Turning the pages back... January 31, 1993 (01/30/00)

Turning the pages back...

January 31, 1993

Seven years ago on January 31, The Ukrainian Weekly carried a news story about the first 100 days of Leonid Kuchma's tenure as prime minister. Speaking in Irpin, some 30 kilometers northwest of Kyiv, Mr. Kuchma marked that milestone by reasserting his intention to unwaveringly proceed with economic reform.

He said the development of a strong middle class is essential for such reform to succeed. "If a middle class - the basis of any state - does not arise, Ukraine will not survive. We welcome a class of manufacturers/producers," he said, adding that this is the reason his government has adopted a lenient tax policy toward them. "We would like this class to develop as quickly as possible," he said.

At the same time, Mr. Kuchma noted, for reform to succeed in Ukraine, the strong hand of government is necessary. He has become convinced of this, he said, by examining worldwide experience. Thus, the prime minister continued, the next goal of the government should be to create a vertical executive branch.

As well, in the very near future, he said during his press conference, there will be changes in the relationship between the Cabinet of Ministers and directors of state enterprises. He pointed to the positive results in neighboring Belarus, where more than 50 directors of former all-union enterprises are replaced because they had become used to receiving everything via the command economy, and were not quick to learn that they themselves must work in order to be successful.

Commenting on the possibility of assistance from the West, Prime Minister Kuchma said he has no illusions about the West's interests. "I have repeatedly said the West does not care about us. And, the possibility it will accept us is distant from reality. We should seek [economic] integration with all states once part of the USSR, and not just within the CIS," he said.

"I believe in the wisdom and talent of the Ukrainian people," he underlined. Furthermore, he said he will not count on support coming from a specific group of national deputies. He explained, "The situation in Parliament changes so quickly that it is impossible to understand who is your supporter and who is your opponent. ... I will depend on wisdom. There are always more wise people than is apparent."

Now, seven years later, Mr. Kuchma is into his second term as president and his new prime minister, Viktor Yuschenko, will mark his first 100 days in office at the end of March. Economic reform still is the issue, and, once again, the hope is that wiser heads will prevail.

Source: "Kuchma vows to forge ahead" by Borys Klymenko. The Ukrainian Weekly, January 31, 1993 (Vol. LX, No. 5).

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