Ignorance of the law is not an unusual thing in Ukraine, and often, government institutions that enforce the laws, systematically break the law themselves.  The Cabinet of Ministers passed a resolution requiring the Internal Ministry to enforce a requirement that drivers of vehicles carry not only a driver’s license, but a card listing all the traffic laws they have broken.  Drivers were to purchase the card themselves.  However, the existence of these cards which severely violates drivers rights runs counter to Article 15 of the Ukrainian law on “traffic rules.”  The General Prosecutor of Ukraine who monitors the legality of such bylaws ignored this irresponsible decision.

Serhiy Ovchynnikov, the leader of the Rivne based “Drivers Union,” together with a group of lawyers, decided to teach officials how to read and respect Ukrainian laws.  He brought with him the experience he gained as a Ukraine Citizen Action Network (UCAN) project Fellow at the Advocacy Institute in the United States.  The Drivers Union already had several victories under its belt in dealing with the lawlessness of government officials -- it managed to nullify an Internal Ministry order requiring vehicle owners to obtain approval and permission to advertise on their cars.  The law not only bred corruption, but also contradicted the Ukrainian law on “Advertising.”  The Union also won an appeal by the General Prosecutor of Ukraine by overturning another Internal Ministry order on confiscating driver’s licenses from drivers.

This time with funding from UCAN, the Drivers Union would go full steam ahead. First, it fully researched the conformity of the decisions by the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.  Second, it drafted and prepared well-grounded appeals for submission to government offices.  Third, it informed the community of the conclusions it reached in researching the law.  It then pressured the upper echelons of government to resolve the problem in a classical information dissemination campaign: appealing to various non-government organizations, popular websites, the mass media, including electronically distributing copies of government appeals to partners.  As a result, the General Prosecutor’s office and the Cabinet of  Minister received a barrage of letters demanding the law on requiring drivers to carry “fine cards” be revoked.  It was simply impossible for them to disregard such a large amount of letters.

High ranking Internal Ministry officials eventually acknowledged their mistake and the deputy head of the State Vehicle Inspectorate promised that the illegal “fine cards” would be a thing of the past – the announcement is listed on the department’s website. Moreover, the Rivne Regional head of the Vehicle Inspectorate went a step further by openly expressing his wish to work with drivers and declaring he will discipline all subordinates who break traffic laws.  He added that he would like for the traffic police to work jointly with drivers to improve relations.

The Visually Impaired Exercise Their Right to Vote

Today, over 65,000 people are registered with the Ukrainian Institution of the Blind (UTOS). In reality the number of blind people in Ukraine is significantly higher. Despite having equal rights as other citizens to vote, obstacles often stand in the way of the blind in exercising their right to vote. They cannot fill out an election card alone, nor do they have access to information that other voters receive via newspapers, flyers, and posters. This problem concerns everyone as Ukraine begins to adhere to European standards regarding people with disabilities.

With funding from the Ukraine Citizen Action Network program, UTOS decided to help the blind exercise their voting rights during the 2004 presidential elections. Under the leadership of Serhiy Vasin, who didn’t let his blindness stop him from becoming a professor of economic studies or achieving the title of master in chess, UTOS encourages the blind to live a more active life. The UCAN-funded UTOS project printed Ukrainian election laws and the biographies and pre-election views of the presidential candidates in Brail as well as making available at regional libraries audiocassettes on the same subject matter.

A systematic approach to solving problems wasn’t enough for UTOS. Their specialists fully researched the social and legal needs of the blind, found weak points in legislation regarding their rights, and drafted recommendations to respective government officials. Round-table discussions were held in Kyiv involving blind professionals, legal scholars, government representatives, and CSOs on improving legislation to give the blind equal opportunities in the election process. Proposals and suggestion were then submitted to the proper government authorities.

The measures taken by UTOS didn’t go unnoticed: the state elections committee along with the Justice Ministry started to look for ways to give everyone an equal opportunity to vote. Voters with special needs received crucial information including elections laws and unbiased information on the candidates. They can now make a conscious choice. Having participated in the presidential elections, the blind feel they made a difference in determining the country’s future.