Monday, May 5, 2014

A Plan To Save Ukraine. But Will Anyone Listen?

Armed pro-Russian activists stand guard at the entrance of the seized regional government headquarters in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, today. Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters

Kiev Hatches A Power-Sharing Formula For Its Regions. Will Anyone Listen? -- Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor

The plans would end Kiev's vast powers and give regional governments much greater control over their own affairs, a key demand of pro-Russia rebels.

Volodymyr Groisman, a deputy prime minister in Kiev's embattled interim government, has what must be the toughest portfolio of all: minister of regional affairs.

But he has a plan to counter the pro-Russian rebels across Ukraine's restive east who demand a radical devolution of power from Kiev to the regions.

His idea? To implement a radical devolution of power from Kiev to the regions.

Mr. Groisman, a large, gruff man, says Ukraine's state system, which concentrates virtually all power in the central government, has been a perennial source of dysfunction in a country with 24 disparate regions. If previous leaders had been willing to devolve more powers to the grassroots, he believes, Ukraine might have avoided a decade of recurrent political crises.

"If we'd begun these basic reforms 10 or 15 years ago, Ukraine would be a successful European state by now," he says.

Read more ....

My Comment: This effort by Deputy PM Volodymyr Groisman is a breath of fresh air .... but he is very late to the crisis. Since the fall of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February .... I have been saying the same thing .... for Ukraine to now survive it must change it's centralized political structure and to give more power to the regions. I proposed the Swiss and/or Canadian model (I lived in Switzerland for one year and I have been living in Canada now for over 20) .... a central government with authority over national defense, national laws, currency, etc. .... and regional governments that have power over issues such as language, education, local/regional affairs, and local/regional economic development. In such a governmental structure local populations will feel that they have some say in how their affairs are managed, as well as a local place to air their grievances.

Unfortunately .... Russian foreign minister Lavrov proposed the same thing 6 weeks ago, and he was roundly condemned by Ukrainian nationalists. Also .... while this plan by Deputy PM Groisman  may have been accepted by Russian separatists a few weeks ago .... the violence that has occurred since has radicalized the population .... and many of them are no longer interested in compromise and/or finding some accommodation with Kiev.

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