Ukraine proclaims sovereignty

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - The Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR on Monday, July 16, proclaimed the republic's state sovereignty, defined as "supremacy, independence, fullness and indivisibility of the republic's authority within the boundaries of its territory, and its independence and equality in external relations."

The Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine was overwhelmingly approved by the Ukrainian Parliament by a vote of 355 for and four against.

News of the vote and the full Ukrainian-language text of the declaration were received via fax from the Kiev offices of Rukh, the Popular Movement of Ukraine for Perebudova. According to Leonid Chuhunov, liaison of Rukh's Department of Foreign Relations, the vote came at 10:08 a.m. Kiev time.

(The full text of the Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine appears on pages 1 and 7, in English translation prepared by The Ukrainian Weekly.)

The document decrees that Ukrainian SSR laws take precedence on Ukrainian territory over all-union laws, and declares that the Ukrainian SSR will maintain its own army and its own national bank and, if necessary, has the power to introduce its own currency.

In addition, the declaration proclaims that the republic is "a permanently neutral state that does not participate in military blocs," and states that the republic will not accept, will not produce and will not procure nuclear weapons.

Though the declaration stopped short of calling for Ukraine's secession from the USSR, many observers pointed out that it goes farther than similar steps toward sovereignty taken by other Soviet republics, particularly in its provisions regarding armed forces and its non-participation in any military bloc.

Other republics that have proclaimed their sovereignty recently include Moldavia, Russia and Uzbekistan; the Baltic states have gone farther, asserting their independence.

Adoption of the Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine, following a morning roll call vote in the Parliament, was greeted by the people's deputies with a standing ovation and tumultuous applause. Later that day, the deputies voted 339-5 to proclaim July 16 a national holiday in Ukraine.

Public celebration

The Ukrainian Press Agency reported that some 5,000 to 10,000 Kiev residents celebrated Ukraine's declaration of sovereignty on the evening of its proclamation by gathering in the capital city's October Revolution square.

At the meeting People's Deputy Bohdan Horyn proposed declaring July 16 Independence Day. The people's deputy also proposed that the name of the square should be changed to Independence Square.

The suggestions were met with cheers, cries of "Glory to Ukraine" and prolonged applause. Mr. Horyn, was quoted as saying that the declaration was the first step towards full independence.

He was followed to podium by Oles Shevchenko, Vyacheslav Chornovil, Larysa Skoryk and Mykola Porovsky, all deputies in the Ukrainian Parliament.

Mr. Shevchenko proclaimed that "from today our children will be born in a free country and not in a colony belonging to Moscow," the UPA noted.

The large crowd of people formed into a column and marched towards St. Sophia Square. Several people were dressed in Kozak costumes. The column stopped briefly at the building where in 1917-1918 the Ukrainian Central Council had held its meetings. Several people gave speeches in memory of the first president of the Ukrainian National Republic, Mykhailo Hrushevsky.

The column of people then proceeded towards the Taras Shevchenko monument where wreaths were laid, according to the UPA.

Self-determination

In the first section of the declaration titled "Self-Determination of the Ukrainian Nation," it is noted: "The Ukrainian SSR, as a sovereign national state, develops within existing boundaries on the basis of the realization of the Ukrainian nation's inalienable right to self-determination."

The people of Ukraine - defined as "citizens of the republic of all nationalities" - are the sole source of state authority in the republic, according to the declaration. The document states that all the republic's wealth and resources are the property of its people, and it notes that the Ukrainian SSR guarantees protection for all forms of ownership .

As regards the issue of citizenship, according to various news sources one of the sticking points of the declaration, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted a version that provides for Ukrainian SSR citizenship, while allowing citizens to retain USSR citizenship.

The declaration deals also with the matter of environmental protection, stating that the Ukrainian SSR determines procedures for protection of nature, as well as for use of its natural resources. It states that the republic has the right to ban or halt ecologically dangerous enterprises and that it has the right to seek "compensation for damages to the ecology of Ukraine brought about by the acts of union organs."

The Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine is composed of a preamble and 10 sections: Self-Determination of the Ukrainian Nation, Rule of the People, State Authority, Citizenship of the Ukrainian SSR, Territorial Supremacy, Economic Independence, Ecological Safety, Cultural Development, External and Internal Security, and International Relations.

In its conclusion the declaration notes that the Ukrainian SSR's relations with other Soviet republics are conducted "on the basis of the principles of equality, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs."

It is also stated that the declaration is to serve as the basis for a new constitution and laws of the republic and that its principles are to be "utilized in the preparation of a new union agreement."

Debate on declaration

The Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine was debated by the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet point by point and its provisions were put to a vote section by section.

On July 11, the title of the proclamation was adopted. Mr. Chornovil's proposal that the name of the republic be changed from Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic to Republic of Ukraine was voted down, reported the Ukrainian Press Agency.

The sections on Self-Determination of the Ukrainian Nation, Rule of the People and State Authority also were approved that day.

The next day, July 12, the deputies discussed the citizenship issue. Communist Party members supported the idea of dual - Ukrainian SSR and all-union - citizenship, while Democratic Bloc deputies grouped in the National Council (Narodna Rada) argued that this made no judicial sense, the UPA reported.

That day, 207 persons voted in favor of the dual citizenship provision, but this did not constitute a majority and, therefore, the measure was not adopted.

Discussion then turned to the sections on Territorial Supremacy, Economic Independence and Ecological Safety which were approved by the people's deputies.

On July 13, 238 deputies voted to approve the section on External and Internal Security, which includes a provision on the right of Ukraine to maintain its own armed forces and notes that citizens of the Ukrainian SSR perform their military service on the territory of the republic and cannot be used for military aims outside its borders, without the consent of the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet. Passage of this section was welcomed by a loud round of applause.

Next came International Relations, the last section of the declaration, which was supported by a vote of 317 deputies.

The deputies then returned to the issue of citizenship that had sharply divided them. Ultimately, the measure providing for Ukrainian SSR citizenship while guaranteeing citizens the right to retain USSR citizenship was approved by a vote of 296 for and 26 against.

After the weekend, the deputies returned to vote on the adoption of the entire Declaration on State Sovereignty.

After the overwhelming vote approving the measure, several deputies welcomed its passage. Among them were Roman Lubkivsky of Lviv, who suggested that July 16 be observed as a national holiday of Ukraine's sovereignty, and Ivan Zayats, who argued that the declaration should be given the force of law.

Henrikh Altunian noted that the declaration was the first step toward the freedom of the people of Ukraine and called on his fellow deputies to observe a moment of silence for Ukraine's fallen heroes - from Hetman Petro Konashevych Sahaydachny to poet and human rights advocate Vasyl Stus - who had fought for decades for Ukraine's freedom.

* * *

Parliament sessions continued this week with discussions and debates on the composition of the government of Ukraine.

On July 18, the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet finally accepted the resignation submitted a week earlier by Volodymyr Ivashko as its chairman and nominated candidates to replace him.

Citing TASS, Radio Liberty reported that 27 persons have been nominated for the position of Parliament chairman, which is equivalent to president of the republic.

Among the candidates are Stanislav Hurenko, first secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine (who had replaced Mr. Ivashko in that party position upon his resignation), and another party leader, Leonid Kravchuk.

Democratic Bloc candidates include Volodymyr Yavorivsky and Ihor Yukhnovsky.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 22, 1990, No. 29, Vol. LVIII

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