NEWSBRIEFS

Rada leftists to continue protests

KYIV - Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko told journalists on February 8 that the leftist majority is planning "various protests to put the Verkhovna Rada's activity back on to a legitimate path," but he gave no details. He called the tumult in the session hall a "natural form of protest" against the majority's refusal to seek a compromise. According to Progressive Socialist Party leader Natalia Vitrenko, only early legislative elections can help overcome the parliamentary crisis in Ukraine. Ms. Vitrenko said she will work only with former Chairman Oleksander Tkachenko and will "continue the fight for the restoration of constitutional order in the country." Speaking to a crowd of leftist backers outside the Parliament building, Ms. Vitrenko called for a popular revolt in support of the parliamentary minority. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Bolshevik holiday is eliminated

KYIV - National deputies voted 236-7 on February 1 to delete November 7, the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, from the list of official holidays celebrated in Ukraine. A motion to also eliminate the May 1 Workers' Day holiday failed. May 1 is a favorite day for picnicking. (Reuters)

Kuchma signs two bills passed by majority

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma has signed into law two bills passed on February 1 by the parliamentary majority, Interfax reported on February 4. The first bill renumbers independent Ukraine's legislatures, making the current Verkhovna Rada the third session rather than the 14th. The second bill abolishes the state holiday marking the anniversary of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. The Parliament's Second Vice-Chairman Stepan Havrysh commented to the agency earlier last week that Mr. Kuchma's signing of those bills would testify to their "legality." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Pliusch elbows his way into office ...

KYIV - Together with his bodyguards, Ivan Pliusch, who was recently elected chairman of Parliament by the center-right majority, used his elbows and shoulders on February 3 to force his way through leftist deputies trying to keep him from entering former Chairman Oleksander Tkachenko's office, Reuters reported. Later the same day, Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko met with Mr. Pliusch and other majority leaders in that office to discuss prospects for adopting a budget for this year. Leftist deputies tried to break into the office during the meeting but were prevented from doing so by guards. (RFE/RL Newsline)

... while leftists continue to meet

KYIV - Oleksander Tkachenko on February 3 opened a session of the leftist minority, at which an appeal to the international community was adopted, Interfax reported. The leftist lawmakers said all the decisions taken so far by the parliamentary majority are illegal, therefore Ukraine "will not bear any responsibility" for any legislative acts passed by its split Verkhovna Rada. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Havrysh: no reason to disband Rada

KYIV - Stepan Havrysh, who was elected second vice-chairman of the Verkhovna Rada by the parliamentary majority, told Interfax on February 3 that several "factors set in the referendum [decree]" and the behavior of the majority render early parliamentary elections "unnecessary." Mr. Havrysh added that the proposed vote of no confidence in the parliament during the April 16 referendum "has lost its sense from a legal viewpoint" since the majority voted to change the numbering of Ukraine's consecutive legislatures. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Security guards block Rada building ...

KYIV - Some 150 leftist deputies gathered on February 2 in the parliamentary building, the entrance of which was later blocked by "several dozen servicemen," Interfax reported. Some 50 deputies tried unsuccessfully to break the blockade in order to let in journalists. The deputies apprehended two men in plainclothes who were filming the incident and identified themselves as "special service officers on duty." The Security Service of Ukraine denied the two men are among its officers. Ivan Pliusch, the new speaker elected by the right-center majority, went to the Parliament to negotiate a compromise with the leftist deputies, but had to leave empty-handed after being manhandled and insulted, according to Interfax. Socialist leader Oleksander Moroz and Communist leader Petro Symonenko accused the president and his entourage of a "coup d'état" and the "destruction of parliamentarism." (RFE/RL Newsline)

... as leftists remain overnight

KYIV - A group of deputies from the Progressive Socialist Party, led by Natalia Vitrenko, and the Peasant Party, led by Serhii Dovhan, who are staging a hunger strike remained in the parliamentary building overnight. "We all understand that there is a siege of the Verkhovna Rada and are aware of the danger the lawmakers are facing. But we shall not surrender," Ms. Vitrenko was quoted by Interfax as saying on February 2. The next day Ms. Vitrenko told Reuters: "I think that finally the authorities will throw us out of this building by force," adding that "the parliament of Pliusch will collapse anyway due to internal tensions." Roman Bezsmertnyi, President Leonid Kuchma's representative in the Parliament, pledged that no force will be used against the parliamentary leftist faction. The president's spokesman Oleksander Martynenko noted that it is impossible to change the "questions of principle" proposed for the April 16 referendum. He suggested, however, that the vote of no confidence in the Parliament might be applied only to the leftist faction. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Belarus, Ukraine to improve relations

MIENSK - Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk of Ukraine visited Miensk on February 7-8 in an effort to improve the countries' strained relations. "It is necessary to keep up a dialogue and cooperation with [Belarus]," the Associated Press quoted Mr. Tarasyuk as saying after the visit. Belarus claims Ukraine owes it more than $200 million, but Kyiv questions this sum. Belarus's legislature has not ratified the 1997 border treaty with Ukraine, thus hindering Kyiv's European integration attempts. Moreover, the two countries' presidents, Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Leonid Kuchma, have criticized each other's policies, and last year they canceled planned meetings. Mr. Tarasyuk said President Kuchma will meet with President Lukashenka in Miensk in the first half of this year. (RFE/RL Newsline)

U.N. General Assembly vote lost

UNITED NATIONS - The Associated Press reported that U.N. officials have suspended Ukraine's vote in the General Assembly for non-payment of bills after the passage of the January 31 deadline. Ukraine, which recently became a non-permanent member of the Security Council (which votes on peacekeeping methods and issues), owes the organization $15 million before it can regain its vote. (IRI News)

Terms offered for restructuring debt

KYIV - Ukraine's Ministry of Finance and ING Barings have announced the terms for restructuring the repayment of Ukraine's international bonds, Interfax reported on February 4. In particular, Kyiv is seeking to exchange bonds worth 500 million euros ($491 million U.S.) that are due in March, $73.7 million worth of bonds due in October 2000, 1.5 billion German marks ($775 million) worth of bonds due in February 2001, and $1 billion in so-called Gazprom bonds. Under the offer, holders of Ukrainian bonds will be offered new international bonds that will mature in seven years. The new bonds will be denominated in euros and in dollars and will pay quarterly interest rates of 10 percent and 11 percent, respectively. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Cabinet pledges to pay pension arrears

KYIV - Labor and Social Policy Minister Ivan Sakhan said on February 3 that in its 2000 budget draft the government provides for the payment of all overdue pensions, totaling 1.3 billion hrv ($237 million U.S.), Interfax reported. Mr. Sakhan noted that the Cabinet also has "serious intentions" to repay overdue wages and social allowances, but he added that "this is a problem of draft laws that were submitted to the Verkhovna Rada." Mr. Sakhan said that as of January 1 total wage arrears in Ukraine stood at 6.3 billion hrv. Also on February 3, some 1,500 war veterans, miners and nuclear power sector workers picketed the Parliament building to demand that the government revoke its decision to cancel a number of benefits and social allowances for which they are eligible. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Czechs introduce new visa rules

PRAGUE - The Czech government on February 2 announced that it will introduce visa requirements for citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, the CTK news agency reported. The Foreign Ministry told journalists that the main reason for that decision is to bring the country's visa policy in line with that of the European Union, explaining that the measure is also aimed at fighting crime and illegal employment. The decision will take effect in three months, and it is expected that the countries affected will take reciprocal steps. The government will soon decide whether to introduce the requirement for nationals of Moldova, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Georgia. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Russia concerned about language rights

KYIV - The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry sent a note to the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow on January 28, protesting what it said are worsening conditions for the Russian language in Ukraine, according to ITAR-TASS. The note called on Ukraine to observe the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Russia and Ukraine, and to guarantee the right of Russians freely to express and preserve their ethnicity and culture, and "to maintain and develop their culture without being subjected to any attempts at assimilation against their will." Unidentified diplomatic sources at Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry told the agency that the ministry is concerned about the toughening of administrative and other measures in Ukraine against the preservation and development of Russian language and culture. According to ministry sources, schools that taught primarily in Russian have been closed in the Ternopil, Rivne and Kyiv regions in Ukraine. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Communists push Armenia toward union

YEREVAN - Newly elected Armenian Communist Party First Secretary Vladimir Darpinian told a press conference in Yerevan that membership in the Russia-Belarus union would only strengthen Armenia's sovereignty, according to the January 20 issue of Nezavisimaya Gazeta. The leader of the party's parliamentary faction, Leonid Akopian, argued that accession to the union would create new jobs in Armenia and thus improve living standards. In 1997 the Armenian Communists collected several hundred thousand signatures in support of Armenia's accession to the Russia-Belarus union. (RFE/RL Newsline)

President reaffirms free market priorities

KYIV - Speaking to the diplomatic corps on January 19, President Leonid Kuchma said the main objective of his activity is to accelerate and deepen market economic reforms in the country, Interfax reported. Mr. Kuchma added that the government is going to transform the budgetary and tax systems, implement land reform, develop entrepreneurship, liberalize economic relations and improve the investment climate. He also noted that Ukraine cannot move forward under the current "continuing differences of opinion and confrontation between the power branches." According to the president, the constitutional referendum decreed for April 16 will help him to learn the opinion of his compatriots regarding the consolidation of Ukraine's power system. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 13, 2000, No. 7, Vol. LXVIII

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