NEWSBRIEFS (01/10/99)

NEWSBRIEFS

Ukraine's eligibility for MFN confirmed

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 29, 1998, submitted an updated report to Congress certifying that the emigration laws and policies of Ukraine and 10 other former Soviet republics do not violate the criteria for the continuation of most-favored-nation (MFN) status as set by the Jackson-Vanik amendment. (Eastern Economist)

Kuchma assesses outgoing year

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma said at a state awards ceremony in Kyiv on December 28, 1998, that the year was "complex and contradictory," but that "the situation is neither hopeless nor tragic," Ukrainian Television reported. According to Mr. Kuchma, Ukrainians need to "stop complaining about unfavorable conditions, roll up their sleeves and get down to work." President Kuchma criticized those politicians who made "populist proposals and promises" during the debate of Ukraine's 1999 draft budget. "Unfortunately, I have no grounds to say that the upcoming year 1999 will be much easier than 1998. It is obviously impossible to resolve sore problems quickly and painlessly," he added. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukrainians reflect on events of 1998

KYIV - The majority of Ukrainians regard the flooding in Zakarpattia, the arrest of ex-Premier Pavlo Lazarenko, and Verkhovna Rada elections in March 1998 as the main events of 1998, according to a poll taken by the Ukrainian Institute of Social Research and Social Monitoring. Other noted events included the economic crisis in Ukraine (which took 10 percent of votes), the fall of the hryvnia exchange rate (7 percent), a general worsening of living conditions (3 percent), with the revival of Dynamo Kyiv and the civil unrest each taking 1 percent. In terms of world events, Ukrainians consider the recent Desert Fox bombings in Iraq, the impeachment procedures against U.S. President Bill Clinton, the world economic crisis and the world cup in soccer to have been the most memorable events. (Eastern Economist)

Poll names 'Man of the Year'

KYIV - In a poll conducted by the Institute of Social Study and Social Monitoring in 12 regions of Ukraine, President Leonid Kuchma was declared the " Person of the Year " for 1998. The " Man of the Year " title went to National Bank of Ukraine Chairman Victor Yuschenko, with Progressive Socialist Party head Natalia Vitrenko named "Woman of the Year." Mr. Kuchma also took the title of most influential politician with 44 percent of the vote, edging out Oleksander Moroz (30 percent), Ms. Vitrenko (24 percent), Petro Symonenko (18 percent), Valerii Pustovoitenko (17 percent), Mr. Yuschenko (15 percent), Vyacheslav Chornovil (12 percent), and Oleksander Tkachenko (11 percent). (Eastern Economist)

Privatization revenues below target

KYIV - Ukraine raised less than 50 percent of its planned privatization revenues in 1998, the Associated Press reported. Vadym Vasylev, head of the State Privatization fund, reported that as of December 29, 1998, the state budget had received 422 million hrv ($123 million U.S.) of the 1 billion hrv projected for the entire year. Mr. Vasylev said privatization was hindered by Russia's financial crisis, which he argued scared foreign investors away from Ukraine. The government has set its privatization revenue target for 1999 at 800 million hrv. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Fines canceled to promote tax collection

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma has signed a decree canceling fines on companies that pay all their 1998 taxes by February 1999, Ukrainian News reported. Mr. Kuchma's decision is seen as a measure to improve poor tax collection. The nationwide tax debt skyrocketed from 2.3 billion hrv in January to 10.2 billion hryvni ($3 billion U.S.) as of December 1. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Crimean deputy is arrested

SYMFEROPOL - Crimean police have arrested Mykola Kotliarevskyi, a deputy of the Crimean Parliament, Ukrainian Television reported on December 28, 1998. Mr. Kotliarevskyi is charged with plotting a contract murder and a long string of assaults and extortion, and engaging in swindling cases with the assistance of a gang in 1994-1997. Hennadii Moskal, head of the Ukrainian Internal Affairs Ministry's Crimean Directorate, said the Crimean Parliament "has at least three [other] deputies with a criminal record," but did not disclose their names. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma, Blair on funds for sarcophagus

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have appealed to the leaders of 10 countries to help renovate the sarcophagus covering a ruined reactor at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, the Associated Press reported on December 30, 1998. Ukraine has appealed on previous occasions to the international community to help make the sarcophagus safe. Since 1997, some 20 donor countries have pledged $390 million toward the estimated $758 million in repair costs. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Parliament again raises minimum wage

KYIV - The Ukrainian Parliament increased Ukraine's minimum wage on December 25, 1998, from 55 hrv ($16) to 73.7 hrv and set the official poverty level at 90.7 hrv. The decision was taken two days after the legislature failed to override President Leonid Kuchma's veto on a bill passed in November, which nearly tripled the minimum wage to 148 hrv. (RFE/RL Newsline)

New faction created in Rada

KYIV - The creation of a new parliamentarian faction Reformy-Tsentr (Reforms-Center) was announced on December 22, 1998. Faction member and National Deputy Mykhailo Syrota said that the faction was created in the wake of the Constitutional Court's decision earlier that month which overruled a previous ruling that Rada factions can be created only by parties that canvassed more than 4 percent in parliamentary elections. Fourteen deputies so far have joined the new faction, the first to be formed since the ruling. (Eastern Economist)

Ukraine to send Iraq humanitarian aid

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on December 23, 1998, approved a decision to provide humanitarian assistance to Iraq. The decision was approved by a margin of 226 to 29. The aid will consist of clothing left over from aid received after the flooding in Zakarpattia. (Eastern Economist)

Educational reform program announced

KYIV - Starting from the year 2001, a 12-year secondary education system is planned to be introduced in Ukraine. Education Minister Mykhailo Zghurovskyi announced on December 14, 1998, that the relevant draft law is now being prepared for the Verkhovna Rada's approval. He said that the 12-year system of education "will fully correspond to existing international standards as well as recommendations from medical experts to decrease the workload on school children." According to Mr. Zghurovskyi, vocational education programs will also be effected by the reforms. He said steps will be taken to better integrate vocational education into the production sector. Mr. Zghurovskyi noted an increase in the number of students in Ukraine from 1.2 million in 1990-1991 to 1.5 million in 1998-1999. This increase is caused by the growing number of private universities in Ukraine. According to the Education Ministry, 300,000 students are presently officially paying for their education. (Eastern Economist)

Ukrainian naval strength increased

KYIV - Navy First Deputy Commander Viktor Fomin said that six military ships and cutters were introduced to the Ukrainian navy's immediate response forces in 1998. The Ukrainian navy currently has approximately 40 military ships and cutters and 80 auxiliary ships. (Eastern Economist)

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