Peter Goldring calls for study on democracy in Ukraine

Ottawa – Peter Goldring, Member of Parliament for Edmonton East, has called for the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development to “undertake a study on the progression of rights and democracy over the past 10 years in Ukraine.”

Given the recent apparently politically motivated and arbitrary prosecution and conviction of former Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Mr. Goldring feels it would be appropriate for the Committee to examine the subject.

“I was in Ukraine as a monitor for the failed election of November 2004 and personally witnessed and photographed massive electoral ballot box stuffing,” he says.

“I stayed on as the only Canadian politician to report on the Orange Revolution and was constantly followed and intimidated. I was there to see the end of the discord of the Revolution in a burst of fireworks over Independence Square, signalling full agreement, success and hopefulness for the future.”

Mr. Goldring has returned to Ukraine six times since the Orange Revolution, five times as an election monitor and once to take part in the annual parliamentary assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. He notes that he has witnessed the growing political frustration and discord, saying that while many positive changes did take place after the Orange Revolution, such as increased media and political freedom, many of the population's hopes were not met. Corruption, for example, was not tackled and continued to permeate all levels of government and society.

Mr. Goldring points out that what happens in Ukraine is of particular interest to Canadians, for our ties with that country are strong: there are 1.2 million Ukrainian Canadians who have helped make Canada the successful, secure and democratic country that it is today.