Studies), Ihor Koliushko (Center for Political and Legal Reforms), Ihor Burakovskyy (Institute of Economic Studies and Political Consultations), Iryna Bekeshkina (Democratic Initiatives Foundation), Ihor Popov (Committee of Voters of Ukraine), Ihor Kohut (Laboratory of Legal Initiatives), Valeriy Ivanov (Academy of Ukrainian Press), Olexander Lomako (OPORA Public Network), and Yevhen Bystrytskyy (International Renaissance Foundation).

  Participants of the round table discussion agreed that the chief reason for escalation of the political conflict in Ukraine is the fact that the two parties of the crisis ignored opportunities for establishing of an effective dialogue of experts and controlling bodies with public organizations and civil society in Ukraine.  

Instead of a constructive dialogue an illusion of it was created. The society did not receive any well written development programs and strategies in the spheres of economics, law, health care, culture, etc.

But also there are individual examples of effective cooperation of representatives of public organizations and independent experts with government institutions and Verhovna Rada of Ukraine (VRU). Among them are the fruitful activities of the Public Council on Ensuring of Human Rights attached to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Commission on Consolidation of Democracy and Supremacy of Law at the President of Ukraine, Public Council attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, counseling body at the VRU Chairman, some public councils attached to individual Verkhovna Rada Committees.

  Public organizations should reinforce monitoring of activities of all participants of the political confrontation in Ukraine, including mass media, in order to ensure open, transparent, and accountable to the public process of clearing up of contradictions between the political opponents.

  It is necessary to start open public dialogue, also by means of monitoring and by making results on the state of freedom of speech during this period public.

  In order to ensure publicity of the process, public organizations should offer their assistance in creation of a roadmap – a way out from the political crisis, namely: adoption of the new Law on Elections, law on political parties, on procedures of public control, new version of the Law on the Cabinet of Ministers.

			Kateryna Radchenko, PR department tel: +380 (44) 461 97 09 | fax: +380 (44) 486 76 29 email: radchenko@irf.kiev.ua office: Kyiv, Artema Street, 46, Head Office