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Is Ukraine actually a democracy right now? Last I read all of Zelensky's opposition parties were arrested and made illegal. https://www.npr.org/2022/07/08/1110

Is Ukraine actually a democracy right now? Last I read all of Zelensky's opposition parties were arrested and made illegal. https://www.npr.org/2022/07/08/1110577439/zelenskyy-has-consolidated-ukraines-tv-outlets-and-dissolved-rival-political-par https://www.npr.org/2022/07/08/1110577439/zelenskyy-has-cons...

ceejayoz 3y ago
This a misreading. Specific pro-Russian parties were. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_Ukraine > On 20 March 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a ban on 11 political parties for ties with Russia: Opposition Platform — For Life, Party of Shariy, Nashi, Opposition Bloc, Left Opposition, Union of Leftists, Derzhava, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialists Party and Volodymyr Saldo Bloc. Quite a few other parties remain in Parliament: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_Ukraine#Political_parties_in_Parliament https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_Ukraine#P... Given history - one such party helped Russia take Crimea in 2014, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Unity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Unity - that seems reasonably prudent in the pursuit of still being able to be a proper democracy in the future.
- qbasic_forever 3y ago
  But if the people vote for a party, should they not be allowed to be in power? I mean that is the definition of democracy, right? The people in Donbas, Crimea, etc. voted for many of these claimed pro Russian parties.
  - ceejayoz 3y ago
    No, during a war and martial law, it’s best not to let enemy sympathizers run your government. No one gets free elections if Russia annexes you. Democracy isn’t a suicide pact; you don’t have to let Hitlers take power in a crisis. Ukrainian law provides for martial law, and their Supreme Court upheld the bans. That’s democracy functioning too.
    - qbasic_forever 3y ago
      [flagged]
x3874 3y ago
[flagged]
- murkt 3y ago
  > Ukraine is a democracy the same way that Vietnam or Iraq or Kosovo are a democracy. Says who exactly? Ukraine’s democracy is by no means perfect, but it’s not an autocracy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist_Democracy_Index https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist_Democracy_Index places Ukraine much higher on the list than Iraq or Vietnam. Couldn’t find Kosovo there.
  - x3874 3y ago
    Ukraine disposed of an regularly elected president, and is instead steered now by an ex-comedian who danced for the stars.

ceejayoz 3y ago

This a misreading. Specific pro-Russian parties were. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_Ukraine > On 20 March 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a ban on 11 political parties for ties with Russia: Opposition Platform — For Life, Party of Shariy, Nashi, Opposition Bloc, Left Opposition, Union of Leftists, Derzhava, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialists Party and Volodymyr Saldo Bloc. Quite a few other parties remain in Parliament: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_Ukraine#Political_parties_in_Parliament https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_Ukraine#P... Given history - one such party helped Russia take Crimea in 2014, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Unity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Unity - that seems reasonably prudent in the pursuit of still being able to be a proper democracy in the future.

qbasic_forever 3y ago
But if the people vote for a party, should they not be allowed to be in power? I mean that is the definition of democracy, right? The people in Donbas, Crimea, etc. voted for many of these claimed pro Russian parties.
- ceejayoz 3y ago
  No, during a war and martial law, it’s best not to let enemy sympathizers run your government. No one gets free elections if Russia annexes you. Democracy isn’t a suicide pact; you don’t have to let Hitlers take power in a crisis. Ukrainian law provides for martial law, and their Supreme Court upheld the bans. That’s democracy functioning too.
  - qbasic_forever 3y ago
    [flagged]

x3874 3y ago

[flagged]

murkt 3y ago
> Ukraine is a democracy the same way that Vietnam or Iraq or Kosovo are a democracy. Says who exactly? Ukraine’s democracy is by no means perfect, but it’s not an autocracy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist_Democracy_Index https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist_Democracy_Index places Ukraine much higher on the list than Iraq or Vietnam. Couldn’t find Kosovo there.
- x3874 3y ago
  Ukraine disposed of an regularly elected president, and is instead steered now by an ex-comedian who danced for the stars.