NEWSBRIEFS

Mittal wins auction with $4.8 B bid

KYIV - The German branch of the Netherlands-based consortium Mittal Steel purchased a controlling stake in Ukraine's Kryvorizhstal steelworks for $4.8 billion on October 24, international news agencies reported the same day. The price was a record for a privatization auction in Ukraine, the dpa news service reported. In the 45-minute auction, which was televised live, the German branch of Mittal Steel, Mittal Steel Germany GmbH, won 93 percent of Kryvorizhstal with a bid of 24.2 billion hrv ($4.8 billion U.S.). Two Ukrainian consortiums also participated in the auction: Kyiv-based Smart Group and Donetsk-based Industrial Group. Kryvorizhstal accounts for 20 percent of total steel output in Ukraine, which is the seventh-largest steel exporter in the world. (RFE/RL Newsline)

SPF chair is hospitalized

KYIV - Valentyna Semeniuk, the chair of the Ukrainian State Property Fund, has been hospitalized with high blood pressure, ITAR-TASS reported on October 24. She reportedly became ill after the Political Council of the Socialist Party of Ukraine, of which she is a member, asked her to resign over the Krivorizhstal privatization. The Socialist Party sought to have the steel giant turned over to the state. Ukrainian State Property Fund Vice-Chairman Oleksander Bondar said that "there was no political implication behind Semeniuk's illness. Her health has really worsened." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Property Fund head resigns ...

KYIV - Valentyna Semeniuk, chairwoman of the State Property Fund, tendered her resignation to the president, Ukrainian media reported on October 24. The previous day the Socialist Party, of which she is a member, asked her to step down in connection with the planned sale of the Kryvorizhstal steel mill. The Socialist Party sought to have Kryvorizhstal turned over to the state. "A member of the Socialist Party cannot be involved in a deal that contravenes the party's program," ITAR-TASS quoted Yosyp Vinskyi of the Socialist Party as saying. (RFE/RL Newsline)

... President refuses to accept

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko has refused to accept the resignation of State Property Fund Chairwoman Valentyna Semeniuk, Interfax-Ukraine reported on October 25. "I will not accept Valentyna Semeniuk's resignation," Mr. Yushchenko said at a press conference in Kharkiv the same day. "I appreciate her professionally. That is why I did not accept her resignation statement," he said, adding that the State Property Fund is performing well, "from preserving vacancies, paying off social debts, increasing capacities and occupying new markets to basic principles of object privatization." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Some 400,000 to vote abroad

KYIV - According to Minister of Foreign Affairs Borys Tarasyuk, so far, 392,696 Ukrainian nationals who reside and work abroad have been entered onto the lists of voters that will be made public on October 31. The Foreign Affairs Ministry has launched a telephone hotline service (238-18-61) to advise Ukrainian citizens about voting procedures, Mr. Tarasyuk noted. (Ukrinform)

Rumsfeld expresses support for Ukraine

VILNIUS - Speaking at a NATO conference in Vilnius, Lithuania on October 23, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld highlighted Washington's support for Ukraine's bid to join the alliance, international news agencies reported the same day. In his remarks Mr. Rumsfeld stressed Kyiv's progress on political and military reform. "Progress [on reform] has been made, and we encourage it and are available to be of assistance in various ways," Reuters quoted Mr. Rumsfeld as saying at a press conference in Vilnius. Reuters quoted an unidentified senior U.S. official as saying that Mr. Rumsfeld arrived in Lithuania on October 22 - one day earlier than scheduled - to stress Washington's support for Ukraine with the European defense ministers who have been more cautious about Ukraine joining the alliance. Ukraine has said it hopes to join the alliance in 2008, during a tentatively scheduled NATO summit. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Hrytsenko on Ukraine's NATO aspirations

VILNIUS - Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatolii Hrytsenko said on October 23 that Kyiv's future integration with NATO should not harm relations with Russia, ITAR-TASS reported the same day. "Russia and many wise Russians think that Poland and the Baltic countries, which are NATO members, do not endanger Russia. Ukraine has normal relations with Russia and does not infringe its interests in any way," Mr. Hrytsenko said after meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. ITAR-TASS quoted a source in the Ukrainian Defense Ministry as saying that Messrs. Hrytsenko and Rumsfeld discussed bilateral U.S.-Ukraine relations, a "cooperation plan" for 2006, and the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Iraq after the December parliamentary elections there. (RFE/RL Newsline)

NATO leader comments on Ukraine

VILNIUS - As NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told a joint follow-up news conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on October 24, Ukraine will likely join the NATO Membership Action Plan between 2006 and 2008. NATO will keep watching developments in Ukraine, Mr. de Hoop Scheffer noted, and will make relevant decisions. Everything will depend on Ukraine, as it is Ukraine that is guiding its reformation process, he noted. Further meetings in similar formats, the secretary general said, will be helpful in realizing Ukraine's aspirations toward NATO. (Ukrinform)

Ukraine awaits Iraqi elections

VILNIUS - The ultimate date of the Ukrainian military contingent's withdrawal from Iraq will be adjusted with allies after the parliamentary elections have been held in Iraq, Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatolii Hrytsenko told journalists in Vilnius, Lithuania, having met with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Messrs. Hrytsenko and Rumsfeld came to Vilnius, Lithuania, to attend informal ministerial Ukraine-NATO consultations. According to Mr. Hrytsenko, his talks with Mr. Rumsfeld dealt with the situation in Iraq and plans for Ukraine-U.S. military cooperation for 2006. (Ukrinform)

Young Batkivschyna established

KYIV - A nationwide Ukrainian youth organization called Moloda Batkivschyna, or Young Fatherland, has been established as the youth wing of the Batkivschyna Party headed by Yulia Tymoshenko. Delegates from all regions of Ukraine attended the founding congress on October 22. Former Prime Minister Tymoshenko was elected honorary chair of Young Fatherland; and Viktor Taran was elected head of its coordinating council. (UNIAN, BBC)

Our Ukraine Youth Union founded

KYIV - The pro-Yushchenko Our Ukraine People's Union party has established a youth branch called Our Ukraine Youth Union, it was reported on October 22. The organization held its founding congress at the Polytechnical Institute in Kyiv, with some 1,500 delegates in attendance. The Our Ukraine People's Union said it views the new youth branch as a tool for getting young people politically involved. Channel 5 TV reported that the process of establishing the Our Ukraine Youth Union was managed by Minister of Family and Youth Affairs Yurii Pavlenko. (Channel 5, BBC)

Rada rejects draft budget

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on October 20 rejected the government's draft budget for 2006 and scheduled a new first reading for November 1, Ukrainian and international news agencies reported. Deputies want to raise the deficit from 1.9 percent to 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to direct more funds to social benefits, whereas the government opposes such an increase. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Compensation bill is vetoed

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko has vetoed a bill obliging the government to compensate Ukrainian citizens for devalued or lost savings that were deposited in the former Soviet Union's Savings Bank, Interfax-Ukraine reported on October 24. Finance Minister Viktor Pynzenyk said the government would have to pay 12 billion hrv ($2.4 billion U.S.) annually beginning next year if the bill were enacted. "We understand the problem, but the figure [we would have to pay] reaches 12 billion hrv per year. It is an issue of capabilities and wishful thinking," Mr. Pynzenyk said. He added that the 2006 budget draft provides for the payment of 600 million hrv in compensation for the savings Ukrainians held in the Soviet-era Savings Bank. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Grim demographics for Ukraine

KYIV - The Institute of Demography and Social Studies of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences estimated that the country's population will dwindle from the 47 million recorded last month to 35 million in 2050 if the current demographic trend continues, Interfax-Ukraine reported on October 21. (RFE/RL Newsline)

PGO closes Poroshenko case

KYIV - The Procurator General's Office has closed the Petro Poroshenko case. The PGO's press service reported on October 21 that the case has been closed for lack of evidence. Legal proceedings against Mr. Poroshenko were instituted on October 10. On October 19 ex-Security Service of Ukraine Chief Oleksander Turchynov said, citing reliable sources, that acting Procurator General Serhii Vinokurov had been ordered to promptly close the case. (Ukrinform)

Kinakh to discuss Poroshenko case

KYIV - The National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) is closely cooperating with the Verkhovna Rada committee in charge of investigating corruption within the upper echelons of power, the Procurator General's Office, the Security Service of Ukraine and other law enforcement bodies, NSDC Secretary Anatolii Kinakh told journalists in Kyiv on October 21. Mr. Kinakh stated his intention to meet with acting Procurator General Serhii Vinokurov to discuss in great detail the case of Petro Poroshenko. Mr. Kinakh reassured the news media that he will defend the supremacy of law because this principle underlies democracy and the people's trust in authority. Replying to the journalists' question about whether the PGO's decision to close the Poroshenko case resulted from Procurator General Sviatoslav Piskun's dismissal, Mr. Kinakh noted that this issue involved "multi-factored interactions." The main point, Mr. Kinakh said, is to prevent the situation from lowering the PGO's efficacy. It is important to see a person in the procurator general's position who will protect the Constitution of Ukraine and human rights, and who will not be guided by political conjecture or career considerations, Mr. Kinakh stated. (Ukrinform)

Rybachuk comments on Piskun's firing

KYIV - Presidential Secretariat Chairman Oleh Rybachuk told a news briefing in Kyiv on October 21 that Procurator General Sviatoslav Piskun was dismissed because he slowed down investigations into the most resounding crimes and launched criminal cases that had obvious political implications. Mr. Rybachuk also accused Mr. Piskun of having repeatedly divulged investigation secrets, which allowed many criminals to avoid being brought to justice. Mr. Rybachuk also charged that the prosecutor's move to institute legal proceedings against ex-Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Petro Poroshenko had a purely political background. (Ukrinform)

Poisoning analysis to proceed

KYIV - According to Presidential Secretariat Chairman Oleh Rybachuk, the analysis of Viktor Yushchenko's poisoning was delayed because the Procurator General's Office made a decision to carry it out only on October 20. Mr. Rybachuk noted that, as soon as President Yushchenko received the notice informing him of the need for expert analysis by specialists in Ukraine, he gave his consent to undergo the necessary tests. It was former Procurator General Sviatoslav Piskun who delayed the testing procedure, Mr. Rybachuk contended. He noted that the former top prosecutor repeatedly declined proposals for testing, saying it was unnecessary as there was quite enough evidence. (Ukrinform)

Two Lviv priests declared saints

LVIV - On Friday, October 21, a clerical delegation, led by Lviv Metropolitan Cardinal Marian Jaworski, left Lviv for the Vatican in order to attend Sunday events there to declare Archbishop Yosyp Bichevski (1860-1923) and Father Zigmund Gorazdovski (1845-1920) saints. Both men were Polish priests active in Lviv and were beatified by Pope John-Paul II. (Ukrinform)

President reaffirms Euro-Atlantic course

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko assured NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Kyiv on October 19 that Ukraine will not diverge from its course toward Euro-Atlantic integration and sees NATO membership as a strategic foreign policy goal, Ukrainian and international news agencies reported. In turn, Mr. de Hoop Scheffer said staging free and fair parliamentary elections in March will be "a very important milestone" in judging Ukraine's progress toward NATO membership. He also cited the need for judicial reform, rule of law and the fight to eliminate corruption. "NATO's door was, is and remains open," he noted. "Because NATO is a performance-based organization, these reforms ... are essential, and they have to be done by Ukraine, and NATO will help." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Constitutional Court at a halt

KYIV - Nine judges of Ukraine's Constitutional Court retired on October 18, bringing the number of vacancies in this body to 13, The Kyiv Post reported on October 20. The Constitutional Court, which is made up of 18 judges appointed to nine-year terms - six each chosen by the president, the Verkhovna Rada and the Congress of Judges - determines whether laws and acts of the president and the Cabinet of Ministers and international treaties conform with the Constitution of Ukraine. Parliament now needs to appoint four judges and the president needs to appoint three, with the remainder to be chosen by the Congress of Judges. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Six-month ban on poultry imports

KYIV - The Ukrainian Parliament on October 20 imposed a six-month ban on all poultry imports in an attempt to protect the country from bird flu, Ukrainian and international news agencies reported. The measure was supported by 229 deputies in the 450-seat legislature. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Odesa region fears avian flu

ODESA - Hunting wild birds in the Odesa region has been prohibited because of a potential avian flu hazard, Ivan Panchyshyn, first deputy chief of main agency for agricultural-industrial development of the Odesa State Regional Administration, said on October 20. The probability of the Odesa region being affected by avian flu is very high, he said, adding that this is connected to the wild birds' migration from north to south and that the Black Sea region is a transit zone. He stated that the private sector, where large numbers of poultry are kept, is most likely to be affected. In addition to prohibiting hunting, authorities banned imports of poultry articles from countries where the disease has been reported. (Ukrinform).

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, October 30, 2005, No. 44, Vol. LXXIII

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