Anti-Kuchma demonstrations focus on "regime's" victims (04/01/01)

Anti-Kuchma demonstrations focus on "regime's" victims

by Roman Woronowycz
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - More than 5,000 supporters of the anti-Kuchma movement paraded through the downtown streets of Kyiv on March 24, even as it has become increasingly apparent that Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma seems ready to negotiate with opposition leaders to end the political controversy that has paralyzed his administration for the last four months.

Participants in the latest mass demonstration in the capital city, organized as earlier ones have been by the civic organizations Ukraine Without Kuchma and the Forum for National Salvation, this time did not lead to violent civil disobedience.

The ostensible purpose for the latest gathering, held the day before the second anniversary of the death of Vyacheslav Chornovil, was to commemorate what organizers referred to as "the victims of the Kuchma regime."

Mr. Chornovil was a leading figure of the democratic movement in Ukraine, before and after independence was proclaimed, as well as a national deputy and the founder and longtime leader of the Rukh Party until he died in a mysterious auto accident two years ago.

Portraits of the Ukrainian radio and Internet journalist Heorhii Gongadze, missing since mid-September and presumed dead, and Vadym Hetman, former chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine who was assassinated in 1998, held aloft by protesters during the demonstration identified them as victims as well.

The late Mr. Chornovil's son, National Deputy Taras Chornovil, who has become a prime opponent of the Kuchma administration as the audiotape controversy and the Gongadze affair have escalated, told the crowd that the protests must continue so that others do not become victims of the Kuchma "regime."

"This is a day of mourning for all. Vyacheslav Chornovil died two years ago, journalist Heorhii Gongadze disappeared a half year ago," said Mr. Chornovil. "All those who have come out today could be the next victims."

Even as opposition leaders continued to call for the resignation of President Kuchma, there was evidence that they also were ready to negotiate with him on steering the country out of its current political turmoil.

For his part, the president has been indicating through words and actions that he is ready to take the necessary steps to set up a "roundtable" as the negotiations are being called. On the day of the demonstration he ordered the Procurator General's Office to reopen the investigation into the death of the late Rukh leader, which is to include cooperation on the part of the Internal Affairs and the Security Service of Ukraine as well as members of the Rukh parliamentary faction that the elder Chornovil headed.

The president said he believes a dialogue with the opposition has already begun, but explained that he would pursue it "only with those who listen and hear, and strive for a constructive settlement of problems rather than simply set forth ultimatums without basis."

On March 28 the president announced he was forming a delegation to represent the administration should a roundtable develop, which would include National Security and Defense Council Secretary Yevhen Marchuk, ex-Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko and former National Deputy Viktor Musiaka.

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