Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Eastern Ukraine dissatisfied not only with the policy of Kiev, but also with their own oligarchs by Alex Verhoyantsev



Protest against the self-proclaimed Kiev government begins to take on a social meaning. On the streets of Lugansk miners came April 23, protesting against the dismissal of 30 of their colleagues who participated in rallies in Lugansk. This site reports "Russian Spring"

However, miners make demands for higher wages. Striking during the day while buses blocked roads.



On the square in front of the union "Krasnodonugol" attracted about 2,000 people, who demanded to speak to management. 

Protesters occupied the administrative building of the enterprise.

Experts have long warned that the political crisis in Ukraine will soon be added social crisis. 


Such an explosive mixture of protest can lead to unpredictable consequences.

- Judging by the information that I have, the social aspect of the protest in the Donbass is  being amplified - says doctor of historical sciences, professor, head of the Center for Political Studies Institute of Economics, Head of Department of International Relations of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Federation Boris Shmelev


- For the majority of residents in the South East of citizens of Ukraine, the term "federalization" is not very clear.

For the ordinary miner all these subtleties relationships of regions and of the centre of little interest.

Under the requirement of federalization in the Southeast originally meant the emergence of a special relationship with Russia.

Now we see that the residents of Donbass push social demands. And they will increase has Kiev will be forced to take tough measures necessary to fulfill the requirements of the IMF and get away from it long-term loans. 


We remember what the mass protest turned such procedures in Greece. 

I think that Ukraine is no exception - she has nowhere to go.

Dissatisfaction with people falling living standards will generally rock the situation in Ukraine. 


"SP": - Can she finally get out of control not only Kiev and Moscow? 


Can we assume that those who are now in favor of creating people's republics in the South-East, refuse to recognize the power of the oligarchs and, for example, announced the nationalization of mines and large enterprises?

We now see that in the East of Ukraine formed a new government. Those bodies that were formed with the participation of Kiev, lose their positions of power and they were all considered to be less than the population.

In some cities there is a real dual power in the Donbass. 

But almost everywhere the power gradually passes into the hands of self-proclaimed mayors and "people's governor." 

Dual power also has an impact on the socio-political situation in the region. 

I think to the extent that will grow as social protest and government functions will increasingly move to a self-proclaimed authorities in these regions some political activists will nominate its program of social transformation.

Dissatisfaction with the oligarchs in the Donbas and Lugansk is large. 


They attributed many ills that piled on ordinary workers to the Oligarchs. 

Social resentment increases and this leads to a confrontation between the public and the owners of factories and mines.

As one of the possible solutions to social problems in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions can be seriously considered and the nationalization of large enterprises, the establishment of workers' control over the process of distribution of profits, etc. 


We are now witnessing the collapse not only of the growing Ukrainian statehood and acute regional differences in Ukraine. 


We see the collapse of the liberal-oligarchic model of socio-economic development, in which Ukraine has evolved in recent years. 

However, the processes are still ambiguous.  Union of Mineworkers does not support claims for the federalization of Ukraine. 


While union leaders explain their position that the confrontation with Kiev could lead to the closure of mines and the cessation of subsidies.

Unity among miners still unavailable. 

- The social component of the protests will grow not only in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, but also in Ukraine, - says Dean of the Faculty "Sociology and Political Science" Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Alexander Shatila 


. - Even today, the country's rising prices. Gasoline, for example, translated into Dollars worth about 50 cents per liter. 

Reduced social benefits , working defense industry actaully stopped , which was focused on Russia. 

But there were tens of thousands of people involved. All this reinforces the current dissatisfaction with power not only in the East of Ukraine, but also in its central regions. 

In this mode Turchinova-Yatsenuk made ​​the mistake of equating all opposition to themselves to the intrigues and machinations of Russian separatists

Thus, they seem to put on the other side of all those who are unhappy with what is happening in the country. 

As for the Lugansk and Donetsk regions, then there are signs that the mining masses begin to wake up. They certainly do not like first lowering the standard of living.


But if the miners decide what supporters federalization of Ukraine can help bring the country out of the crisis, and to join them, we can say with confidence that Kiev will not be able to take the situation in Lugansk and Donbass areas under its control.

"SP": - Southeast Ukraine war not only against Kiev but Ukrainian oligarchs?

- It is. 


By the way, dissatisfaction with oligarchs increases the number of those who are oriented toward Russia in Ukraine. 

Assuming that Russia reintegrate Donetsk, Luhansk, Odessa and some other South-East region of Ukraine, there is the Russian leadership who will "resolve a" situation with Ukrainian oligarchs. 

As it happens in the Crimea. Some of the Ukrainian oligarchs suffered there, someone got permission to continue operations. 

Meanwhile, the population of south-eastern Ukraine formed Putin's image as a fighter against the oligarchs. 

This, of course, greatly exaggerated idea, but in popular mythology that image stuck. 

Putin seems like a man who crushed the oligarchs in Russia. 

And now, people think it would be good to do it on the Ukraine.

This factor also affects the situation in the South-East. Russia and is perceived here as a country that can help to "deal" with Ukrainian oligarchs. The latter, incidentally, in the current Kiev authorities have only strengthened their positions.


- There is no doubt that dissatisfaction with the new Kiev authorities becoming more social in nature - agrees KPRF Duma deputy director of the Center for Political Culture of Russia Sergey Vasiltsov . - 


It is clear that the demands for higher wages are unlikely to be satisfied in the situation that takes place in Ukraine.

Life in general and Ukrainian miners life was hard , and now this old disease worsened. 


The relationship between ordinary workers and large owners are always on the brink of conflict. Now discontent is growing.

"SP": - This can lead to dissatisfaction with the fact that the territory of the South-East of Ukraine will be, shall we say, "a state without oligarchs"?


- It is difficult to consolidate a variety of workers' grievances mines and enterprises in a state project with global political objectives. 


In order to decide "to overthrow the oligarchs" and nationalize companies we need a very large social experience, a significant period of development of consciousness of the masses. 

In the short time in a month or two people will mature to such requirements. In addition, if we talk specifically about the miners, they are pretty vulnerable. 

And not only in Ukraine, but also worldwide. 

Coal - it is not so necessary in modern fuel industry. Without it, in principle, be can be dispensed with. 

Therefore miners find hard to dictate their terms.

Furthermore, if we assume that the South-East of Ukraine there are some anti-oligarchic states equally independent from Moscow and Kiev, it is unlikely to be viable. 


In today's world can exist only large state or state associations. 

A few years after the Soviet Union collapsed, it became clear that all post-Soviet states should choose this or that foreign policy orientation. Most of them were forced to become a satellite of a state political education.

In my opinion, the South-East of Ukraine, which I like to call the historic name Novorossia, there is only one way to overcome the crisis - to join the Russia. We all know that this is not paradise - we have enough problems, but also to solve them 
 together will be easier.

Source: http://svpressa.ru/politic/article/86185/

Any errors in translation of this article are with Democrcay and Class Struggle and not with the author


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