NEWSBRIEFS (06/13/99)

NEWSBRIEFS

Kuchma decries no-confidence discussion

SYMFEROPOL - President Leonid Kuchma said in Symferopol on June 4 that the Parliament's decision to discuss on June 16 a no-confidence vote in the government is a "political provocation," Interfax reported. "It suits some political forces to escalate the situation in Ukraine yet again, five months before presidential elections," Mr. Kuchma remarked. The debate was proposed by Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko. On June 3 Mr. Symonenko had demanded that the Verkhovna Rada sack Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko and National Bank of Ukraine Chairman Viktor Yuschenko because of their efforts to privatize Sberbank, a state savings bank. Mr. Symonenko accused both of violating the law in privatizing Sberbank, arguing that the bank should first compensate Ukrainians for all the savings that have been lost due to inflation since 1991. The prime minister said the next day that the Communist motion is a "political reprisal." He stressed that the government is doing its best to improve the financial situation in the country, including paying wage and pension arrears. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Slovakia to restrict entry of Ukrainians

BRATISLAVA - Slovakia's Internal and the Foreign Affairs ministries will issue instructions "in the next days" on restricting the entry of, and the granting of residency permits to, Ukrainian nationals, the CTK news agency reported on June 4, citing Radio Twist. Vladimir Palko, chairman of the Parliament's Defense and Security Committee, said the main reason for imposing the restrictions is that the "Ukrainian mafia has become a problem in Slovakia." Mr. Palko said that Ukrainians were involved in the murder of former Economy Minster Jan Ducky earlier this year and may be responsible for other murders as well. In related news, on May 31 the Czech government had said it will examine imposing visa requirements on Ukrainian nationals. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine criticizes Czech move on visas

KYIV - Verkhovna Rada Deputy Chairman Viktor Medvedchuk has said the Czech Republic's plans to introduce visa requirements for Ukrainians are not in line with the Czech leadership's declared intention to support Ukraine's bid for membership in the European Union. According to Mr. Medvedchuk, such actions contribute to strengthening the influence of leftist forces in Ukraine and other CIS states, Ukrainian Radio reported on June 3. (RFE/RL Newsline)

TV station complains of harassment

KYIV - The STB television company, a popular private network set up in Ukraine in 1997, has complained of political pressure that, it says, is part of a growing battle for control over the media during the presidential campaign. The Associated Press and Reuters reported that STB acting chairman Dmytro Prykordonnyi told journalists on June 8 that the government had ordered the channel to stop broadcasting outside Kyiv by means of satellite. According to Mr. Prykordonnyi, if implemented the order would deprive STB of access to half its viewers. He also said tax inspectors are almost constantly at STB's offices, looking for tax violations. In March STB had appealed to the president and the Parliament chairman for protection against assaults and intimidation of its journalists. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Nazi-era laborers sue German companies

MUNICH - Nazi-era forced laborers from Ukraine sued the Siemens electronics company and the automaker BMW in the Munich Labor Court. The plaintiffs, 134 citizens of Ukraine, are demanding between $13,000 and $21,000 each as back wages and compensation. The court said it must first rule on whether it has jurisdiction to hear the case. However, that process could take months. (The New York Times)

Ukraine's foreign debt totals $12.4 B

KYIV - The Kyiv newspaper Biznes reported on June 7 that Ukraine's foreign debt totaled $12.4 billion as of May 1. The country owes $2.79 billion to the International Monetary Fund (24.3 percent of the total debt), $1.89 billion to Russia (16.5 percent), $1.77 billion in fiduciary loans (15.4 percent) and $1.21 billion to the World Bank (13.8 percent). (RFE/RL Newsline)

Turkmenistan presses Ukraine on debt

ASHGABAT - Turkmenistan is demanding that Ukraine either pay its debt for gas supplies in 1998, totaling $120 million, or restructure the sum into a "sovereign debt," the Eastern Economic Daily reported on June 8. Turkmen sources estimate that Ukraine's debt for gas supplies in 1999 so far exceeds $300 million, while the total debt for Turkmen gas received by the end of 1998 stands at $450 million. Turkmenistan halted gas supplies to Ukraine last month. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma takes credit for national stability

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma told journalists on June 3 that the creation of a stable society is one of the main achievements of his presidency, Interfax reported. He admitted, however, that Ukraine has failed to make the economic progress "we had the right to expect." On June 2, the group collecting signatures for President Kuchma announced that it has gathered 1.3 million. A presidential candidate needs to have 1 million signatures by July 13 in order to run in the election. (RFE/RL Newsline)

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