ELECTION NOTEBOOK (03/05/06)

ELECTION NOTEBOOK

by Zenon Zawada
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - A brief scandal erupted when former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko alleged at a February 20 press conference that President Viktor Yushchenko's government was allowing an American company, Holtec International, to export nuclear waste to Ukraine.

Holtec International is currently building a nuclear waste depository in the Chornobyl zone with the intention of storing its waste there, Ms. Tymoshenko said.

She based her allegations on a copy of an alleged business contract, apparently signed by representatives of Holtec International and the Ukrainian government, that she brought with her to the press conference.

"Who's going to be held responsible for the health of Ukrainians after such projects become reality in Ukraine?" Ms. Tymoshenko said at the press conference.

In response, Holtec International Chief Executive Officer Kris Singh told Radio Svoboda that Ms. Tymoshenko's allegations were false and absurd. The company's contract with the Ukrainian government makes no mention of Ukraine importing any foreign waste products, he said.

Dr. Singh confirmed that his Marlton, N.J.-based company is building a waste depository, but with the intention that it will store only Ukrainian nuclear waste products.

Ms. Tymoshenko also alleged that in May 2005 the U.S. government revoked some of Holtec's licenses, a charge Dr. Singh also denied, adding that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that assigns licenses never canceled any license granted to Holtec.
KYIV - The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) has registered at least 108 election observers for the March 26 parliamentary elections, President Michael Sawkiw said on February 28.

"By no means whatsoever do we anticipate these elections to be fraudulent," Mr. Sawkiw said. "The mission is to observe the entire process. This is our opportunity to make sure the democratic processes are working in Ukraine."

Observers will meet in Kyiv for two briefing sessions on March 24 and 25, Mr. Sawkiw said, after which they will travel to their assigned regions in Ukraine.

UCCA observers are going at their own cost and many already have experience after the 2004 presidential elections, he said.

The UCCA's deadline for registration was March 1, but more election observers may be approved because the Central Election Commission in Kyiv is still processing several applications.
KYIV - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is helping to fund two observation missions that will bring European monitors to Ukraine for the March 26 parliamentary elections, said Emily Seats, the elections and political processes advisor for USAID's Office of Democracy and Governance, on March 2.

As of February 25, 42 long-term observers of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) have already started observing in all regions of Ukraine, according to an ENEMO press release.

On Election Day ENEMO will deploy at least 388 observers to monitor the vote and vote-counting procedures, according to the release.

In addition, 112 observers with the International Republican Institute (IRI) will arrive for the elections.

All participants are volunteers, Ms. Seats said, and no more than 10 will represent the United States, she said. Five American observers are part of the IRI mission, she said.

To finance these missions, USAID has joined with IRI, Freedom House and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, Ms. Seats said.

USAID doesn't disclose financing for projects that it awards, she said.

The long-term ENEMO observers already in Ukraine are from Russia, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Serbia and Montenegro, Kyrgyzstan, Romania and Albania.

More ENEMO observers will arrive from those nations, as well as Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia.

With the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, USAID is also sponsoring two delegations of a half-dozen former U.S. congressmen as observers. One delegation already observed campaigning in Kharkiv, while the second group will observe on Election Day.

Meanwhile, the Kyiv press office of the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) declined to comment on how many election observers it will sponsor and whether any would arrive from the United States.
KYIV - The Party of the Regions announced March 2 that it has sent a letter to the Our Ukraine Bloc's leadership requesting live televised debates between Viktor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov. Mr. Yekhanurov has already indicated his interest in debating Mr. Yanukovych, and so has former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

| Home Page |