NEWSBRIEFS (03/14/99)

NEWSBRIEFS

Procurator disputes Lazarenko's claims

KYIV - Ukraine's chief prosecutor on March 5 disputed former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko's claim that he is a victim of political persecution and should be granted political asylum in the United States. Ukraine, which has no extradition treaty with the United States, has sent new documents on the case to the United States, said Procurator General Mykhailo Potebenko. "It will become clear to the American side that we are not dealing here with a political personality but with a man who has to bear responsibility for his crime," Mr. Potebenko said. (Associated Press)

Court lifts ban on price hikes for utilities

KYIV - The Constitutional Court on March 9 overturned a law that temporarily banned increases in the price of utilities and public transportation. The Verkhovna Rada passed the law in July 1998, stating that it would remain in effect until the government has repaid all wage and pension arrears. The court ruling said the law is unconstitutional and allowed the government to raise utilities and transportation rates. So far, Ukrainians have paid only 80 percent of the cost of water, heating and electricity supplies. The abolition of subsidies to utilities was a requirement of the International Monetary Fund before it resumed releasing tranches of a $2.2 billion loan, which was frozen last fall. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kyiv dismisses demand to shut Chornobyl

KYIV - Vice Minister of Energy Hennadii Yaroslavtsev has shrugged off a demand by the European Commission to close the Chornobyl nuclear power plant as soon as possible, Reuters reported on March 9. Energy Commissioner Christos Papoutsis urged Ukraine to reconsider last week's decision to restart the only operational reactor at Chornobyl and to expedite the plant's closure, pointing to safety considerations. Mr. Yaroslavtsev said the commission's demand is "an attempt to exert political pressure on Ukraine." The Chornobyl plant "is the safest of all similar nuclear power plants in the former Soviet Union," he argued. Ukraine has pledged to shut down Chornobyl by 2000 in exchange for Western assistance to complete the construction of another two nuclear reactors. (RFE/RL Newsline)

CIS IPA vote legitimacy questioned

KYIV - The Reform and Order Party on March 4 cast doubt on the legitimacy of the Verkhovna Rada vote on joining the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. A party statement said, "of the 290 deputies who registered to vote on this question, there were 33 signatures missing from registration papers, casting doubts over the stated 230 votes in favor of membership." Meanwhile, the Green Party issued a statement saying that its opposition to membership was in defense of Ukrainian sovereignty. The Green Party also denied Rukh allegations that they had, in fact, voted in favor of membership. (Eastern Economist)

Nuclear plant workers threaten strike

KYIV - The Atomic Energy Sector Employees' Trade Union announced on March 5 that it will launch a strike over unpaid wages at Ukraine's five nuclear power plants on March 22. Valerii Matov, vice-chairman of the union, said the strike will include all employees, except for a small number of support workers who will maintain essential operations. Some 12,000 nuclear plant workers demonstrated on March 6 to demand back wages. Some 2,000 employees continue their protest in tent camps built around nuclear power plants. Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko has promised to set up a government commission to oversee payments for electricity consumption. The commission will be given the right to cut off electricity supplies to debtors. (Eastern Economist)

Rada votes down two World Bank loans

KYIV - The Ukrainian Parliament voted down two loan agreements concluded by the government with the World Bank. The first agreement is a $200 million deal to improve the heating system in Kyiv, the other a $16.4 million loan to purchase computer equipment for the treasury. But the Verkhovna Rada did ratify a $22 million World Bank grant to modernize plants that use ozone-destroying substances. Foreign loans are opposed primarily by left-wing parliamentary deputies, who believe that foreign aid does Ukraine's economy more harm than good. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kyiv mayor to be elected April 30

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on March 2 passed a resolution scheduling the elections for Kyiv mayor for April 30. The current mayor, Oleksander Omelchenko, commented on the decision: "City authorities will do everything possible so that Kyivites get a triple holiday - the elections, Kyiv Day and celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the Magdeburg Law in Kyiv." Communist faction member Heorhii Kriuchkov put the election into context, saying, "the Communist faction has agreed to the April 30 date because it is a unique possibility to assess Kyivites' mood before the forthcoming presidential elections." Rukh faction member Oleksander Lavrynovych doubted that there would be what he termed, "an absolutely legal election campaign," commenting, "currently the legality of elections is a big problem in Ukraine." (Eastern Economist)

Fourth Antarctic mission is planned

KYIV - "Despite the financial crisis, Ukraine remains among countries of the Antarctic Union," said Science Minister Stanislav Dovhii on February 10. Ukrainian expeditions to polar circles have continued, with the fourth Ukrainian expedition to Antarctica currently under preparation. "The expedition will concentrate on research of particles that destroy the ozone layer, and the influence of aerosols, ozonosphere physics and movement of the geomagnetic field," said Mr. Dovhii. The team will also concentrate on technological development of the station, including upgrading equipment and creating a computer database network. The overall cost of the expedition is expected to be $318,000 (U.S.). (Eastern Economist)

Ukraine, Poland to crack down on crime

KYIV - Meeting on March 3 in Kyiv, Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Yurii Kravchenko and his Polish counterpart, Janusz Tomaszewski, signed an agreement on cooperating to combat organized crime. Mr. Kravchenko said that such cooperation will result in the disbanding by this summer of some 60 criminal gangs operating in both countries. "Joint operations [so far] have resulted in bringing the situation at the Polish-Ukrainian border under control. There is no longer such a thing as a Ukrainian mafia in Poland," Mr. Kravchenko said. Polish Television commented that this statement "astonished" the Polish delegation, adding that Ukrainians compose Poland's largest criminal group from the former Soviet republics. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Rada factions after the Rukh split

KYIV - Following the Verkhovna Rada's registration of the Rukh-I faction, the Rada now contains 14 factions and deputies' groups. The Communist Party of Ukraine has 122 deputies; Rukh-I, 16; Rukh, 30; Left Center, 24; Green Party, 26; National Democratic Party, 56; Hromada, 42 (on March 4, however, the Hromada faction split, see item below); Social Democrats (United), 24; Progressive Socialists, 14; Agrarian Party, 15; Reforms Center, 13; Independent, 18; Regional Rebirth, 27. (Eastern Economist)

Hromada faction splits

KYIV - The Hromada parliamentary group split on March 4, as its leader, former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, remains in the U.S. seeking political asylum, the DPA news agency reported. Nineteen former members of the Hromada faction and four other deputies have formed a left-of-center caucus called "Batkivshchyna" [Fatherland]. The group is headed by 38-year-old Yuliia Tymoshenko, a former Lazarenko ally. Before the split, the Hromada caucus consisted of 42 deputies. Meanwhile, Mr. Lazarenko has announced through his lawyer that there is a "significant possibility" he will obtain political asylum in the U.S. Ukrainian Television reported on March 4 that the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Council has abolished the post of honorable chairman, which was assumed last year by Mr. Lazarenko. If extradited to Ukraine, Mr. Lazarenko faces trial on corruption charges. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Mining managers fired for corruption

KYIV - Vice Minister of the Coal Industry Volodymyr Novikov said on March 3 that "at least" 41 coal industry executives have been fired on corruption charges, the Associated Press reported. He cited such offenses as embezzlement of state property and mishandling of budget funds. He added that some senior executives have used miners to build private houses and have sent their children to colleges or health resorts at the expense of coal enterprises. Deputy Procurator General Olha Kolinko said the reported corruption cases constitute "less than a tenth of the iceberg of abuses" in the coal industry. Mykhailo Volynets, head of the Independent Miners' Union, commented that the current anti-corruption campaign was prompted by the approaching presidential elections. According to Mr. Volynets, President Leonid Kuchma's administration is creating an "outward appearance of fighting against corruption and organized crime." (RFE/RL Newsline)

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