Most Ukrainians think that IDPs should enjoy their right to vote – “Restoring Donbas”

18:09 / 07 Sep. 2016 / 1029

82% of Ukrainians believe that IDPs should have equal rights to participate in elections. 10% of respondents are against the granting of such rights to IDPs from Donbas. The rest were undecided. These data were presented during the round table “The migrants, refugees or IDPs: the double standards with respect to residents of Donbas” hold the other days in Kyiv and initiated by “Restoring Donbas”. The survey was conducted by «TNS Ukraine» company.

As noted by Elena Petryaeva, the head of initiative: “Till now, the country’s leadership has no clear strategy for Donbas. Thus, the rhetoric of the officials constantly changes. One time we would conquer the temporary occupied territory, next time, we would abandon them. The government has no understanding of what to do with the territory and the people. State program for IDP adaptation was adopted last year, however, it is not allocated a single penny. The issues of accommodation, employment and state benefits payments are not solved. In fact, IDPs for the Government are objectionable electorate. The authorities do not want to deal with this issue, because if the IDPs do not vote, then they are not worth any attention.”

71% of respondents-residents of Donbas find the contact line as a fact of violation of their rights. 39% of respondents reported that they have to cross the contact line to visit relatives, 29% – to draw up the documents, 28% – to carry out banking operations. Additionally, 53% of the population from uncontrolled territories believe that there is no need on checkpoints. 13% of all Ukrainians consider the same. 67% of the residents living in the zone of ATO believe that the state should resume social benefits. This opinion is shared by 30% of the population of Ukraine.

• We can clearly see which the primary steps could return Donbas to Ukraine – the resumption of social payments and financial transactions, transport flow in both directions and the removal of the economic blockade. These steps are obvious to everyone except the authorities. Government somehow do not understand the obvious and banal idea: in Donbas live citizens of our country who have the same rights as the rest. Authorities alleged that in mind, but only in words. Their actions speak it otherwise, – Alexander Klimenko, the founder of the initiative, and politician, said.

According to the survey, only 12% of Ukrainians are ready to provide full support to displaced people in the East. 37% would rather, another 38% – are not ready. Most sympathizers to IDPs  live in the west of Ukraine. They (15.3%) are ready to provide full assistance. Of those who are willing to help – most agree on household assistance (food, clothes, toys) – 64%. At the same time, only 6.3% are ready to provide housing and accommodate IDPs at their house holdings. The lowest hospitality to IDPs show the residents of the North – 1.6%, and the Ukrainian Centre – 1.2%.

According to Ruslan Bortnik, the director of the Ukrainian Institute of analysis and management policy, society is tired of IDPs’ problems. Those who really want to help are getting less and less. In the context of the economic problems of our country there is jealousy to IDPs, people who can take jobs and social benefits. So taking into concern these facts the state should play the main role in the process of assistance to IDPs.

For the last 2,5 years of the armed conflict Ukrainian MPs adopted many laws aimed to integrate IDPs to host communities. Although, none of the adopted law work properly. Another point, secondary legislation adopted by the government distorts the essence of the law or has declarative character. As noted by the lawyer of the public initiative Marina Tatarintseva even the only positive law (the registration of birth and death) is ignored by the Ukrainian courts. It takes up to 3 weeks to have the judgement on a birth or death issues instead of one-day judgment.

Due to the imperfection of the legislation the policy of IDP-students discrimination is ongoing.  More than 100 thousand students moved from Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In most cases we are talking about young people who are willing to invest their potential for the benefit of Ukraine. Meanwhile, existing laws give a malicious choice – to brake the education and to earn a living in the Ukraine or to return to the uncontrolled territory to continue their education there.

As noted by the activist of the party “Uspіshna Krajina” Olesya Medvedeva: “Even to transfer to the university on the territory controlled by the government in most cases are impossible. Budget booked out, even if previously the student got the education free.  No dormitories for IDPs students due to no premises as the universities moved or cancellation of IDP certificate. And if you still managed to get any benefits, then you begin to be hated by your fellow students. Anyway in most cases students go back home.

Oksana Panko, Head of the Sector of Economic Sociology of the Institute of Industrial Economics confirmed the data on students who return to uncontrolled territories. According to her, in universities, which have remained in the uncontrolled territories, opened a lot of budget places and young people return to uncontrolled territories. The potential of IDPs is huge. However, cool attitude to the solution of their social problems disarms these people. The government forgets about the residents of ATO, especially those living in the gray zone. Discrimination and genocide on the Ukrainian checkpoints undermine the confidence of the residents of Donbas in the United Ukraine.

The restoring-donbass.com website - is an interactive platform, which was created by the "Restoring Donbas" community initiative of Oleksandr Klymenko. The latest news, blogs and analysis, background information and useful ads for IDPs and Donbas residents are available on the website.