NEWSBRIEFS (05/25/97)

NEWSBRIEFS

Crimean privatization chief murdered

SYMFEROPOL - Serhiy Holovizin, chairman of the Crimean State Property Fund, was shot dead on his doorstep on May 16, a press spokesman for the procurator's office said. An investigation was under way but there were no immediate indications as to who was responsible for the killing, although Crimean Police Chief Mykhailo Korniyenko said the following day that it was highly probable Mr. Holovizin's death was tied to his professional dealings, and that the killer was likely a professional, although sloppy, contract operative. Investigative teams had been dispatched from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyiv, and the Security Service may become involved as well. Since January 1995 Mr. Holovizin, 59, had been in charge of the privatization process which got going early last year after a three-year moratorium ended. He also managed President Kuchma's 1994 campaign for office in this region and had been expected to work on the 1999 Kuchma re-election bid. (Reuters/Easter Economist)

Poll shows time is ripe for reform

KYIV - Some 60 percent of Ukrainians think the pace of market reforms is too slow, according to a new opinion poll released by the Ukrainian Market Reform Education Program, which is sponsored by USAID and the government of Ukraine. "The survey showed that the Ukrainian population fully understands the concept of fundamental economic reforms and supports the decisive structural and political changes which are necessary for implementing a market economy," said Iryna Novytska, the president of the non-profit Ukraine Free Economy (UFE ) Foundation. The foundation conducted a survey of 1,600 Ukrainians along with the GLS research firm of San Francisco, Kyiv-based Socis-Gallup and the PBN company. The main line of questioning concerned the attitude of Ukrainians towards government power and economic reforms. About 70 percent of respondents said they do not trust the Ukrainian government and think it's decisions are taken "secretly, dishonestly and with corruption in mind." Approximately 40 percent supported the free market, while another 40 percent thought the state should control the economy. Seventy percent supported the beginning of economic reforms. "Conditions in Ukraine are now more suitable for economic reform than ever before, and Ukraine is ready to start moving," UFE director Peter Nekarsalmer said. (Eastern Economist)

Another embassy opened

JAKARTA - The Embassy of Ukraine to the Republic of Indonesia was officially opened here on May 16. Ambassador Ihor Lytvyn presented his credentials to Indonesian President Suharto. (UNIAN)

Soros suspends activities in Belarus

MIENSK - The Soros Foundation suspended its activities in Belarus after tax authorities emptied its bank account to pay fines totaling almost $3 million. Foundation spokeswoman Veronika Begun told journalists on May 15 that the Belarusian government ordered the bank to transfer all the money in the Soros account to pay the tax fines. She said the foundation now cannot even pay its office costs and that it has appealed the tax authorities' decision but has received no answer yet. The Soros Foundation was initially granted tax-exempt status by the Belarusian government, however, tax inspectors began an audit of the organization in March, following government accusations that Soros' Belarus Director Peter Byrne was backing the nationalist opposition to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and barred him from returning to Belarus from a trip abroad. The audit led to claims that the foundation was violating the status of a charitable organization. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Passport debate continues

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on May 20 discussed the first reading of a draft law on national passports. Deputies rejected Cabinet proposals that all entries and inscriptions be made in the Ukrainian language, that men be required to list their military service information and that all citizens be given a state identification number. The Verkhovna Rada requested the Cabinet to prepare a separate draft law on national passports. (Eastern Economist)

Ukraine to continue missile production

KYIV - Volodymyr Horbulin, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, said on May 19 that Ukraine would continue manufacturing short- and medium-range missiles for its own defense purposes, rejecting pressure from the United States. He stressed that Ukraine had no intention of supplying "pariah" countries such as Libya, Iraq and Iran with such missiles. "We do not violate any international obligation, any treaty," said Mr. Horbulin, responding to U.S. attempts at persuading Ukraine to stop production of the missiles. "Ukraine is not abandoning the idea of having strategic missiles." continued Mr. Horbulin. (Reuters)

Moroz raps Constitutional Court

KYIV - Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksander Moroz came out against the recent Constitutional Court decision allowing exceptions to the ban on national deputies serving in government posts, local media reported on May 20. The exceptions involved deputies elected in 1994 and 1995, before the Verkhovna Rada and President's Administration reached the Constitutional Agreement, the prelude to adoption of the Constitution. Mr. Moroz said the court should not have granted any exceptions, because the Constitutional Agreement incorporated the 1978 Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, which did not allow deputies to hold other posts. He said the Constitutional Agreement was just a "political document which canceled several articles of the old constitution concerning distribution of power." Among the deputies permitted under the court ruling to keep their executive branch jobs is Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko. (Eastern Economist)

TV sets now made in Mykolaiv

MYKOLAIV - The NiKond plant here has begun assembling color television sets under license from South Korea's LG Electronics, InfoBank reported on May 20. An initial batch of 1,000 sets is nearly ready. Plans call for the 51-cm sets to be sold in Kyiv. It costs $240 to assemble one of the TVs, which is less than the cost of importing a similar South Korean-made set. The NiKond plant formerly manufactured capacitors. (Eastern Economist)

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