Conscience Calls
Author Tymiak-Lonchyna Observed Ukraine's Orange Revolution Election
The December 26, 2004 election saw Viktor Yushchenko's victory over the former Prime Minister. 'Conscience Calls' is the record of an observer's experences.
Ukraine’s Orange Revolution of 2004 was a significant event in Eastern Europe’s history. Ukraine, long under the yoke of Russia and communism, was given a new opportunity for independence in 1991, but it was during the Orange Revolution that the people of Ukraine asserted their demand for fraud-free elections. Conscience Calls, by Roksolana Tymiak-Lonchyna, records the author’s experiences as a neutral election observer. The employment of these volunteers was only one measure taken to make sure Ukraine’s December elections were free of fraud and open to every person able to place his or her vote.
Conscience Calls documents well the election proceedings from an observational standpoint. The tone of excitement – or lack thereof, depending upon which of Ukraine’s city denizens are being described – brings the reader face-to-face with national political sentiments of the Orange Revolution. Relevant and descriptive photographs, taken by Tymiak-Lonchyna herself, make this book a valuable record of the events that took place directly before and during the Ukraine presidential elections of December 24, 2004.
Remarkable efforts were made by election officials to gather votes from those who could not necessarily make it to district polling areas. Ballots were cast in apartments inhabited by the elderly, ill, or infirm. Ballot boxes were also brought to hospitals, factories, and schools. Paper ballots were cast in a basic manner – a mark for the favored presidential candidate, and then the ballots were placed into clear boxes that had been secured by officials. The transparency of the ballot boxes signified a transparency in the election process in general – no hanging chads, no vote caging, no Diebold machines, all of which have caused problems with elections in the US. As simplistic as the election may seem to those who vote using computers, this system was more sophisticated than it seemed – and more reliable.
Tymiak-Lonchyna, even while impressing upon the reader the measures taken to process of election results fairly, also notes that not everyone agreed with the basic right of individuals to vote for the desired candidate. In Donetsk, where Victor Yushchenko (the ultimate winner of the election) was seen as a threat to the old regime and former Prime Minister Yanukovich was the favored candidate, intimidation and intimations of violence occurred. As a result, Yanukovich pulled out as the winner in some districts in Donetsk, even though Yushchenko prevailed in other cities where the Orange Revolution had taken to the streets.
Conscience Calls is an engaging and worthwhile read. With text in both Ukrainian and English, and full-color photos on every page to punctuate the narrative, this book makes a wonderful conversation piece, gift, or addition to your personal library.
Proceeds from Conscience Calls go to a fund called “Starving for Color,” founded by Tymiak-Lonchyna. “Starving for Color” helps provide infant formula to Ukraine’s orphans – supplies are delivered personally by Tymiak-Lonchyna and her husband. Ordering instructions can be found at Ukraine Orphans.
