The Kiev Independent

[Vaka]

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Monday March 2nd, 2008 ​

Kryukiv Bridge Closed After Structural Fears, Thousands Delayed
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On Monday, Motorists began reporting large cracks forming in one of the major support beams of the Kryukiv Bridge. Inspectors from the Ministry of Infrastructure were dispatched and found critical structural issues related to the cracks and ordered the bridge closed. Kryukiv bridge will be closed to all rail and road traffic until March 10th. This has led to widespread delays throughout the city of Kremenchuk. Trains coming from the Kremenchuk oil refinery on the left bank of the Dnieper River are unable to supply the factories within Kremenchuk on the right side. Motorists have been delayed for hours as the only way to now cross the river will be aboard the Kremenchuk Ferry which is not equipped to handle the new demand. Alternative routes that avoid the bridge have in some cases added hours to morning commutes and industrial trucking routes. The Kryukiv bridge is known for its unique design, allowing the lower rail deck to lift into the upper girder structure for shipping traffic. But it has been in a constant state of disrepair since Ukrainian Independence. ​

The bridge has been patched multiple times since the late 1990s. The steel used during the soviet in its construction has been called into question. Concerns about longevity have been raised about the nearing 100 year old bridge. With the increased amount of industrial traffic the bridge is now in need of significant repair. “This has been the worst disruption this city has seen short of war, “ said Mykola Volodymyrovych, Mayor of Kremenchuk. The Ministry of Infrastructure office released the following statement, “Structural faults have been found in the The Kryukiv bridge. The faults are minor enough to be repaired without completely replacing the bridge. Our engineers will have the bridge in safe working order for truck and car travel on March 10th. Railroad traffic will be delayed until at least the 20th of March.” President Tymoshenko posted today on Twitter, pushing her support for the The Transport Corridor Modernization Act. “What happened today in Kremenchuk is exactly why we need the Verkhovna Rada to act sooner rather than later.” ​

Along lines of cars parked due to gridlocked traffic near the bridge, motorists were voicing their frustrations. “Everything in this country is falling apart.” said one man waiting to take a truck load of iron ore over the bridge. “President Tymoshenko said she was going to fix things like this. I know it's only been three months but she needs to hurry.” said a mom of three waiting to pick up her husband on the other side of the bridge. The Transport Corridor Modernization Act is currently in committee in the Verkhovna Rada. It is intended to modernize Ukraine’s critical industrial transport corridors. Provisions in the bill also call for expanding road, rail, and logistics networks serving industrial zones. The bill does have provisions in place to modernize Kryukiv bridge. ​

 

[Vaka]

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Thursday March 12th, 2008 ​

Historic Deadline Approaches​

Only two weeks remain until the deadline for mandatory electronic asset declarations are due under the State Modernization & Anti-Corruption Act. The deadline of April 1st requires all Ukrainian politicians and senior civil servants to have completed and submitted declarations of all income, property, bank accounts, business interests, and financial ties in a new publicly accessible digital registry. Missing or ignoring the deadline carries with it fines, potential dismissal from the government, or even jail time. The State Modernization & Anti-Corruption Act passed earlier this year under President Yulia Tymoshenko’s reform agenda, has some politicians scrambling. Various law firms and accounting offices are burning the midnight oil to ensure the compliance of their clients. ​

The arrest of former President Kuchma in January sent shockwaves throughout the Ukrainian political world. The former President Kuchma has been charged with financial crimes related to his time as president. Both he and current President Tymoshenko are from the same political party, the FRP, and usually close allies. To some, it showed how serious President Tymoshenko was about ending corruption. “It stops here. No longer will corruption strangle the growth of Ukraine.” President Tymoshenko said in a fiery response to reporters on Monday. Failure to comply carries penalties ranging from heavy fines to dismissal and criminal prosecution. A recent poll on https://kyivindependent.com/ found that 76 percent of Ukrainians approve of the mandatory financial disclosures, and 65 percent also support harsh criminal penalties for false reporting. Opposition leaders weighed in and have accused the government of using the new anti-corruption instruments to intimidate rivals. ​

“ The selective justice we are seeing here is not reform,” said opposition MP from the USP Viktor Hormov. “Obviously we support transparency, but not political vendettas.” As the deadline approaches, Ukraine will face the political reality of true transparency. For the very first time in the history of Ukraine, political power is being systematically linked to financial accountability. Whether the system withstands political challenges and pressure from the opposition remains to be seen but few doubt that the country has entered a new era of governance. As one senior MP from the CID put it bluntly outside the Ministry of Finance: “After this month, nothing will ever be the same.” ​