Flags and Tents

With less than a week until Parliamentary elections the city went a little nuts this weekend. The main commercial drag in Kiev, Krishatik, is closed to traffic on weekends and there were extra political party tents set up all along the street and in Independence Square(Mayden Nezhalesnosti), though it's been almost as festive during the week. Saturday the color orange dominated, representing support for the party in power. But on Sunday the street was filled with people dressed in pink and tents and banners and outdoor screens set up for the Socialist Party of Ukraine. The campaigns are really profession and organized, even though there are I think 70 or so parties. People here really seem to feel like they have some democratic power, even though Yushenko's orange party (of the Orange Revolution) has dissapointed many this year with inflation and corruption. In Kiev more than Odessa people seem to have serious hope for Ukraine. A grandma I called to schedule for an interview told me she would be busy all week due to the election and refused to even pick a time until after the election. I didn't ask, but she must be campaigning for one of the parties.