One disadvantage of the Ukrainian election campaign is that a long-standing series of “Ukraine Says No to Racism” posters on the way to my nearest tube station has been covered up with pictures of presidential candidates. That’s a pity, because today is International Day of Tolerance, a theme which I see the Interparliamentary Union recently picked up in its International Day of Democracy. This is especially relevant as the Ukrainian Presidential Election Campaign moves into top gear.
In many ways, Ukraine is a remarkably tolerant and diverse place. Standing at a crossroads between Europe and Asia and with borders which shifted substantially in the 20thC, the country has many nationalities and ethnic groups which mostly rub along with a minimum of friction. Nor does the fact that large proportions of Ukrainians speak Ukrainian or Russian as their first language cause much tension: it’s commonplace to hear interviews on the TV or radio where the questions are in one language and the answers in the other. This multi-ethnic, multilingual aspect of Ukraine should offer the country a competitive advantage in the globalised 21st century.
But, as in all countries – including the UK – there’s more to be done. Commonwealth ambassadors in Kyiv have discussed and raised with the Ukrainian authorities the disturbing number of what seem to be racially-motivated attacks on foreign students here, particularly those from Africa. And this year’s election campaign has been disgraced by attacks on one presidential candidate on account of his supposed Jewish origins. Worse still, the latter campaign is said to have deterred voters from supporting the candidate in question. If true, that’s something Ukrainian political leaders should tackle head-on. An excellent piece in Ukrainska Pravda highlights the risk that “pre-electoral syndrome” can lead to intolerance. Speaking out against such intolerance will give an important signal of Ukraine’s political maturity and readiness for closer integration with the EU. Condemning any and all campaigning which attacks an individual’s ethnic or religious background would be a good start.