Ukraine's live-blogging lawmakers fuel public anger at parliament
Lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko holds smartphones as he live streams a session of Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine January 8, 2025. REUTERS/Andrii Nesterenko/File Photo
KYIV - Swivelling his selfie camera around the floor of Ukraine's parliament, opposition lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko beamed out a real-time view of colleagues fast-tracking legislation that would soon spark the biggest political crisis since Russia's invasion.
"Friends, this is how parliamentarianism is being destroyed in Ukraine," he said in the July 22 broadcast to his more than 2 million social media subscribers.
Honcharenko is one of a handful of politicians in Ukraine's parliament, mostly from the opposition, who have filled the gap left by a wartime suspension of an official live broadcast.
They provide followers with play-by-play text and visual updates of Ukraine's thorny politics, which helped to fuel a popular backlash against a law pushed through last week by the ruling party to defang anti-corruption watchdogs.
The practice of airing parliamentary sessions, once a staple of Ukraine's vibrant political culture, was scrapped after Russia's February 2022 invasion because it was considered a security risk.
Honcharenko and several other opposition members stepped in, using their platforms increasingly since 2023 to keep Ukrainians up to speed on the inner workings of Ukraine's 450-seat legislature.
Events there captured public attention last week after lawmakers led by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Servant of the People party rammed through measures curbing the powers of two prominent anti-corruption agencies.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Grace Fu apologises for Tanjong Katong sinkhole, says road may stay closed for a few more days
Singapore Terrorism threat in Singapore remains high, driven by events like Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ISD
Singapore S'pore can and must meaningfully apply tech like AI in a way that creates jobs for locals: PM Wong
Singapore 7, including child and firefighter, taken to hospital after fire breaks out in Toa Payoh flat
Sport IOC president Kirsty Coventry a 'huge supporter' of Singapore
Singapore Man on trial for raping woman who hired him to repair lights in her flat
Singapore Doctor who forged certificates for aesthetic procedures gets 4 months' jail
Singapore ICA inspector obtained bribes in the form of sex acts from 6 foreign men in exchange for his help
The vote, which the opposition said had been marred by procedural violations, was documented online by Honcharenko and at least one other opposition lawmaker.
Within minutes of the legislation passing, some of Ukraine's leading online influencers weighed in, stoking anger that sent thousands of protesters onto the streets of Kyiv and other cities that night in rare wartime unrest.
"Today they simply shat on everyone's head with this law and set us back 10 years," wrote blogger Ihor Lachenkov to his 1.5 million Telegram subscribers.
Protesters expressed anger at the speed with which the measures were passed, and some suspected they were designed to protect top officials from investigation. The anti-graft agencies are also crucial to Ukraine's aim to one day join the European Union.
Zelenskiy reversed course after the outcry and pressure from senior European politicians. Lawmakers will consider restoring the independence of the agencies on Thursday.
Ukraine's parliament has been in session throughout the war, and until last week's controversy had largely taken on a rubber-stamp function to pass laws critical to the country's wartime survival.
NEWSMAKERS OR NEWS PROVIDERS?
On Monday, nearly 70 prominent civic and media organisations called on parliament to restore the broadcast from the chamber, saying transparency was "the foundation of trust in parliament".
"I think it had a very big significance on people saying 'No, this isn't right. This isn't Europe,'" said Honcharenko, who is the only lawmaker streaming live video, of the impact of his broadcasts on public opinion after last week's vote.
Broadcasting from parliament is not technically illegal but instead banned by a non-binding resolution respected by most lawmakers. Sessions are posted online later in the day.
A spokesperson for parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters.
Calls to resume broadcasting are part of broader criticism among opposition politicians and the public that Zelenskiy's administration has attempted to monopolise the wartime narrative, including through centralised state television.
His office denies the charge.
"(Opening up parliament) is not convenient for them - that's clear," said lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who delivers live text coverage of sessions on Telegram, often with scathing wit that is accented by emojis.
He said some of his colleagues who had voted for the controversial measures would not have done so if they knew voters were watching in real time.
Vita Dumanska, head of the pro-transparency group CHESNO said lawmakers' feeds were not proper substitutes for an official transmission because they can curate what voters see.
"This is not an objective presentation of facts," said Dumanska, whose organisation led the call by civic groups. "These are facts with a political stance." REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
13 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Missing Kenya football tickets blamed on govt protest fears
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Kenya President William Ruto's government has been accused of buying up tickets in the stadium to avoid hostile chants from protestors. NAIROBI – As Kenya prepares its biggest-ever football hosting job this weekend, locals are wondering why they can't buy tickets, with some accusing the government of filling the stadium with its supporters to avoid hostile chants. Kenya has seen multiple deadly protests for more than a year over economic stagnation and police brutality, leaving dozens dead or missing. It is hoping for a more positive vibe as it co-hosts the African Nations Championship (CHAN) with Tanzania and Uganda in August. But local fans are puzzled over the difficulty of securing tickets for Kenya's first match, against Democratic Republic of Congo, at Nairobi's 48,000-capacity Kasarani Stadium on Aug 3. Tickets have been sold out since July 28 evening – the result of a 'more than eager' fanbase, according to Nicholas Musonye, head of the local organising committee. Some die-hard supporters find that hard to believe. 'We haven't found any fan who managed to buy a ticket,' said a Kenyan sports journalist, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals by the government due to the 'political' nature of the issue. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 60 years of building Singapore World Trump deploys nuclear submarines in row with Russia World 'Optimistic' Bessent says US has makings of a deal with China Asia Not 'the end of the story'; some relief in Asia-Pacific over new Trump tariffs but concerns remain Singapore Man in SAF custody after allegedly vaping on bus while in army uniform Asia 'Like me? Approach me directly, okay?': Inside a matchmaking event for China's wealthy Opinion America is tearing down another great public institution Opinion Quiet zones in public spaces can help people recharge in the city He accuses the government of President William Ruto of buying up tickets in a bid to avoid chants like 'Ruto Must Go' that have become widely used since the protests began. He added that the government was likely handing tickets to people less likely to be critical. PropesaTV, an online media critical of Mr Ruto, told its 150,000 followers on X that the government had 'bought over half of the Kenya v Congo CHAN opening-match tickets in a bid to stop or avoid the chants'. It said tickets were being distributed to 'government supporters' who will be transported to the stadium by bus from Kibera, a huge Nairobi slum that has seen fewer protests against the president than other areas. A resident of the neighbourhood, also asking to remain anonymous, said he saw a 'massive' group of people hired by local officials to 'register' and collect personal data in exchange for tickets to the match. Kariuki Ngunjiri, a national youth leader for the president's party, said he had 'not seen the accusations'. 'Tickets are available online, we are encouraging a lot of people to come in large numbers on Sunday and enjoy the game,' he said, though tickets could not be found then or since by AFP. Kenyan Football Federation president Hussein Mohammed told AFP he was not responsible for ticketing, which falls under Confederation of African Football (CAF). CAF did not respond to a request for comment. Last week, Musonye of the organising committee told the Kenyan parliament that 'the current prevailing situation in the country, concerning the Gen Z protests, has been identified as a potential risk that can affect the safe delivery of the tournament'. AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump administration Is freezing over $387 million for UCLA
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Trump administration paused the research funding as part of an investigation by the government's antisemitism task force. WASHINGTON - The federal government is freezing over US$300 million (S$387 million) in research funds for UCLA over claims of antisemitism and bias at the institution, according to its chancellor and Trump administration documents. In a statement on July 30, the chancellor Julio Frenk said that the federal government was cutting 'hundreds of grants' to the university. Letters this week to UCLA from the Energy Department, National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health accuse the university of adhering to 'illegal affirmative action' policies, failing to do enough to combat antisemitism on campus and discriminating against women by allowing the participation of transgender athletes. The Trump administration paused the research funding as part of an investigation by the government's antisemitism task force, two administration officials said. The freeze included about US$240 million in research grants from the Department of Health and Human Services and the NIH, US$81 million from the NSF and US$18.2 million from the Energy Department, a White House spokesperson said. The move makes UCLA the latest university to be targeted by Trump administration officials. It comes amid a broader pushback by the administration against what it sees as 'woke' ideologies. The NSF said in a statement that it was 'suspending awards to UCLA because they are not in alignment with current NSF priorities and/or programmatic goals.' The NIH did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In recent weeks, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, Brown and others have had federal funding reduced or threatened based on broad accusations from the Trump administration that range from antisemitism to improper support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. In some cases, the government has used the threat of funding cuts to extract concessions and hundreds of millions of dollars from universities. Last year, UCLA was the site of one of the nation's biggest protests against the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip. The demonstrations prompted claims from across the political spectrum that the university didn't do enough to protect Jewish students or pro-Palestinian demonstrators. On July 29, the university agreed to pay more than US$6 million to settle a lawsuit from Jewish students and a professor who said that the university had allowed a hostile protest on campus. After the settlement was announced, the Department of Justice separately said that it had found the university violated civil rights laws by failing to respond to students' complaints of antisemitism. Although the Trump administration intensified its attacks on UCLA this week, the school had been a target of the government's scrutiny for more than a year. In May 2024, Mr Frenk's predecessor, Gene D. Block, testified before a congressional committee examining campus antisemitism. And in February, a Trump administration task force on antisemitism identified UCLA as one of 10 schools it intended to visit as it investigated whether 'remedial action is warranted.' In recent weeks, UCLA would not say whether any of the task force's investigators had been to the campus. Mr Frenk said in his statement on July 30 that UCLA had taken 'concrete action' to address antisemitism and discrimination, including creating a new office of campus safety. 'This far-reaching penalty of defunding lifesaving research does nothing to address any alleged discrimination,' he wrote. He called the cuts a 'loss for Americans across the nation' whose work and health rely on the university's research. The funding cut is an early test for Mr Frenk, who became chancellor in January, as well as Mr James B. Milliken, who took over as the University of California system's leader on Aug 1. State and education leaders have been deeply concerned about the possibility that the Trump administration would target the university system as a whole, but especially the campuses in Los Angeles and Berkeley. Both schools were on the antisemitism task force's list for potential visits. But the Department of Education has also said it was investigating accusations of antisemitism at several other UC campuses. NYTIMES
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
France starts airdrops of humanitarian aid into Gaza, World News
PARIS - France on Friday (Aug 1) started to air-drop 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza as it urged Israel to allow full access to the area which it said was slipping into famine. "Faced with the absolute urgency, we have just conducted a food airdrop operation in Gaza. Thank you to our Jordanian, Emirati, and German partners for their support, and to our military personnel for their commitment," President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media platform X. "Airdrops are not enough. Israel must open full humanitarian access to address the risk of famine," he added. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot earlier in the day had told broadcaster franceinfo that France was sending four flights carrying 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid each to Gaza from Jordan. A global hunger monitor said on Tuesday that a famine scenario was unfolding in the Gaza Strip, with malnutrition soaring, children under five dying of hunger-related causes and humanitarian access severely restricted. France participated six times in the European humanitarian airlift set up in mid-October 2023 by the European Union to Jordan and Egypt to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, Macron's office said. The European airlift enabled the organisation of more than 60 flights carrying over 3,350 tons of humanitarian cargo, with most of the donations in-kind transiting through Egypt and Jordan, according to Macron's office. Part of this aid has still not entered Gaza due to a lack of agreement from the Israeli authorities, the president's office said. [[nid:720862]]
