NEWSBRIEFS (05/30/99)

NEWSBRIEFS

Bomb explodes in Communist Party office

SYMFEROPOL - An explosive device containing some 400 grams of TNT went off in the Symferopol office of Leonid Hrach, leader of the Crimean branch of the Communist Party of Ukraine, on May 23. There were no casualties. Mr. Hrach, who is also chairman of the Crimean Parliament, said on local television that the explosion was "an act of political vandalism" by an unnamed "third force" trying to provoke clashes between leftists and Crimean Tatars. Mr. Hrach appealed to Tatars who have been picketing the government building in Symferopol since May 18 "not to give grounds [by carrying out that action] to those wishing to undermine the situation in Crimea." Tatar Mejlis Vice-Chairman Remzi Ablayev said Crimean Tatars have nothing to do with the blast, ITAR-TASS reported. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Crimean Tatars end protest

SYMFEROPOL - Crimean Tatars on May 24 dismantled a tent camp outside the Crimean government building after Crimean Prime Minister Serhii Kunitsyn had promised that the government will meet some of their key demands, Interfax reported. Tatar leader Mustafa Jemilev told the agency that the protesters' main achievement was to obtain permission to set up a council to represent Crimean Tatars' interests in the Crimean government. Mr. Kunitsyn also gave permission to Tatar repatriates on the peninsula to own land and open their own schools. "What was do-able within the framework of the [Crimean government] has been done," Mr. Jemilev commented. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma: election will bring no surprise

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma, who is seeking re-election in the October 31 polling, appears confident of his victory. He assured foreign investors on May 21 that the situation will remain "predictable" after the elections, Reuters reported. "Ukraine's policy will remain balanced, consecutive, and there will be no throwback," he said. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Two officials shot dead in Odesa

ODESA - The dead of Odesa Oblast Arbitration Court, Borys Vykhrov, and the director of local TV company AMT, Ihor Bondar, were both shot dead by gunmen late on May 16 near Odesa as they drove in Mr. Vykhrov's car. An investigation has been opened. The murder occurred three days after Procurator General Mykhailo Potebenko made a working visit to Odesa. Locals believe a possible motive is the battle for power within the Arbitration Court itself. (Eastern Economist)

Ukraine's population falls below 50 M

KYIV - The State Statistics Committee reported that Ukraine's population totaled 49.98 million as of April 1. At the beginning of 1999 the population totaled 50.1 million. The ratio between urban and rural dwellers is now approximately 3:1. (Eastern Economist)

Rada tightens control over central bank

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on May 20 approved a law on the National Bank of Ukraine introducing a 14-member supervisory council that will draft monetary policy guidelines, the Associated Press reported. Half of the council will be appointed by the Parliament and the other half by the president. If the National Bank of Ukraine and its chairman do not abide by the policies drawn up by the council, the president is authorized to ask the Parliament to fire the country's chief banker. NBU Chairman Viktor Yuschenko criticized the law, saying the bank "may no longer be able to take responsibility for the stability of the national currency. If the council has the most authority, then logically it should bear the greatest responsibility." The law must be approved by President Leonid Kuchma. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Parliament to discuss punishing Cabinet

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on May 19 announced it will hold a special debate on punishing the government for its failure to collect sufficient revenues. The decision was made a day after the government told the legislature that unpaid pensions and wages to state employees rose by 10 percent in January-March to 3.6 billion hrv ($916 million). (RFE/RL Newsline)

Search for missing climber called off

KYIV - The 10-day rescue operation mounted on May 9 to search for Vasyl Kopytko, the single missing member of the Ukrainian mountaineering team ascending Mount Everest, was called off on May 19. On May 8, together with Vladyslav Terziul and Volodymyr Horbach, Mr. Kopytko set out for the peak of Everest. When descending at night they were caught in a snowstorm. The other two climbers were rescued. Technical assistance for the rescue effort came from Italy and the U.S., said Valerii Zimov, acting director of Odesa's climbing club. (Eastern Economist)

Constitutional Court gains recognition

KYIV - The Constitutional Court of Ukraine has become a member of the European Conference of Constitutional Courts and Tribunals. A decision to this effect was taken at the 10th meeting of the conference held in Warsaw on May 18-20. Of eight applicants, this honor was bestowed on this occasion to Ukraine and Croatia. Conference members include 20 European nations plus some former Soviet republics, including Russia. This decision in favor of Ukraine is testimony to the fact that the decisions of the Ukrainian Constitutional Court comply with European standards for human rights protection, said Vitalii Rozenko, the court's vice-chair. The Constitutional Court has considered over 10,000 applications from both individuals and legal entities since it was established in October 1996, Mr. Rozenko noted. (Eastern Economist)

Kuchma decrees mutual debt cancellation

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma has signed a decree on settling individual citizens' debts for utilities, UNIAN reported on May 11. According to the decree, unpaid utilities charges can be paid for by drawing on unpaid wages, pensions and social benefits. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Science sector needs funding

KYIV - The president of the National Academy of Sciences, Borys Paton, turned to the government on April 7 with a plea to "support financing of the academy," which is now "on the brink of financial collapse." Dr. Paton stated that in 1998 the science sector received just 75.4 percent of planned budgetary financing. He added that in 1999 only 0.41 percent of the GDP has been allocated to the sector, instead of the 1-1.7 promised. Dr. Paton also stated that the major income source for the science sector today is from leasing office space. Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko said on April 7 while at the academy that Academy of Sciences financing would be discussed in the near future. Mr. Pustovoitenko cautioned, however, "The state cannot properly finance the academy under the present economic conditions." He added that he personally is sorry the government had failed to fully finance the academy. (Eastern Economist)

Kyiv grants Russia air space access

KYIV - The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a resolution in support of a draft agreement with Russia allowing Russia's Black Sea Fleet to use Ukrainian air space and the air space over the Black Sea area where Ukraine, under international agreements, is responsible for the safety of flights. (Eastern Economist)

Ukraine opposes Russian plane upgrade

KYIV - Defense Minister Oleksander Kuzmuk has announced that Ukraine is taking a firm stand in opposing Russia's plans to replace the SU-17 bombers currently used by its Black Sea Fleet with newer SU-24 planes. Mr. Kuzmuk stressed that Ukraine opposes Russia's introduction of SU-24 bombers, since they can carry nuclear weapons and this may radically change the balance of power in the Black Sea region. With respect to the TU-95 and TU-160 strategic bombers that Ukraine inherited after the collapse of the USSR, Minister Kuzmuk said talks on the possible sale of these aircraft to Russia continue. Kyiv decommissioned these bombers because they can carry only nuclear cruise missiles, which is against Ukraine's declared non-nuclear status. Eleven TU strategic bombers are "in almost mint condition," said Mr. Kuzmuk, and the rest of the aircraft will be dismantled. Three of the bombers will be earmarked for a new space project, tentatively dubbed Air Launch, which foresees the launching of spaceships from the stratosphere, not from the Earth's surface. (Eastern Economist)

IMF calls Ukraine's economy fragile

KYIV - In an annual report released on April 27, the International Monetary Fund's executive directors said Ukraine's economy remains fragile and may be further threatened by continued friction between the Parliament and the government, an RFE/RL correspondent reported. The IMF praises Ukraine for "good progress" in restructuring and privatizing a number of state enterprises, but it also noted delayed reforms in the agricultural and energy sectors. The report warned the Ukrainian government that it may face strong pressure to settle wage and pension arrears before the presidential elections in October. And it urged the government to clear as many of those arrears as possible before the election campaign starts. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine expects more losses due to war

KYIV - The Ukrainian News Agency reported that by the end of June Ukraine will have lost about $220 million as a result of the war in Yugoslavia. An official at Ukraine's Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Ministry confirmed that this is only a forecast, and real losses may be much higher. Most of the sum is due to the significant fall in the volume of freight transported by the Danube shipping company, which is said to incur daily losses of close to $250,000 due to the conflict. Ukraine has also been forced to cut exports of iron ore to Austria and other countries that border Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Hungary. Last year, goods valued at about $80 million were exported to Yugoslavia. (Eastern Economist)

Pifer visits Khmelnytskyi

KHMELNYTSKYI - "We want to be a kind of bridge between Ukraine and American investors. The commercial section of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is waiting for proposals from the regions," said Ambassador Steven Pifer during his visit to Khmelnytskyi on May 18. Mr. Pifer met with the chairman of the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Administration, Viktor Lundyshev, and Mayor Mykhailo Chekman. He expressed an interest in the economic development of both the region and city, and discussed projects that could be offered financial support. On May 17 the U.S. envoy visited Khmelnytskyi's OblEnergo JSC and Podillia University of Technology. (Eastern Economist)

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