Ukraine must reform fast, UN team says

[Up2Late]

Experts ready to help Yushchenko steer out of post-Soviet mess

Ian Traynor, central Europe correspondent
Thursday January 13, 2005
The Guardian

President-elect Viktor Yushchenko needs to embark swiftly on a root-and-branch reform of Ukrainian politics, government, and economy if he is to steer the country away from Soviet-style backwardness and corruption and towards integration with mainstream Europe, a panel of experts appointed by the UN says.
He should promptly overhaul the machinery of government, purge the judiciary and the overweening bureaucracy, rush through new tax laws, complete privatisation, and reshape the health and education systems.

The 19 members of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Ukraine highlight the scale of the challenges facing Mr Yushchenko as he seeks to put together a government and start catching up with the other post-communist countries of eastern Europe.

"The fundamental problem with the government ... is that its activities are based on the old Soviet concept of paternalism," their 96-page report says.

More at <http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1389073,00.html?gusrc=rss>

[Deja Q]

1. Post-Reagan corruption didn't help the USSR either.

And with the US clearly moving to pre-Reagan societ-style backwardness, why are others complaining that the USSR shouldn't go back to that way of life?