Electoral program of the civic coalition PORA-ROP «it’s time to build, act and live!» 

The citizens of Ukraine have proved that their aspiration to the self-realization and self-assertion, to  understanding of the basic human rights couldn’t be restricted by any brutal violence. Use of force, manipulations, intimidation, indulgence to illegality and neglect of moral norms will not save any authorities from failure. Since such authorities will never have the support of their own people.

Those politicians and representatives of new power, which, following own ambitions, notice neither national interests nor human rights lead the nation to discord and disappointment even not understanding this.

The Orange Revolution was not a choice of the personalities, whom the power was delegated. It was a choice of the values, on which the NEW UKRAINE was to be built.  Millions went out to the streets to stand up not for their mercantile interests, but for the high ideals of Freedom, dignity and self-realization of a person, namely, for fundamental components of the civil society.

The Civic coalition “PORA – ROP” is a political force that consistently stands up for these values. BUILDING OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY IN UKRAINE IS OUR MAIN AIM.  The country’s development is impossible without it. We have been in the vanguard of Maidan and will always stand on guard of its values.

We are going to the Parliament not for power as such, but in order to fundamentally reform the system of power, instead of only changing its face.

?. CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE

We see our task in reforming the governance the way that it doesn’t turn normal people into the hostages of the system. Only a modern regulated system with clear procedures and mechanisms, which will function correctly and minimize corruption even in the case when incompetent people come to power, is efficient for the civil society.

In the civil society the national interests are the totality of the citizens’ interests. Accordingly, the reform of the system of state authorities and local self-government must provide the mechanisms of coordination of the interests of all the citizens, imparting the status of national interests to them and optimizing the system the way that it will be able to efficiently realize the national interests.

Authorities must realize the interests of citizens and serve them. The “single window” for rendering the administrative services to the citizens must be created. We have to establish the institutions of the efficient public control of the representatives of authorities, which will make power abuse impossible.

Citizens cope with local problems better than a state. We have to apply the main principle of the European Union – subsidiarity:  only when a smaller unit can’t cope with a problem, its solving must go to the higher level.

The judicial power must build upon the principles of fairness and transparency of court procedures, professionalism, independence and objectivity of judges, transparency of court decisions, efficiency of judicial protection. A united state public register of court decisions, accessible free of charge to all the citizens, must be created. 

 ??. ECONOMICS OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY

We consider it necessary not only to give an opportunity, but to promote an entrepreneurial initiative of citizens, create conditions for the self-realization of citizens in the realm of business. The market economy can’t be ruled. The economic expediency instead of social demagogy must become the basis of the economic policy.

Together with businessmen we will demand:

-          simplification of the procedures of administration of taxes and their reduction to the level that will secure development of business, creation of new working places and will stimulate the investment activities and implementation of innovative technologies;

-          furthering the development of small and medium business through improvement of the simplified taxation system, creation of the business education network and system of micro-crediting;

-          creation of the system of insurance and crediting for export contracts, lobbying of interests of Ukrainian enterprises on foreign markets, including assistance by  tenders abroad, protection of the national producer through giving preferences, allowed by international norms;

-          reform of the system of social insurance, namely, introduction of the single social tax with transferring the function of its administration to the tax administration;

-          carrying out of the nonrecurrent financial amnesty and legalization of the capital.

???. CONSISTENT MOVEMENT TO THE CIVILIZED WORLD

We understand the need of the international and European integration of Ukraine, its membership in a range of international organizations, above all in WTO and EU, as the possibility to use the potential of these organizations for protection and realization of our national interests. 

We can achieve the proper place for Ukraine in the international politics and world labour division only by moving towards the civilized world.

It’s necessary to ensure the efficient integration of Ukraine into the systems of international cooperation in the sphere of economics and trade; prevention of the structures of international terrorism from entering Ukraine through promotion of the international cooperation of the law-enforcement organs; full-fledged membership in the international and regional security structures that proved their efficiency.

We stand for the freedom of movement and protection of the interests of Ukrainian citizens during their stay abroad, prompt Euro-Atlantic integration, leadership of Ukraine in the Community of Democratic Choice and Black Sea region.

We need to achieve liberalization of the visa regime with European Union, simplification of border-crossing regulations with Russia and other countries of CIS, creation of legal conditions for employment of Ukrainian citizens abroad and protection of their social rights in the countries of residence, rendering the efficient protection to those Ukrainian citizens, who became victims of human rights violations and crimes abroad.

?V. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALITY

Human investment has to become the main priority of the humanitarian sphere: human health, intellectual and spiritual enrichment. Multivariant approaches to the ways of self-realization and satisfaction of human needs serve as the main principles of development.

Plurality of approaches is grounded on the factor that every person, social group, ethnic group is unique, has its own unique needs and live in unique conditions.  Accordingly, each of these subjects must have the opportunity for the fullest realization of one’s potential, starting from different positions.

All members of the society should have the right for free emergency and basic medical care, basic education and access to the free of charge higher education, to the necessary information. However, every citizen must have the choice of quality and quantity of services and ways of self-realization in socio-cultural sphere, in conformance with one’s needs and abilities. 

At the same time society and state must promote the development of those social and cultural institutions that support country’s stability, its survival and self-recreation. To such institutions belong language, traditions, culture of Ukrainian nation and national minorities, family, fundamental science, innovational activity, civic and universal education, art, and religion.

Granting the social guarantees and state support only to those, who is physically unable to earn one’s living, must be the main principle of the social policy. The monetizing of social programs and privileges, by unconditional securing of the social protection of children, aged people and disabled must be carried out.

V. ECOLOGY – SAFETY OF THE FUTURE GENERATIONS

Ukraine must follow the path of the sustainable development that will satisfy the interests of the present generation without threatening the interests of the future generation. The state must carry out the coherent ecological policy. Its main economic instrument must become the principle “pollutant pays”, meaning that the level of taxation for enterprises must correlate with the volume of environmental pollution.

The standards of the European Union in the sphere of environment and health must be introduced in Ukraine. A law securing the citizens the free access to any kind of information regarding the environmental pollution and state of health within the population must be adopted.

Only the formation of the civil society can provide the rapid improvement of the competitiveness of Ukraine in the world, give each person the opportunity to provide the proper life for oneself.

And nobody except us will build it for us.

The time has come to reform the country and establish the order in it.  

We have already started this process, having submitted to Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of  Ukraine) the Development Package – package of law drafts that already now can improve the economic conditions. We have prepared the law drafts on the court and juridical reform and are elaborating other legislative initiatives.

The society can be changed only with concrete deeds. We are already acting. We invite you for action.

IT’S TIME TO BUILD THE NEW FUTURE TOGETHER

Program of the political party

“CIVIC PARTY PORA”

New generation – for honest power!

PREAMBLE

The peaceful democratic revolution was the best prove to the humanity that Ukraine seriously aimed to be a really efficient, stable and strong European state, able to gain the respect in the world and to secure the welfare of its people.

The main condition for this is the acting democracy. This means that citizens not only participate in the elections, but also actively rule the state, possess and efficiently use public and political mechanisms of the control over both state apparatus and political leadership of the country.

In 1991 Ukraine made the first step on the way to sovereignty of its people. However, the primitive bureaucracy, obedient to the communist dictatorship, began the robbery of the country. Its activities logically resulted in pauperization of Ukrainian people, transfer of the plenitude of state power to oligarchic clans, total disrespect to the dignity of its citizens.

The experience of 13 years of independence, however, didn’t pass in vain. The overwhelming majority of the Ukrainian society brought out clearly its reluctance to put up with the catastrophic and humiliating situation in the country, especially with the willfulness at the polling stations, where the citizens’ rights were largely violated.

The Orange revolution (Maidan-2004) gave birth to the new political force that proved it had the moral right for own voice and own position. We are those who have a right both for support of correct actions, and critics of the possible erroneous decisions of new government.

The civic party PORA became an answer of the new generation of Ukrainians to the challenges represented by processes of corruption, criminalization and usurpation of power. We stood up to struggle for our dignity and dignity of our country, having manifested the unexampled awareness, solidarity and ability for self-organization. And we have won.

OLD POLITICIANS AND NEW POLICY

The civic way of development must induce to establishing the new social and political relations. Old politicians must be replaced by the new policy.

Existing, “old” parties in Ukraine are clienteles (financially dependent personnel, serving the “old” party leaders), parliamentary “roofs” for the clans, or lobbyist groups that take refuge in the outdated left-wing or right-wing doctrines. All of them are the product of political feudalism and have nothing to do with the civil society, emerging before our eyes.

The civic party PORA is a party of civil society. Party, which was created not by following someone’s cabinet plan, but on the basis of the mass civic movement that was a product of the public activities of people. We are different from other parties because we are real!

We are not inspired by the rigid ”ideologies” of the old pre-revolution parties. We are tired of stock phrases that old politicians use. Instead we are inspired by the new, advanced ideas and forms of political activities. Morality of politics doesn’t depend on the ideological postulates that serve as the cover for interests of old politicians. In our opinion, politics must be interesting and bright. Contrary to others, we believe that politics has to be efficient for all the people, not only for politicians themselves.

We are not acting in the system “old power” – “new power”, but in the system “old politics” – “new politics”.  The “old power” must be replaced with the “new politics” as the new type of relations between civil society and authorities, when citizens don’t beg in cabinets for what belongs them, but, quite the contrary, the authorities give to the society an account of how they ensure well-being for the people.

We are the party of “new faces”, the new wave of politicians, for which power is not an end in itself, but only a mean to realize their ideas, to direct own creative potential to the whole society.  We are the party than will not let the new representatives of power turn into the court camarilla, and the authoritarian regime of yesterday – to avoid responsibility for the committed crimes.  We can openly talk about things that “old politicians” who came into the “new power” can not.

Nowadays the society feels the acute need not only of changes in state policy, but of affirmation of the new,  civic understanding of patriotism and directions of the country’s development. In fact the matter concerns the need on concluding a new public treaty.  And this is not possible without emergence of new social and political forces for which subordination of the democratically elected authorities to needs of the harmonious development of a person will become the main principle of politics.

BASIC VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

Our position is based on awareness that the highest value in society and state is Person, therefore all the actions of society and state in any sphere (economical, political, social, cultural, ecological) must guarantee the respect, protection and development of a person.

To the basic human values we count the following:

·         Freedom, as the main value and general criterion

·         Well-being

·         Safety

·         Self-realization.

The main values that a person expects from the modern society to guarantee are the following:

·         Justice

·         Solidarity

·         Tolerance

·         Openness

The modern state, securing the reservation of the human values and guarantying the public values, must observe the following principles:

·         Rule of law

·         Freedom of speech

·         Political responsibility for efficiency of one’s activities

·         Abandoning of paternalistic functions and authoritarian means.

The civic party PORA stands for the principles and ideals of the peaceful democratic revolution that were expressed in the slogans of Maidan-2004:

- Together we are many, and we cannot be overcome!

The common good goal consolidates people to support each other. PORA was born as a broad activity that has given a boost to young people in the fight against injustice to protect their rights and the rights of others. That is why the victory belongs to all of us.

 - Freedom can’t be stopped!

The will of citizens can’t be stopped by a decision of any bureaucratic organ. If we do not defend the ideals of democracy today – tomorrow we could find ourselves in another slavery. The freedom is guaranteed only when it’s protected every day.

-  Criminals – to jail!

The rights and freedoms, guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine, will be secured only by irrevocability of punishments for those who violate them. This means equality in the law not notwithstanding the rank and social status.

Fundamental values and principles are our evaluation criterion of political reality and practical orientation for each decision of the whole party and of every member.

PURPOSE, AIMS AND MAIN SPHERES OF ACTIVITIES

The experience of struggle and victories gives the civic party PORA enormous responsibility for the future destiny of Ukraine and its people. Our purpose is to return the Ukrainian state to the people.

Therefore:

-  Asserting the values of freedom, patriotism, justice, morality, solidarity, European choice, territorial integrity of Ukraine;

-  Firmly observing the principles of openness and publicity in the policy in its activities;

-  Taking into consideration that the democratic political leadership of the country is our ally in the process of  modernization of Ukraine;

-  Being aware of the fact that authoritarian political forces that served as the basis for the old authorities  remained and will actively oppose to the country’s democratization;

-  Understanding that the efforts “from above” are not enough for eliminating open or concealed opposition to the new principles of politics in Ukraine,

Civic Party PORA puts forward the following goals:

1. To create a system of civic control on bureaucratic apparatus in the center and regions; to stand on the guard of democracy, to resist the slow movement of counterrevolution, whichever side it comes;

2. To lead the society on the ways of self-realization and self-governance; to transform the hectic civic activity in an organized form of political activity;

3. To insist on the absolute rule of law in the relationship between the state authority and citizens, increasing of legal self-consciousness and creation of the atmosphere of intolerance to any displays of corruption and legal nihilism;

4. To create the conditions for unification of Ukrainian nation in cultural and political spheres;

5. To use actively the system of representative organs of power and self-governance for democratic control of the changes in the country;

6. To form real channels and active mechanisms of citizens’ influence on the adoption of state and administrative decisions, to develop the participative democracy, to be the positive example of civic participation of masses in political process;

7. To achieve genuine renewal of state power, to eliminate artificial obstacles on career ladder for the representatives of the new generation of politicians and officials from the small and middle business, and middle class that are not marked with the faults of the old soviet and post-Soviet school of state administration;

8. To become a guarantee of the irrevocability of European vector in foreign policy of Ukraine.

To achieve these goals, we stand FOR:

In political and administrative field -

Functioning of administrative organs should comply with principles of law, justice, publicity, transparency, and equality before the law, decentralization and de-concentration of power, effectiveness, responsibility, and accountability.

Political competition and citizens control on the adequate level of decision making process is an absolute necessity.  A strict division of responsibility of authorities on one side, and the personal rights on the other facilitates the weak position of a person in the relationship with the state.

Structure, procedure of activity, projects of resolutions by authorities and other public information must be open to the citizens. It is necessary to establish an effective system of the access of everyone to public information.

State and local authorities must actively cooperate with the community, namely, encourage such forms of cooperation as establishment of public councils, holding of public discussions on the most important decision projects, ensuring the right of each person touched by a respective decision to be heard.

Political responsibility of leaders for keeping their electoral promises and programs must be real, and reporting to the electors must occur on regular basis. The electronic voting system should be gradually implemented.

It is important to provide that independent courts perform as the efficient instrument of protection of human rights and freedoms, because they are also an obligatory condition of the administration’s accountability to citizens.

In economic field –

State should provide transparent and fair solution of contradictions and conflicts between market players and equip the non-governmental organizations with procedure conditions for balanced influence at economical activities.

Interference of state and non-governmental organizations should reduce economic distortions and correspondent rents and not increase them. The state should recover the balance protecting interests of those who can hardly or cannot stand for their economic interests – forthcoming generations, consumers, small stockholders and investors, small business, disabled persons, etc.

Modern economy should base upon free private initiative, clearly defined property rights, market competition and social protection for those who need it. Modern organization of economy requires constant renewal by means of opened possibility to enter and leave the market, constant competition for the most talented top managers and the most effective technologies and management methods, adaptation of supply to demand, etc. Such a constant and organic renewal is a guarantee of flexibility and stability, capability of economy to respond to technological and external economic challenges.

In the cases of natural monopolies, the competition should take place in the framework of limitations, provided by the society and directed against possible misusage of the monopoly situation. Transparent, competent and fair mechanisms should provide the society’s right to receive rent incomes created by the monopolies or usage of natural resources while keeping the right of private property owners for income from their productive activity.

While cooperating with non-governmental organizations, the state should provide each citizen with everything necessary for one’s basic vital needs, despite results of the citizen’s economic activity, and it should also give a citizen a chance for self-realization. Namely, it means health protection, assistance in receiving basic education (and also higher education for the most talented and successful), job search, starting own business, etc.

Practice of the artificial preservation of inefficient economic structures by cost of the whole society should be

abandoned; provision of enterprises and business branches with privileges and subsidies should be limited by social motives only and the present privileges should be reviewed and gradually cut down; barriers for export and import should be significantly decreased and later cancelled; practice of artificial markets’ monopolization should be condemned and stopped.

In the social and cultural sphere

Human investment has to become the main priority: human health, intellectual and spiritual enrichment. Multi-variations of methods to the ways of self-realization and satisfaction of human needs, and also possibility of human, family, and parts of society atomization should serve as the main principles of development.

Multi-variation is based on the factor that every person, social group, nation is unique, and have its own unique needs and live in unique conditions.  Accordingly, each of these subjects has to have the possibility to the fullest realization of its potential, starting from different positions.

All members of the society must have the right for the free emergency and basic medical care, basic education, and access to the necessary information. However, every citizen has to have the choice to quality and quantity of services and ways to self-realization in socio-cultural sphere according to one’s needs and abilities.  This principle must work in different spheres of cultural life.

At the same time society and the state must stimulate the development of those social and cultural institutions, which support country stability, its survival and self-recreation. Such institutions are the following: language, traditions, culture of Ukrainian nation and national minorities, family, fundamental science, innovational activity, civic and universal education, art, and religion.

Modernization of educational system that should be directed at adaptation to true reality is one of the conditions of society’s success.  Education aimed at the successful socialization of personality, resistance to  negative processes, support of incoming new generations in global world is that resource of freedom that a

person can use for personal or public well-being.

All the above mentioned must be ensured by realization of the general principle of consideration of minority rights. 

On international scale -

Priority in the external policy must be finding the adequate positioning of Ukraine in international politics and world labor division.  Active and efficient foreign policy course based on achievements on the democratic reformation of Ukrainian society must become an instrument of effective international self-assertion of Ukraine.

Protection of the interests of Ukrainian citizens abroad must become priority of the party’s foreign policy. In particular, we aim at liberalization of visa regime with European Union, simplification of border-crossing regulations with Russia and other countries of CIS, creation of legal conditions for employment of Ukrainian citizens abroad and protection of their social rights in the countries of residence, also rendering real assistance to those Ukrainian citizens who became victims of human rights violation and crimes while abroad.

Ukraine’s foreign policy has to be based on the principles of consistency, coherency, honesty and openness, strict adherence to the national interests. 

Instruments of ensuring national interests of Ukraine must become the following: effective involvement of Ukraine in the systems of world cooperation in economics and trade, prevention of international terrorist structures’ interventions in Ukraine by means of active cooperation of the law-enforcement and justice organ on the international scale; completion of the process on forming the state borders with neighboring states; development of the infrastructure of neighboring countries with the purpose of counteraction to the illegal migration, smuggling and international crime; full-fledged involvement in the international and regional security structures that proved their efficiency.

FINAL REMARKS 

Challenges of the 21st century can’t be solved with simple solutions or immediately. In order to use the chances that are open for Ukraine today and are connected with the global world changes, one needs understanding and acceptance of such principles that would be accepted by the surrounding world as well. This needs our willingness to introduce changes in our ways of thinking and activities. Our ideal and aim is the open and responsible society that exists for realizing the basic values of freedom, democracy and justice.

Civic Party PORA was created for protection of fundamental democratic rights and freedoms, not for seizing positions in the new government according to the Jesuit–communistic principle when the end justifies the means. We struggle not with other parties, but with the corruption as the ultimate form of counterrevolution.

We are those who demand honesty, professionalism and patriotism from authorities.