Ukrainian Meanderings - 13 Aug 2024, 02:20
Published by Campbell M Gold in Political · Tuesday 13 Aug 2024
Tags: Ukrainian, Meanderings, August, 13, 2024, Restless, Hot, National, Press, Relationships, Definitions, Personal, Thoughts
Tags: Ukrainian, Meanderings, August, 13, 2024, Restless, Hot, National, Press, Relationships, Definitions, Personal, Thoughts
Ukrainian Meanderings - 13 Aug 2024, 02:20
It's after midnight and very hot here (13 Aug 2024); I'm restless, and strangely, my thoughts drift to some Ukrainian topics I was reading about in the national press. I was unsure of their actual relationships and some definitions. Hence, these personal meanderings…
The Minsk Agreements stand as a significant series of international agreements, crucial in the efforts to end the conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine:
- Minsk I (September 2014): Drafted by the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, and the influential OSCE), this agreement sought an immediate ceasefire. However, fighting continued despite its signing.
- Minsk II (February 2015): This significant agreement, following a major defeat for Ukraine, included a ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons, prisoner releases, and constitutional reforms. Despite these crucial elements, the agreement was never fully implemented, posing challenges to its effectiveness.
Amid rising tensions in 2022, Russia officially recognised the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, declaring the Minsk Agreements defunct. Subsequently, Russia invaded Ukraine.
What is the OSCE?
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world’s largest regional security organisation, comprising 57 participating States across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Its mission is to promote stability, peace, and democracy for over a billion people through political dialogue and practical initiatives.
The OSCE addresses various security issues, including arms control, terrorism, energy security, human trafficking, and media freedom.
Minsk Agreements - Further Detail
After the defeat at Ilovaisk at the end of Aug 2014, Russia forced Ukraine to sign the First Minsk Protocol (Minsk I) on 05 Sep 2014.
This was drafted by the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, consisting of Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), with mediation by the leaders of France and Germany in the so-called Normandy Format.
After extensive talks in Minsk, Belarus, the agreement was signed on 05 Sep 2014 by representatives of the Trilateral Contact Group and, without recognition of their status, by the then-leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR).
While fighting subsided following the agreement's signing, it never ended completely, and the provisions were never fully implemented.
This agreement followed multiple previous attempts to stop the fighting in the region and aimed to implement an immediate ceasefire.
However, the agreement failed to stop the fighting, and at the beginning of Jan 2015, Russia deployed another large force of its regular military.
Following the Russian victory at Donetsk International Airport (waged from 28 Sep 2014 to 21 Jan 2015) in defiance of the Minsk I Protocol, Russia repeated its strategy of Aug 2014 (Ukraine defeat at Ilovaisk). It moved with fresh forces and attacked Ukrainian forces at Debaltseve, where Ukraine suffered a major defeat and was forced to sign a Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, or Minsk II. This was signed on 12 Feb 2015.
Minsk II was a package of measures, including a ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line, release of prisoners of war, constitutional reform in Ukraine granting self-government to some regions of Donbas, and restoring control of the state border to the Ukrainian government.
Former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested a mechanism, called the "Steinmeier formula", for granting autonomy to Eastern Donbas only after "the OSCE certified that the local elections had followed international standards."
Local Elections
Referendums on the status of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, parts of Ukraine that together make up the Donbas region, took place on 11 May 2014 in many towns under the control of the Russian-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.
These referendums intended to legitimise the establishment of the "republics" in the context of the Russian invasion of Crimea and rising pro-Russian unrest in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution.
In addition, a counter-referendum on accession to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast was held in some Ukrainian-controlled parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
Independent observers reported irregularities and the results of the separatist referendums were "not officially recognised" by any government, including those of Ukraine, the United States, and the countries of the European Union.
Volodymyr Zelensky became the sixth President of Ukraine on 20 May 2019.
Volodymyr Zelensky, a former comedian turned politician, rose to become the President of Ukraine with his anti-corruption platform and unconventional approach to governance:
Zelensky's unconventional journey from "entertainer" to "president" reflects Ukraine’s period of revolution and destabilisation.
E-government, or "electronic government," refers to governments' use of digital technologies and online platforms to deliver services, exchange information, and engage with citizens, businesses, and other stakeholders.
The Ukrainian government said the "referendum was illegal," and several nations, including Germany, the United States, France, and Britain, said it was "unconstitutional and lacked legitimacy."
However, the Russian government expressed "respect" for the results and urged a "civilised" implementation.
Russia announced recognition of the republics on 21 Feb 2022, becoming the first UN member state to do so.
*The Revolution of Dignity
The Revolution of Dignity, also known as the Maidan Revolution or the Ukrainian Revolution, unfolded in Ukraine during Feb 2014:
- Context: In Nov 2013, large-scale protests known as Euromaidan began in response to President Yanukovych’s refusal to sign a political association and free trade agreement with the European Union (EU). Instead, he favoured closer ties with Russia.
- Protests: From 18 to 23 Feb 2014, protesters clashed with state forces in Kyiv (the capital), demanding the removal of President Yanukovych and the restoration of the 2004 Constitution of Ukraine.
- Outcomes:
- President Yanukovych was overthrown, becoming a fugitive who fled to Russia.
- The 2004 Constitution was reinstated.
- The 2014 Russian-Ukrainian War ignited.
- Yulia Tymoshenko was released from prison.
- Soviet monuments were destroyed nationwide.
- After Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown and fled the country following the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, he was subsequently impeached.
- The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Oleksandr Turchynov, served as acting president during the vacancy.
- The next elected president was Petro Poroshenko, who took office on 07 Jun 2014.
- Casualties: Over 100 deaths and more than 1,100 injuries occurred during the clashes.
Zelensky
How did Zelensky become President?
- Background: Zelensky gained fame as a native Russian speaker in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. He pursued a comedy career and created the production company Kvartal 95, which produced popular TV shows, including “Servant of the People.”
- Political Ascent:
- Party Creation: In March 2018, employees of Kvartal 95 formed a political party with the same name as the TV show.
- Presidential Candidacy: Zelensky announced his candidacy for the 2019 presidential election on New Year’s Eve 2018. Despite being a political outsider, he became a frontrunner in opinion polls.
- Election Victory: In the second round of voting, Zelensky secured a landslide victory with 73.23%, defeating incumbent President Petro Poroshenko (he had been in office since 07 Jun 2014 following the Revolution and subsequent elections).
- Presidential Stance:
- Anti-Establishment: Zelensky positioned himself as an anti-establishment figure.
- Pro-E-Government: He advocated for e-government and unity between Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking populations.
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Appendix
What is E-government?
It encompasses various interactions:
Which Governments have implemented E-government?
- C2G (Citizen to Government):
- Citizens communicate with all levels of government (local, state/provincial, national, and international) using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Business Process Re-Engineering.
- Business Process Reengineering (BPR):
- This is the radical redesign of business processes to improve performance, efficiency, and effectiveness dramatically.
- BPR focuses on fundamentally rethinking and redesigning core business processes to optimise end-to-end workflows, eliminate redundancies, and enhance various business aspects, including cost, output, service, speed, and quality.
- BPR is not a "one-time project" but a "continuous journey" of innovation and optimisation.
- Successful implementation requires strong leadership, effective change management, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
- G2G (Government to Government):
- Different government agencies interact.
- G2C (Government to Citizens):
- Governments directly provide services to citizens.
- G2E (Government to Employees):
- Internal communication within government organisations.
- G2B (Government to Businesses/Commerce):
- Government interactions with businesses.
E-government enhances accessibility, efficiency, and transparency in public administration through technology adoption.
Several governments have successfully implemented e-government initiatives, including:
E-government adoption varies globally, but the above countries are examples of successful implementation.
The implementation of e-government has faced significant challenges, especially in developing countries:
- Denmark: Denmark consistently ranks high in digital government services. They offer efficient online services for citizens and businesses, emphasising transparency and accessibility.
- Finland: Finland is another leader in e-government. Their comprehensive digital services cover healthcare, education, and public administration.
- South Korea (Republic of Korea): South Korea excels in telecommunication infrastructure and online services. They prioritise technology adoption and citizen engagement.
- United Kingdom: The UK has made significant strides in e-government, providing diverse online services and promoting digital inclusion.
E-government Implementation Issues
- Complexity and Failure Rates:
- Complex Nature: Government systems involve intricate interactions among social, political, economic, organisational, and global factors.
- Technology Complexity: Stakeholders do not universally understand technology impacts, benefits, and limitations.
- Project Failures: Globally, 30% of digital government projects are total failures, while 50-60% experience partial failures due to budget overruns and missed timing targets. Only less than 20% are considered successful.
- Developing Countries’ Challenges:
- Project Management Approach: Many e-government efforts in developing countries have followed a narrow “technical engineering” approach, separate from broader government policy and internal processes.
- Uptake Issues: Citizens’ adoption of e-services remains slow. For instance, in Egypt, uptake is only 2%.
- Intractable Problem: Implementing digital government in developing nations is a complex and persistent challenge.
Source:
Various Internet Sites and AI
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