LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (07/06/97)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Lazarenko ouster shows inexperience

Dear Editor:

The ousting of the prime minister of Ukraine by President Leonid Kuchma was the third in three years and was the most cynical of them all. Pavlo Lazarenko was in Canada just a few days prior to his removal. He was shown on TV news broadcasts, and he certainly did not appear to be ill or in bad health. Obviously, therefore, the removal of Mr. Lazarenko was politically motivated, but President Kuchma didn't even have the guts to say so, and had to go through the subterfuge of "illness."

Unfortunately, this removal demonstrates the instability of the Ukrainian government and political system, and also the inexperience and ineffectiveness of President Kuchma himself. This is not conducive to foreign investment in Ukraine. Also, major countries can hardly take Ukraine seriously when it changes prime ministers every year.

President Kuchma took office in July 1994. At that time he kept Vitalii Masol as prime minister, who lasted until March 1995. He then appointed Yevhen Marchuk, who took office in June 1995 and was dismissed on May 27, 1996, in spite of the fact (or perhaps because of the fact) that Mr. Marchuk was voted the most popular politician in Ukraine in 1995. Then, Mr. Kuchma appointed his own "zemliak" Pavlo Lazarenko, who lasted almost exactly one year.

It seems that the whole Ukrainian political system relative to the appointment and dismissal of the prime minister is fundamentally flawed. In most countries that have considerable experience with democratic government, the prime minister is not appointed, but is elected both by the people and by his party, and sits in Parliament. In this manner, the prime minister has much more influence within the Parliament, and can pass budgets and other important legislation when this is needed.

In Ukraine, the Constitution does not allow members of the government to also serve in the Verkhovna Rada, which puts the prime minister in a very difficult position. He must please both the president and the Parliament, who most often are at odds with each other. Thus, nothing gets done. They can't even pass a budget, which was due by December 31, 1996.

The Ukrainian system is somewhat similar to the Russian, although in Russia the president has more power than in Ukraine, and generally Russians have much more experience in governing.

President Yeltsin has appointed Viktor Chernomyrdin as prime minister and is sticking with him, even though there were also rumors that he is one of the richest men in Russia, and profits handsomely from the oil and gas business. The fact that Mr. Chernomyrdin stays on as prime minister gives an aura of stability to the Russian government and political system.

It seems that Ukraine will go from crisis to crisis until it solves this basic problem.

George Primak
Pierrefonds, Quebec

Cherkasy school seeks pen pals

Dear Editor:

The future of Ukraine depends on her children - how they grow up and what they will grow up to be. Citizens of Ukraine must strive to create schools that are capable of providing their children with a multifaceted and fundamental education, in addition to a civic consciousness and love for Ukraine. The First City Gymnasium (high school) in the city of Cherkasy is one such school.

Last year, the director-general of UNESCO, Federico Mayor announced that this high school would be included in the Association of UNESCO Schools, which allows students to participate in many international programs, such as the UNESCO student program, "Man and Environment," as well as exchange programs, e-mail with students from other countries and visits from English-speaking instructors from abroad.

Among the highlights of students' activities in this high school is a group called "Ecology" that cooperates with an international organization called "Global Ratification and Elections Network," which refers to the ratification of the Constitution of the Earth Federation. The Cherkasy Gymnasium also became a co-founder of an international public association called "Piznai Svit" - Learn about the World.

Two languages, Ukrainian and English, are used concurrently as teaching languages in this school. In addition, students can study other languages such as Polish and Turkish. There are 30 teachers of English alone, including some from English-speaking countries.

Students who excel have an opportunity to study in England and the United States. A special Institute of English Language of this high school was created for students where special projects on philology (linguistics) and teaching guides for students were developed by students.

Some of the students learn ballroom dancing, others are gifted poets. Many of the high school students are recipients of city awards on the subjects of history, Ukrainian language and literature, biology, geography and laws and justice.

One of the methods of teaching the students is to give them an opportunity to converse or correspond directly with English speaking teenagers in other countries. You can participate and help by writing to some of the following Cherkasy Gymnasium students: Natalia Rybalko, Lesia Stokach, Taras Kovalenko, Olha Kesarchuk, Kateryna Rudakova, Daryna Butych, Oleksander Luhovsky plus many other students. Their address is: Ukraine 257000, Cherkasy, First City Gymnasium, vul. Kirova 68. The recipients of your letters will be very happy to hear from you and they promise to write back to you.

Lew Khmelkovsk
Newark, N.J.

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