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What do Liberals have to do to overcome alienation with the voter that has been often listed among plausible causes of the failure? The Union of the Right-Wing Forces and Yabloko found themselves sidelined but does this mean that liberals have to switch their political activities to the streets? As drastic as such a step may seem it is but a single of so many ideas that Liberals in both Ukraine and in Russian play with in the search for a way out of the present ordeal. Restructuring of Liberal movement is painful but is a demand. Defeat of the SPS in the Parliamentary elections, and likewise Yabloko’s defeat, are both results of objective processes that has been taking place in Russia’s society in the last 15 years and caused certain organizational , administrative and tactical decisions taken by leaders of the parties with tacit approval of the parties’ activists..
Obviously liberals have neglected systematically work with their potential voters before the Elections, meanwhile Liberal movement seemed to have entrusted itself totally to the outcome of agitation PR campaign. Such an approach allowed party leaders to carry out crucial decisions, deliberately avoiding open debate.
Liberal movement need to cope with its strong-leaders complex and apply demands of decentralization to itself. Our response to this may be strong emphasis on training and education of party activists and in this regard support of European liberal movement is very timely!
Why not pose the question of why liberal leaders do chamberize” decision making process? Do we have to agree with those of political analysts who have come up with a likely answer that to allow party membership to exercise the right to influence decision making runs contrary to goals of allegedly democratic leaders. We have to acknowledge that liberal movement is in need of democratization just as much as state structures are.
Alienation of liberal structures from public is not only not combated but is tolerated and favourably looked at as a vindication of so-called public acknowledgement of the leaders right to disregard the bulk of party members in relations with donors and the government.
Liberals have failed to represent liberalism. This notorious inability to conduct dialogue with public showed itself in the electoral campaign and then in the polls. Attempts of Russia’s liberals to point at alleged abuse of the administrative resource by the leading party as their excuse seem insincere. Isn’t this true that administrative resource is only effective in a demoralized, passive, indifferent society.
Liberals must prioritize the dialogue with public, this doesn’t imply refusal of dialogue with Government (by the way, disagreement with Government is a form of dialogue too.) Difference of opinion is the ground for a dialogue, supported by public and therefore productive and clearly spelled in terms of involvement of citizens. Liberal parties do have to turn to regional NGOs to legitimize their pretences to represent democratic movement and nation in general.
We can only speak of democracy if it is grounded in constitutional liberalism, which implies Independent judicial power, separation of powers and Assured liberties that no electoral majority could challenge. A Liberal democracy is but proto-democracy, a potential democracy and nothing else.
Subsequently this means that the “European” alternative that liberals feature is at the same time an alternative to Police State and Authoritarianism. Liberal opposition must though part itself from discredited opposition forces in Ukraine that no sober mind would call possessing any democratic credentials. Such a turn in Liberal strategy may appear marginal in the short-term perspective but in the long-term and middle –term perspective it has the benefit of consistency and adherence to principles. It is about resistance to repression and anti-democratic reaction on the one hand, and loyalty to democratic action on the other hand. Liberal opposition can not be marginal.
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Olexi
Ukrainian student, journalist and a planetary citizen. I invite you to take a look at Central's Europe largest state- Ukraine through Olexi-tinted spectacles. Somewhat approaching unbiased subjectivity :)
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