Appeal from the Ukrainian Civic Forum to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, to members of the public and of political factions

On 17 November the Verkhovna Rada suspended ahead of term Nina Karpachova’s position as Authorised Human Rights Representative of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (the Human Rights Ombudsperson).. It is now imperative that civic society ensures that all candidates put forward for the position of Human Rights Ombudsperson meet the necessary criteria and demands of this post.

The Ukrainian Civic Forum is convinced that the most important prerequisite here is that Parliament rejects party quotas with regard to this position. The retention of such practice would, undoubtedly, lead to further bargaining in the Verkhovna Rada, would promote political partisanship from the Human Rights Ombudsperson which is entirely inadmissible in law, and would therefore place the whole institution of Human Rights Ombudsperson in jeopardy.

The person taking over this position, as well as considerable experience of human rights work, must meet such basic criteria as non-affiliation to any particular party, lack of political involvement  an unblemished reputation and an authoritative voice in society.

We are convinced that the members of the Ukrainian Civic Forum Anna Tiutiunnyk and Yevhen Zakharov both meet all the above-mentioned requirements and would be worthy candidates for this position.

We would therefore respectfully ask the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and all State Deputies that they put forward for the consideration of the Verkhovna Rada the candidature of Anna Tiutiunnyk, writer (Member of the National Union of Writers of Ukraine),  President of the Kherson Regional Fund for Charity and Health, member of the Board of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, Chief Editor of the newspaper “Vhoru”, recipient of the Order of Princess Olha; and Yevhen Zakharov, Co-Chair of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, Head of the Board of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union and member of the Board of the International “Memorial” Society for the position of  Authorised Human Rights Representative of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Civic Forum is deliberately proposing two candidates, this eliminating any grounds for suspicion that we are lobbying for a specific person. We are convinced that the two candidates, Anna Tiutiunnyk and Yevhen Zakharov, meet all the requirements we have listed equally well, and we are fully confident that either of these candidates would worthily fulfil the duties of human rights protection in today’s Ukraine.

22 November 2006

Members of the Ukrainian Civic Forum:   

1.  Volodymyr Prytula,  The Committee on Monitoring Press Freedom in the Crimea

2.  Viktor Zhykh,  Marketing consultant for the Ukrainian Aerosol Association

3.  Mykola Korobko, Head of the Kryvy Rig branch of the All-Ukrainian Association “Prosvita”  [“Enlightenment”] named in honour of Taras Shevchenko and Head of the Ukrainian Environmental Association  "Zeleny svit" [“Green World”]

4.  Oleksandr Bukalov,  Chair of the Council of the human rights organization “Donetsk Memorial”

5.  Yakiv Rohalin,  The Foundation “DOBROTA” [“Kindness”]

6.  Serhiy Tkachenko, Head of the Donetsk Branch of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine

7.  Volodymyr Bondarenko Head of the Secretariat of the civic association “Kyiv Community Voice” 

8.  Volodymyr Horbach Chair of the Expert Council of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation

9.  Serhiy Datsiuk, Co-Organizer of the Corporation for Strategic Consultancy “HARDARYKA”

10.  Oles Doniy, Director of the Centre for Research on Political Values

11.  Kostyantyn Matviyenko, Head Consultant for the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Construction and Local Self-government

12.  Anatoly Pinchuk, President of the Ukrainian Centre for the Development of Foreign Economic Relations

13.  Viktor Ukolov, chief expert for the Centre for Research on Political Values

14.  Volodymyr Chemerys, member of the Board of the Institute “Respublica”, member of the Board of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union

15.  Lyubov Lukyantseva, President of the Kirovohrad Association “Civic Initiative”

16.  Dmytro Kalitventsev, Head of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of the Barakov Mine in Krasnodon, Coordinator of the Luhansk Association “Citizens for transparency of the authorities”

17.  Larisa Zalyvna,  Head of the Board of the Luhansk Regional civic human rights women’s organization “Chaika” and Secretary for the Luhansk Coalition “Citizens for transparency of the authorities”

18.  Mykola Kozyryev, Chair of the Luhansk Civic Committee for the Protection of Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties

19.  Taras Voznyak, Chief Editor of the Ukrainian cultural independent journal “J”

20.  Teodor Dyakiv,  Head of the Association of taxpayers of the Lviv region, Deputy of the City Council

21.  Ihor Markov, political scientist, Director for the Laboratory of Social Research of the Centre for the Support of Private Initiative

22.  Olekh Matsekh, Chair of the coordination council of the Lviv Civic Forum

23.  Ihor Hulyk, journalist, press secretary for the Lviv Civic Forum

24.  Sofia Fedyna, President of the “Ukrainian Cultural Movement”

25.  Andriy Tolopilo, Head of the Board of the Odessa Human Rights Group “Veritas”

26.  Mykola Feldman, Head of the NGO “For the rights of each of us”

27.  Ruslan Krappych, President of the West Ukrainian Centre for Social Partnership

28.  Oleksiy Zakharchenko, Head of the Sumy Branch of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, Editor of the newspaper “Youth.UA”

29.  Oleh Medunytsa, Head of the Youth National Congress

30.  Hryhory Sakhnyuk, Head of the Sumy Regional Committee of Youth Organizations

31.  Anna Fedoryna, Head of the Sumy regional organization “Sumy press club”, journalist for the newspaper “Ukraina moloda” [“Young Ukraine”].

32.  Viktor Chernyak, Head of the Sumy socio-political centre “Open Society”

33.  Yevhen Zakharov, Co-Chair of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, Head of the Board of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union and member of the Board of the International “Memorial” Society

34.  Mykhailo Khamchatny, Chair of the Kharkiv Regional Branch of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine 35.  Nataliya Kachanova, President of the Charitable Foundation “Civic Initiative”

36.  Sviatoslav Maslak, Head of the Kharkiv Regional Society for the Protection of Consumers’ Rights

37.  Yury Chumak, Deputy Editor of the bulletin of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group “Prava Ludyny”

38.  Oksana Akharkova  Member of the Board of the Kherson Regional Centre “Uspishna zhinka” [“Successful woman”]

39.  Nataliya Bimbiraite Head of the Executive Committee of the Kherson Regional Fund for Charity and Health, member of the Board of the Kherson City Association of Journalists “Pivden” [“South”], Editor of the newspaper “Vhoru” [“Upwards”]

40.  Anna Tiutiunnyk, President of the Kherson Regional Fund for Charity and Health, member of the Board of the Kherson City Association of Journalists “Pivden”, writer (member of the National Union of Writers of Ukraine), Chief Editor of the newspaper “Vhoru”.

41.  Serhiy Burov, Chair of the coordination council of the civic organization “M’ART”

42.  Oleksandr Lomako, Member of the Central Coordination Council of the Civic Network “OPORA”