Posted by KRYTYK on September 05, 2000 at 15:48:55:
Public opinion polls in Ukraine show that the general public, as well as many in the foreign and domestic business community, overwhelmingly believe that official corruption is widespread as it is in all post-Soviet countries. Kuchma is part of the problem not the solution. His oligarchy promotes corruption amongst officials and it thrives at all levels of government. Kuchma has allowed the expansion of petty corruption which involves the payment of bribes to low-level officials. Starting from traffic policemen, to city clerks, to customs agents. Big time fraud in Ukraine is even worse. It is estimated in some cirles that close 30 billion U.S. dollars have been embezzled from Ukraine's economy and transported to foreign bank accounts since it's independence 9 years ago. Tax inspectors, state officials, deputies and ministers are all on the take, not one has been tried and put in prison. Kuchma followed in Kravchuk's footsteps and has allowed this situation to fester like a cancer on Ukraine's heart. Kuchma should be put in prison with the likes of Lazarenko and Kravchuk. They all have profited from the bribe taking and they called it business. They now call Ukraine part of a larger "criminal-syndicalist state". Sovdepia unfortunately lives with Kuchma's approval stamped to it. Ukraine's western allies see this but remain silent, because they are afraid of rocking the boat and letting Russia take control of what is left in Ukraine. The diaspora is perhaps the worst. They travel cheaply in Ukraine, live off their relatives and criticize the order of things in Ukraine. They have no right to complain, as they prop up Kuchma and his leadership. Shame on all of them. The poor little guy on the street pays for it all, and that's why he's so poor. The so called intellegentsia deems itself enlightened and therefore what they steal from society is OK because they deserve it. They have been used to living at this koryto for over 85 years now! Han'ba, han'ba, han'ba na Kuchmu ta yoho satrapiv!