NEWSBRIEFS (10/17/99)

NEWSBRIEFS

Rada asks U.S. Congress for assistance

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on October 12 asked the U.S. Congress to hand over former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko's court testimony in connection with his appeal for political asylum in the U.S. Ukrainian lawmakers want to know whether President Leonid Kuchma, his family and top Ukrainian officials have any bank accounts or real estate in the U.S. The Parliament made the request following Mr. Lazarenko's recent pledge to "cooperate with the [Ukrainian] Parliament and justice," UNIAN reported. It added that it hopes the U.S. Congress will "take a positive decision given the pressing need to fight international corruption and organized crime." Interfax-Ukraine quoted the following from the Parliament's letter to Congress: "Kuchma's personnel and economic policy has made Ukraine one of the most corruption-ridden countries in the world, according to international experts, and its national wealth has been misappropriated and embezzled by a handful of corrupt officials. ... Over 43 percent of the national currency is in turnover outside banking control in Ukraine and the illegal sector of the economy has grown from 40 percent to 55 percent. Besides, experts estimate at $20 billion the hard currency unlawfully removed from Ukraine and hidden in foreign bank accounts." The letter added: "Kuchma appointed to responsible posts officials who had abused power and broken moral rules and the law." (RFE/RL Newsline, Interfax-Ukraine)

Symonenko says he will not withdraw

KYIV - Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko, who is one of the leading presidential candidates, has said he will not resign from the presidential race, the Associated Press reported on October 12. Mr. Symonenko said he had been invited to join the so-called Kaniv Four election alliance of Yevhen Marchuk, Oleksander Moroz, Volodymyr Oliinyk and Oleksander Tkachenko on condition that he does not run in the October 31 elections. According to Mr. Symonenko, he could not join a group that includes "anti-Communist" Mr. Oliinyk and Mr. Marchuk, "who is supported by many nationalist organizations." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Russia to return ancient art works

KYIV - In a landmark decision, the Russian government has agreed to return the ancient frescoes and mosaics taken from St. Michael's Cathedral of the Golden Domes, many of them dating to the 12th century, to their home in Kyiv. ''The question has been resolved in principle and no further negotiations are needed,'' Ukrainian presidential spokesman Oleksander Martynenko said on September 29. Mr. Martynenko said Russia's Minister of Culture Vladimir Yegorov also assured Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma at a meeting earlier in the week that the treasures would be returned. St. Michael's Cathedral of the Golden Domes, founded in the early 12th century, survived the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. Under the Stalin regime, Soviet authorities started to demolish it in 1934 for ''lack of historic value.'' The frescoes and mosaics, stripped off the church walls, were preserved in then-Soviet Ukraine. But in 1938 they were sent to an exhibition at Moscow's Tretiakov Gallery and never returned. If the transfer takes place, Ukraine will be the first country in the world to receive cultural valuables now stored in Russian museums. (Associated Press, Eastern Economist)

Kaniv Four postpone naming candidate

KYIV - The so-called Kaniv Four alliance of Yevhen Marchuk, Oleksander Moroz, Volodymyr Oliinyk and Oleksander Tkachenko has postponed naming a single candidate to compete against incumbent President Leonid Kuchma in the presidential elections. Interfax on October 11 quoted Mr. Moroz as saying that the name of a single candidate will be made known on October 13 or 14. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported on October 11 that the postponement is intended to better ensure the safety of the single candidate. "We have information that attacks are being planned against our joint candidate," Mr. Oliinyk told the news agency, but he did not elaborate. According to the AP, President Leonid Kuchma commented that he has "long said that the behavior of those four recalls an agony.... They have nothing to say about themselves, so they pour dirt [on the president]." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma slams opponents of IMF loans

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma said on October 11 that breaking or limiting relations with the International Monetary Fund - as proposed by presidential candidates Natalia Vitrenko and Petro Symonenko - would spell "catastrophe" for Ukraine, Reuters reported. According to Mr. Kuchma, there are no credits cheaper or longer-term than those offered by the IMF and the World Bank. He added that Ukraine has to pay $3 billion in 2000 to service its international debts. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kyiv mayor allows sale of land

KYIV - Mayor Oleksander Omelchenko recently decided to put municipal land in the Ukrainian capital on sale, the Associated Press reported on October 11. The sale of land for non-agricultural purposes - which is opposed by Ukraine's leftist Parliament - was made possible through a January presidential decree. According to the October 11 issue of Kievskie Viedomosti, one hectare of land in Kyiv can be sold for 200,000-500,000 hrv ($44,400-$111,000), compared with the average price of 100,000 hrv elsewhere in Ukraine. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ivanov hails relations with Ukraine

KYIV - Following his October 9 visit to Ukraine, Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister Igor Ivanov said relations between Moscow and Kyiv are characterized by a "different atmosphere" and can be described as "fraternal." Mr. Ivanov discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart, Borys Tarasyuk, implementation of agreements on the Black Sea Fleet, consular relations, steps to combat terrorism, and the situation in Chechnya. Mr. Ivanov said Russia will support Ukraine's bid to become a temporary member of the United Nations Security Council in 2000-2001. Commenting on Ukraine's presidential election, Mr. Ivanov said President Kuchma's re-election would boost bilateral relations. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Tarasyuk comments on bilateral relations

KYIV - Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk said during an October 9 television link between Moscow and Kyiv that "the main problem in Ukrainian-Russian relations is lack of time to address problems that have piled up as a result of the emergence of new states," ITAR-TASS reported. Referring to speculation about Ukraine's possible membership in NATO, Ukraine's Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko said during the same television program that Ukraine "is not and will not be joining any blocs." He added that Ukraine's "non-bloc" status is written into its Constitution and "no one will be able to change the Constitution, now or in the near future." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Babyn Yar victims commemorated

KYIV - Ukrainian leaders, Jewish activists and diplomats on September 29 honored the memory of Jews and others killed by Nazis at a ravine where thousands died. President Leonid Kuchma and senior government officials laid wreaths at a monument to the victims in Babyn Yar. German forces killed more than 33,000 Jews in the ravine in the capital, Kyiv, during just two days in September 1941. An estimated 100,000 people were killed at Babyn Yar during World War II. (Associated Press)

Ukraine, Uzbekistan agree to cooperate

KYIV - On October 7 in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov, signed an agreement on economic cooperation for the period 1999-2008, Interfax reported. Ukraine and Uzbekistan expect to increase their trade turnover by 20 percent this year. Uzbekistan confirmed its intention to export cotton in exchange for Ukrainian industrial products, in particular, ferrous alloys and steel. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Rabinovich arrives for talks, court case

KYIV - Vadym Rabinovich, businessman and head of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress and the United Jewish Community in Ukraine, arrived on September 26 from Israel. According to sources close to Mr. Rabinovich, he had a three-hour talk the next day with officials of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The contents of their discussion have not been disclosed. After the meeting, Mr. Rabinovich attended a research conference on national minorities problems held with the participation of representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers. He was to attend a court session at the Pechersk district court in his court action against the Socialist Party of Ukraine newspaper Tovarysch. On June 24 Mr. Rabinovych was banned from Ukraine for five years by the SBU for actions that brought economic damage to Ukraine. He says the party demanded election campaign money from him. (Eastern Economist)

Parliament to look into attack on Vitrenko

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on October 5 set up a special committee of 16 lawmakers to investigate the October 2 grenade attack on presidential candidate Natalia Vitrenko. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Rada overrides veto on election law

KYIV - The Parliament on October 5 overrode President Leonid Kuchma's veto of amendments to the presidential election law. One amendment stipulates that every member of the district and territorial election commissions be given a copy of the protocol listing voting results. National Deputy Oleksander Yeliashkevych urged his colleagues to override the veto by saying that without the above-mentioned amendment, Ukraine will face a "large-scale falsification" of the vote. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Rada asks voters to make right choice

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on October 6 appealed to the Ukrainian people to make the "only right choice" in the October 31 presidential elections. That choice, the Parliament said, is one of "your conscience and reason." The appeal accused President Leonid Kuchma and his entourage of violating the principle of equal possibilities for all candidates in the campaign and of monopolizing the state-controlled media. Ukraine's economy is "a ruin on which only a handful of oligarchs and state officials flourish ... thanks to preferences granted to them by the president," the Verkhovna Rada's statement noted. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukrainians believe vote will be falsified

KYIV - In a poll conducted September 1-12 among 1,200 residents of Ukraine by the Kyiv-based Institute of Politics, only 5 percent of respondents said they believe the results of the October 31 presidential elections will not be falsified. Of those polled, 43.9 percent said the ballot will be falsified to a large degree and 26.7 percent said it will be falsified somewhat. The remainder were unable to answer the question. According to the same poll, 60.6 percent of respondents have not yet decided for whom they will vote in the elections. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Support for changes to constitution

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma and leaders of the Union of Regional and Local Authority signed a declaration on September 27 to initiate a referendum on the introduction of amendments to the constitution, ITAR-TASS reported. Mr. Kuchma is in favor of a bicameral Parliament and believes that this issue should be submitted to a referendum. According to the president, the Constitution should also be approved in a referendum to put a stop to lawmakers seeking to "raise the issue of constitutional changes at each parliamentary session." President Kuchma also said he thinks it is necessary to define more clearly the powers of executive and legislative authorities, and yield more power to the regions. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Chechen conflict forces tight security

KYIV - Security Service of Ukraine Deputy Chairman Yurii Zemlianskyi on September 29 said Russia's recent military action in Chechnya is also likely to affect Ukraine. He said Chechen militants are now trying to settle in Ukraine. "I can cite specific examples of their envoys coming to Odesa and purchasing [or] leasing apartments for the resettlement of Chechen militants to Ukraine," Interfax quoted Mr. Zemlianskyi as saying. He added that the Security Service of Ukraine is taking extra measures to prevent terrorist acts and detect possible terrorists. The same day, Border Troops Commander Pavlo Shysholin announced the introduction of additional security measures at the border with Russia, including an increase in the number of border guard units. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Illegal immigrants heading for Ukraine

KYIV - The flow of illegal immigrants from neighboring Russian Federation territories has significantly increased lately due to measures taken by Russia to fight the present terrorist threat, stated the Ukrainian Border Patrol Service. The previous week patrols found five times as many illegal immigrants as usual. (Eastern Economist)

60 percent of electorate undecided

KYIV - The outcome of the elections hangs on the 60 percent of the electorate who have not yet made up their mind, researchers at the Institute of Politics announced on September 30. The results of research conducted by the institute indicate that voters do not feel their electoral power, since 70.6 percent of respondents believe that the results will be falsified, and only 5 percent believe in the possibility of honest elections. According to the institute's president, Mykola Tomenko, the main campaign team of incumbent President Leonid Kuchma is using soccer as a very effective electioneering tool. According to Mr. Tomenko, three ministries were ordered to prepare a trip to Moscow for 10,000 football fans to support Ukraine's team against Russia on October 9. (Eastern Economist)

Kuchma wins mock elections

KYIV - Winning 31.73 percent of the vote, President Leonid Kuchma came first in a mock presidential ballot organized at some 200 institutions of higher education throughout the country on September 28. Natalia Vitrenko received 12.57 percent backing; Yevhen Marchuk, 9.55 percent; Oleksander Moroz, 7.37 percent; Petro Symonenko, 4.06 percent; Yurii Kostenko, 3.55 percent; and Hennadii Udovenko. 3.09 percent. Of the 111,000 students who participated in the ballot, 16.42 percent did not support any of the 15 presidential hopefuls. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Moroz questions result of student vote

KYIV - Presidential candidate and Socialist Party leader Oleksander Moroz questioned the reliability of the result of the Student Presidential Elections announced on September 29. Mr. Moroz admitted the usefulness of a mock election, but he said he was sure that "they were conducted in order to get students used to falsification of results." (Eastern Economist)

Eleven crew members released

ODESA - Eleven sailors from the China Breeze ship who had been accused of drug trafficking were released from prison in Houston and arrived in Odesa on September 24. They were detained four months ago when four tons of cocaine was found aboard the ship, which belongs to a Greek company. Another four members of the crew, including the captain, will remain imprisoned in Houston. They are accused of smuggling, although they are pleading innocent. The investigation is complete and a court hearing in the U.S. is scheduled for October 19. (Eastern Economist)

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