NEWSBRIEFS (09/10/06)

NEWSBRIEFS

Verkhovna Rada opens autumn session

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on September 5 inaugurated its autumn session, Ukrainian media reported. Parliament Chairman Oleksander Moroz told lawmakers that their most urgent task during the session will include the adoption of bills on the political opposition and on the Cabinet of Ministers. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych told the Parliament that his government will work toward achieving membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) for Ukraine. "We are planning to join the WTO with no haste, but confidently, with transitional periods for our economic branches and an appropriate protection level for our domestic market," he added. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Fuel minister allays fears over prices

KYIV - Fuel and Energy Minister Yurii Boiko said on September 5 that neither the price of imported gas nor the gas tariffs in Ukraine will go up this year, in the wake of a deal concluded by Gazprom and Turkmenistan earlier the same day, Ukrainian media reported. Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller signed a deal in Ashgabat, whereby Gazprom will buy 50 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Turkmenistan in 2007-2009 plus an additional 12 billion cubic meters this year at a price of $100 per 1,000 cubic meters, up from the $65 currently paid by Gazprom. Mr. Boiko said this Russian-Turkmen deal is expected to affect the price of gas imported by Ukraine in 2007, but added that he sees no reason for any sharp increase. Ukraine currently pays $95 per 1,000 cubic meters of a Russian-Turkmen gas mix. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Four parties work to expand coalition

KYIV - The Party of Regions (PRU), the Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU), the Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU) and Our Ukraine have set up a working group to prepare an agreement on an expanded ruling coalition, Ukrainian media reported on September 5, quoting CPU leader Petro Symonenko. The current Cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was formed on the basis of an "anti-crisis coalition" accord concluded in July by the PRU, SPU and CPU, and of a declaration of unity signed by these parties, Our Ukraine, and President Viktor Yushchenko on August 3. Our Ukraine, although it has several ministers in the Cabinet, is not a signatory to that coalition accord. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Our Ukraine may join coalition

KYIV - Justice Minister Roman Zvarych told journalists in Kyiv on August 30 that a new coalition agreement may be signed within two weeks after the Verkhovna Rada inaugurates its autumn session on September 5, Interfax-Ukraine reported. "At present, the situation with the coalition government is not quite logical and clear, as representatives of Our Ukraine work in the government, while this political force is not a subject of the coalition agreement," Mr. Zvarych said. He predicted that most members of the Our Ukraine parliamentary caucus will sign the new agreement. The current Cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was formed on the basis of a coalition accord concluded in July by the Party of the Regions, the Socialist Party and the Communist Party, and of a declaration of unity signed by these parties, Our Ukraine and President Viktor Yushchenko on August 3. Our Ukraine, which has several ministers in the Cabinet, is not a signatory to the coalition accord. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Moroz urges conclusion of Gongadze case

KYIV - Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksander Moroz said in a television interview on September 5 that it is "shameful" and "humiliating" for the Ukrainian authorities to delay decisions in the case of journalist Heorhii Gongadze, who was killed in September 2000, the Ukrayinska Pravda website reported. "This issue is raised by people asking representatives of the authorities, including myself, about how long this farce will continue," Mr. Moroz said. "Six years have passed since the man [Gongadze] was killed, everybody knows where the problem is." It was Mr. Moroz who in November 2000 publicized recordings allegedly made by former presidential bodyguard Mykola Melnychenko in then-President Leonid Kuchma's office, which suggested that Mr. Kuchma and other high-ranking officials might have been implicated in the slaying of Gongadze. "We should give a legal assessment of everyone involved in this crime, and the point here is not in settling scores," Mr. Moroz noted. Three former officers of the Internal Affairs Ministry are currently standing trial on charges of murdering Gongadze. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Crimean Tatars launch TV channel

SYMFEROPOL - The first Tatar-language television station started broadcasting in Crimea on September 1, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reported. The station is based in Symferopol and currently covers some 80 percent of the peninsula's territory. "We broadcast in the Crimean Tatar, Ukrainian and Russian languages, but we primarily work for the Crimean Tatar community," station broadcaster Nadzhiye Femi told RFE/RL Station director Rydvan Khalilov said the channel will help promote the Crimean Tatar language, culture, and history on the peninsula. (RFE/RL Newsline)

President honors Cardinal Jaworski

KYIV - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko noted the personal merits of Cardinal Marian Jaworski, head of the Roman Catholic Bishops' Conference in Ukraine, and on August 19 conferred on him the Order of Yaroslav the Wise, fourth degree. "For his substantial personal contribution in the establishment of the ideals of spirituality, charity and accord in society and his many years of theological activity, and on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of his birth, I do hereby decree: To confer the order of Yaroslav the Wise of the fourth degree on the metropolitan of the Lviv Metropolitanate of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine, Cardinal Marian Vikentiiovych Jaworski." So reads order 695/2006 of the president of Ukraine dated August 19. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

Kravchuk: Ukraine will have own Church

KYIV - Ukraine will have an Orthodox Church recognized in the world and independent of the Moscow Patriarchate, said Leonid Kravchuk, Ukraine's first president, speaking at the roundtable "The 15th Anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine: What's Right? What's Not?" The news was posted by ura.dn.ua on August 21. "I was criticized when I said in 1992 that independent Ukraine can have an independent Church," said Mr. Kravchuk. "Mistakes were made, but I still believe that Ukraine will have its own Church in the future." Mr. Kravchuk also said that in the future there may be a denomination in Ukraine which is subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate but is called the Russian Orthodox Church, not the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

UOC-MP opposes Mazepa monument

KYIV - Vasyl Anisimov, head of the press service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), stated that building a monument to 17th century Hetman Ivan Mazepa in the Kharkiv Region will not be conducive to the unification of the Ukrainian nation, according to imi.org.ua, which posted the news on August 28. "Mazepa is a controversial figure, a very contradictory person in history, and people have differing attitudes to him. The erection of such a monument is not in line with the spirit of the 'Universal [of National Unity], which is aimed at reconciliation," said Mr. Anisimov. According to Mr. Anisimov, for part of Ukraine's population Mazepa is a symbol of a politician who broke his oath and supported adherents of different faiths and who was anathematized by the Orthodox Church. At the same time, Ukrainian opposition politicians have already expressed their readiness to organize actions of protest against the opening of the monument to Mazepa. "Undoubtedly, we will organize our meeting, our picket, to declare our position," stated Natalia Vitrenko, leader of the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine. Ms. Vitrenko also noted that "all monuments to Mazepa, Chornovil and the heroes of Kruty should be moved to one place for a museum of traitors to be opened there." The unveiling of the Mazepa monument is planned for July 25, 2007. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

Khmara: apply the law against UOC-MP

KYIV - The Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate has come out against the idea of constructing a monument to 17th century Hetman Ivan Mazepa in the Kharkiv Region. National Deputy Stepan Khmara, who supports the monument, said: "It is high time to apply the law against the Moscow Patriarchate, which keeps interfering in others' affairs and popularizes anti-state and anti-Ukrainian sentiments instead of preaching basic Christian dogmas." The news was posted by ua.for-ua.com on August 29. "Mazepa was a patriot who sought to free Ukraine from the yoke of Moscow," said Mr. Khmara. "And the Moscow Patriarchate is now behaving in an anti-Ukrainian way, as it did in previous centuries. By its actions and words, it proves again and again that it is the fifth column of Moscow in Ukraine." (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

Ambassador of Ukraine visits Michigan

WASHINGTON - Ambassador of Ukraine Oleh Shamshur on September 1-2 visited the state of Michigan. The ambassador participated in the events dedicated to the 15th anniversary of Ukraine's independence that took place at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Warren on September 1. Dr. Shamshur delivered a speech before the Ukrainian community of the state and delivered Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk's greeting on the occasion of Ukrainian Independence Day. The ambassador also met with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) to discuss Ukraine-U.S. relations. During his visit Ukraine's envoy gave a number of interviews to American and Ukrainian community news media. (Embassy of Ukraine to the United States)

Vinskyi predicts opposition alliance

KYIV - National Deputy Yosyp Vinskyi, former secretary of the Political Council of the Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU), told journalists in Kyiv on August 29 that an "interfactional opposition alliance" in the Verkhovna Rada may include 150 to 160 deputies by this fall, UNIAN reported. According to Mr. Vinskyi, such an alliance may be formed by the opposition Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (129 parliamentary mandates) and those deputies from the SPU and Our Ukraine who have not agreed to their parties' decisions earlier this month to form a ruling coalition with the Party of the Regions. Vinskyi accused SPU leader and Rada Chairman Oleksander Moroz of betraying the party's program and demanded that he give up the party's leadership at an upcoming party congress. "Will the Socialist Party remain a socialist organization, or is it turning into a servant of the Party of the Regions? The [SPU] Political Council and parliamentary faction have violated at least 10 of their key programmatic tenets by joining the coalition with the Party of Regions," Mr. Vinskyi said. He resigned his position in the SPU Political Council earlier this month in protest against his colleagues' decision to support the government headed by Party of the Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych. (RFE/RL Newsline)

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