Ukrainians Show Some Sole to Protest Rubber-Stamp Role

MOSCOW — More than 150 angry delegates to a recent city council meeting in a town in the Ukraine, called on to rubber-stamp prepared policy decisions, instead “voted with their feet” and marched out of the session, the Soviet news agency Tass reported Saturday.

The walkout was an example of increasing activism under Kremlin leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev, who has pressed for democratic procedures to be applied at all levels as part of his drive to reform Soviet society.

Tass said the incident, in the southeast Ukrainian city of Zaporozhye, took place after delegates to the one-day meeting were presented with a packed agenda.

“Ten questions were down for discussion, including the housing program up to the year 2000, improving the ecological situation in this major industrial center and setting out a program to improve food supplies to the population.

“In short, each question merited a separate and detailed discussion,” Tass said.

It said that when the delegates saw the agenda, an “unprecedented event” took place. “They voted with their feet and left the meeting as a mark of protest.”

Tass said it was clear that the local authorities regarded the delegates as nothing more than “extras” who merely had to rubber-stamp decisions taken earlier.

“In the past, that was how things worked. But now that people are taking an active part in the democratic process, those methods work no longer,” the agency said.

After more than 150 delegates walked out of the meeting, there were not enough delegates left to make up a quorum and the meeting was adjourned, it said.