NEWSBRIEFS (09/05/99)

NEWSBRIEFS

Patriotic forum calls for single candidate

KYIV - A forum of "patriotic, anti-corruption, pro-independence and democratic forces" took place in Kyiv on August 22, Interfax and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reported. The forum was organized by the Open Politics association and attended by five presidential hopefuls: Yurii Kostenko, Yurii Karmazin, Volodymyr Oliinyk, Vasyl Onopenko and Oleksander Rzhavskyi. Candidates Hennadii Udovenko, Yevhen Marchuk and Vitalii Kononov did not attend. Anatolii Matviienko, who heads the association and resigned the leadership of the National Democratic Party after it pledged support to Leonid Kuchma's re-election bid, urged all presidential candidates to agree on a single candidate to represent the right-wing in the elections. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kharkiv trade unions favor Moroz

KHARKIV - A poll among trade union members in the Kharkiv Oblast showed that presidential candidate Oleksander Moroz, leader of the Socialist Party, has the strongest support among these organizations, polling 35 percent approval. Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko was second with 19 percent, followed by Natalia Vitrenko with 16.9 percent. President Leonid Kuchma received only 12 percent support. (Eastern Economist)

Deputies prepare for hectic autumn

KYIV - Ukraine's national deputies plan to begin their work in parliamentary committees on September 1. The next session of the Parliament's 14th convocation will begin its work on September 7. According to Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksander Tkachenko, the session will be difficult and intense. The first two weeks will involve half of the working day in plenary sessions and the rest in committees. Over 400 draft bills have been prepared. President Leonid Kuchma has submitted a range of economic draft laws in the form of decrees. Thus, the workload, especially in committees for Budget Affairs, Finance Affairs and Banking, and Social Policy and Labor will increase sharply. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Communists may join Kaniv pact

KYIV - Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksander Tkachenko said he believes that Communist leader Petro Symonenko will join the so-called Kaniv agreement signed on August 24 by four presidential candidates on joint actions in election campaigning. Mr. Tkachenko also said the presidential election should be held in one round since the state lacks the funds to hold a second round. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Incumbent starts re-election campaign

MYRHOROD - "I can say only today that I have started working for the future election," President Leonid Kuchma told journalists on August 19, after visiting Ukraine's famous Sorochynskyi Fair in Myrhorod, Poltava Oblast. Mr. Kuchma, who was accompanied by Moldova's President Petru Lucinschi, noted that the presidential campaign is "becoming a negative factor in Ukraine's life," primarily because of the "frenzied, dirty" criticism by other presidential candidates of the incumbent. "They resort to methods originally used by the KGB," Mr. Kuchma commented. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Top court upholds death sentence

KYIV - The Supreme Court on August 26 rejected the appeal to commute to life imprisonment the death sentence handed down to serial killer Anatolii Onopriienko. Mr. Onopriienko was sentenced in April after being found guilty of 52 murders. However, he may avoid execution because in 1997 Ukraine introduced a moratorium on carrying out the capital punishment. The Council of Europe is urging Ukraine to abolish the death sentence. There are more than 410 persons currently on death row in Ukraine, according to ITAR-TASS. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Tyhypko urges zero deficit budget for 2000

KYIV - Vice Prime Minister Serhii Tyhypko said on August 26 that a "zero budget deficit should be approved for next year's budget." Mr. Tyhypko argued that if the Parliament approves a large budget deficit, the government will have to take out foreign loans to cover it. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Tyhypko comments on talks with IMF

KYIV - Vice Prime Minister Serhii Tyhypko said on August 19 that he "cannot regard the recent talks with the International Monetary Fund a success." Mr. Tyhypko added that Ukraine complied with all but one of the IMF requirements for obtaining the next loan tranche of $180 million. The exception is the increase in tariffs on public utilities. According to Mr. Tyhypko, the IMF has approved the Ukrainian Cabinet's effort to balance the budget, which was the key issue in negotiations with the IMF mission in Kyiv last month. During a subsequent meeting in Washington, Ukrainian representatives presented a program for raising budget revenues and cutting expenditures, and proposed their own solution to non-payment for utilities services A three-year $2.205 billion (U.S.) EFF program for Ukraine was approved in September 1998. (RFE/RL Newsline, Eastern Economist)

Finance Ministry to shape tax policy

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma has signed a decree putting the Finance Ministry in charge of taxation policies, a key requirement for the International Monetary Fund to resume its $2.6 billion aid program to Ukraine, the Associated Press reported on August 27. The decree deprives the State Tax Administration of policy-making duties and orders the Finance Ministry to set tax collection targets and propose new taxes. The State Tax Administration retains the right to monitor tax collection. (RFE/RL Newsline)

World Bank may provide $100 M loan

KYIV - The World Bank has tentatively agreed to provide Ukraine with a $100 million (U.S.) loan by September 7 to pay off back wages, pensions and other social programs, Vice Prime Minister Serhii Tyhypko said. He stressed that the final decision depends on "the positive development of Ukraine-IMF relations." Finance Minister Ihor Mitiukov pointed out that if the funds are granted, the situation among the recipients of social payments will improve significantly. Mr. Tyhypko stressed that when the funds are received they will be disbursed proportionally in order not to destabilize the hryvnia. (Eastern Economist)

New USAID director for Kyiv sworn in

KYIV - Christopher Crowley was sworn in on August 26 in Washington as the new mission director to USAID Kyiv, covering Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. He is due to arrive in Kyiv on August 29 and will replace Gregory Huger, who served in the Kyiv post since 1995. Mr. Crowley will oversee the USAID's third-largest program, which manages approximately $270 million in annual assistance. Since 1992 the USAID has provided over $1.4 billion in technical and humanitarian aid in support of Ukraine's democratic, economic and social transition. (Eastern Economist)

Tkachenko calls for Cabinet's resignation

KYIV - Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksander Tkachenko said on August 25 that the legislature should reconsider the issue of the Cabinet's resignation, UNIAN reported. Mr. Tkachenko added that in July he voted against dismissing the government because he did not want "to upset the balance between Ukraine's branches of power at harvest time." Now, however, Mr. Tkachenko said he believes the Cabinet of Ministers "pays absolutely no attention to national economic issues but is wholly engaged in the president's election campaign." Mr. Tkachenko criticized Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko for his involvement in the campaign. "Pustovoitenko was appointed prime minister to head the government ... and not the [pro-presidential] Zlahoda association," the chairman said. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Tkachenko again urges Slavic union

KYIV - "Ukraine urgently needs to set up economic and defense unions with Russia and Belarus," said Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksander Tkachenko. Mr. Tkachenko, who is the Peasants Party's candidate for president, also advocates that Ukraine join the CIS customs union. (Eastern Economist)

Symonenko would eliminate presidency

KYIV - Petro Symonenko, presidential candidate and leader of Communist Party, once again pointed out that if he became president he would eliminate the presidential post in Ukraine. Mr. Symonenko also boasted that he will resolve the main economic issues in Ukraine during the first five years of his term. (Eastern Economist)

Ukraine sends rescuers to Turkey

KYIV - An aircraft with 37 rescuers on board has been sent to Turkey by the Ukrainian Emergencies Ministry. UNIAN learned that the rescue group, which included six dog handlers and dogs, were flown to Istanbul on August 18. The group then traveled to Sakarya, near Izmit, the epicenter of the devastation, where it immediately began search and rescue operations. All expenses connected with the work of the Ukrainian rescue group, as well as its flight to Istanbul airport, were covered by Ukraine. It is likely that a second aircraft will be sent with a joint unit on board. (Eastern Economist)

Ukraine, Greece sign cooperation treaty

KYIV - Greek Defense Minister Akis Tsokhadzopulos arrived in Kyiv on August 30 on a two-day official visit. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's press service, he met with Defense Minister Oleksander Kuzmuk and Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko to discuss the deepening of bilateral military, military-political and military-technical cooperation, and to coordinate the views of the two states on the issue of European and regional security. The two sides also discussed the possibility of Greece buying Ukrainian military equipment, like the AN-32P firefighter aircraft and the T-84 tank. An agreement on military and technical cooperation between Ukraine and Greece was signed August 30 by Industrial Policy Minister Vasyl Hureiev and Greek Defense Minister Akis Tsokhadzopulos. (Eastern Economist)

Independent TV channel may face closure

KYIV - Tax authorities in Kyiv on August 26 ordered that the bank account of the private STB television station be closed because of the station's failure to submit tax documents for examination, the Associated Press reported. STB President Dmytro Prykordonnyi told journalists that his station cannot submit the required documents because they are being held by eight other state bodies. "I haven't dealt with television proper for the past two months. Instead, I've been working with the nine controlling agencies," Mr. Prykordonnyi commented. He added that the channel will have to close in September unless it is granted access to its money. STB has vowed to give equal air time to each of the leading candidates in the upcoming presidential ballot. (RFE/RL Newsline)

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