It has been a hundred days since Viktor Yanukovych took office as president of Ukraine. Distinguished guests from around the country gathered to hear the president’s appeal to the country.

In his speech, he promised to bring the country out of crisis, overcome poverty and corruption.

[Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine]:
"Ukraine has confirmed its status as a non-nuclear state, which is actively fighting proliferation of nuclear materials and technology. We are substantially closer to an agreement on association with the European Union. We resolved the problem of ultra-high prices for natural gas. And the dialogue on the mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia was rebuild."

[Vasil Demchishin, MP from the Party of Regions]:
"We have already stability of power. There are no quarrels between the president and prime minister. There is a stable coalition in the Supreme Council."

However, there has been some controversy brewing over his rule. Representative of the opposition party, Yulia Tymoshenko says the country is gradually establishing an authoritarian regime.

[Yulia Tymoshenko, Opposition Party Leader]:
"I must tell that the executive, legislative and judicial power merge step by step into one conglomerate of vertically controlled from a single center. What is contrary to the classical development of democracy that is known in the world."

The Party for Ukraine, another opposition party’s flags were not allowed to be deployed near the palace of Ukraine, where all national flags and opposition party flags are normally seen.

The administrative court of Kiev had forbidden them from rallying there.

There is also some controversy about freedom of speech among the experts.

[Alexei Garan, Political Analyst]:
"Everything will be directed so as to display the dominant point of view. As the most popular channels already do. At the same time all this will be accompanied by a rigid and cynical propaganda."

Political scientists are also concerned about the cancellation of local elections, the Constitutional Court’s decision on granting the right to individual joining the coalition, and ignoring public and opposition’s opinion on key issues such as the Black Sea fleet.

But Ukrainians have their own criteria for assessing the current government.

[Unidentified]:
"The industry began to work. Even in front of our house there were buildings, which all were under construction. Now they started to work."

[Unidentified]:
"My pension was not raised, so I'm angry. I voted for him."

[Unidentified]:
“We doctors get support, they promise to give more money for health care.”

[Unidentified]:
"Last year at this time I spent a thousand on food, but this month I spent on medicine and food two thousand, which I took out from the money that I had gathered for my funeral. And the fact that they added three grivnas to the pension, then, excuse me, what I will do with them, if the medicine costs over fifty grivnas at the pharmacy?"

The current government promises to improve the financial situation of Ukrainians in the near future. But according to international human rights organization Freedom House, Ukraine could lose the status of a free country, if the trend of oppression of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly continues.

NTD, Kiev, Ukraine