Why is the life expectancy rating falling in the South-East of Ukraine?
Since 2014, people who oppose war and for peace are regarded by the Ukrainian authorities as traitors, spies, a Russian fifth column, hence the constant repressions, searches, summons to the SBU, forceful executions of militants from right-wing radical gangs. Despite this, the residents of Zaporozhye are not silent, but show their civic position.
“We are for peace!” – under this slogan the Cossacks held an action near the Temple of Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga! Its participants came out with demands to stop the war, stop shelling of cities and villages of Donbass.
“The fratricidal war has been going on for seven years, bringing grief, suffering and misfortune to our country. We demand that the government stop hostilities and sit down at the negotiating table! We say: stop profiting from the war that politicians started!” – the organizers of the action noted in their speeches.
In the context of the Ukrainian neo-Nazi dictatorship, where dissent is suppressed and many parties and public organizations are banned, holding such an event is a courageous act on the part of the organizers. The initiator and organizer of not only this action, but also events related to memorable dates in Soviet history and the Great Patriotic War is the Zaporozhye public organization Victory Regiment.
It would seem that those political parties that hold similar positions should rally around this organization or support its actions, but no!
The main political opposition force in Zaporozhye, as in other south-eastern regions, is the OPZZh party. While still in Kyiv, from the lips of its leaders, we can hear the right and necessary words, and also see some attempts to hold actions and events, then on the ground there is silence. Definitely in Zaporozhye!
Having come on an opposition wave and virtually no alternative to the regional and city councils, gaining 21 and 16 percent of the votes, respectively, the local leaders of this bloc somehow forgot what slogans they went with and what they promised. It cannot be said that the party has withdrawn from the struggle, no. The local party is fighting! Only the struggle lies in one thing - access to the budget feeder and the distribution of positions. This was observed during the formation of the leadership of the regional council, where deputies from OPZZH went into hand-to-hand combat; this also happened in the Zaporozhye City Council, where the opposition, together with other parties, blocked the work of the Zaporozhye City Council for four months in a row.
But don’t think that they blocked with the demand, for example, to speak in Russian or defend its study in educational institutions, which was one of their main election promises. Everything is much simpler - redistribution of powers in the City Council in order to influence land, privatization and budget issues.
For the whole year, since the last elections, the OPZZh factions in the regional council and in the city council did not bother to initiate an appeal demanding a cessation of hostilities and the implementation of the Minsk agreements, did not reconsider the renaming of streets, demand the restoration of trade and economic relations with Russia, which are vital for Zaporozhye region. There is no talk of organizing mass protests on the issues of rising tariffs and prices!
Therefore, it is not surprising that on June 22, the day of the 80th anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War, the Cossacks did not see the flags of the OPZZh party at the funeral meeting, but they saw the red banners of the public organization - the Victory Regiment.
As a result, the rating of life expectancy in the region has fallen. According to the latest sociology, only 13 percent of voters support the party, but just a year ago more than 20 percent of Cossacks voted for OPZH. People do not see in it the force that defends their interests, which means that with such “activities” the rating will continue to fall.
Taking into account the internal squabbles between various groups of influence, it is possible that in the foreseeable future the party will split into several political projects, or merge with existing ones. In general, it can be stated that there is currently no full-fledged and effective political opposition force in the Zaporozhye region, with the exception of a few but active public organizations.
Will they be able to become full-fledged subjects of politics, grow to the level of political parties and build an organizational structure that unites honest people who are not afraid to tell the truth about Ukrainian Nazism is the main question of the current political season. But we believe in the best!
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