NEWSBRIEFS (03/05/00)

NEWSBRIEFS

New pro-majority caucus emerges

KYIV - A new parliamentary caucus called Solidarnist (Solidarity) emerged on February 29, Interfax reported. The group is composed of six deputies from the Social Democratic Party (United), five from the Peasant Party, and three each from the Fatherland, Independence and National Democratic Party caucuses. Solidarnist leader Petro Poroshenko declared that his caucus will join the Coordinating Council of the parliamentary majority. Oleksander Volkov from the majority's Revival of Regions caucus commented that Solidarnist is a "good political move" intended to attract to the majority "as many leftist deputies as possible." The Peasant Party and Hromada Party caucuses, like that of the Progressive Socialist Party, have been dissolved because they did not have the required minimum number (14) of deputies. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine fails to make bond payments

KYIV - Ukraine's Ministry of Finance confirmed on February 28 that the country had failed to make payments on a German mark-denominated bond issue over the weekend, the Associated Press reported. The head of the ministry's foreign debts department Vitalii Lysovenko said he expects foreign investors to accept Ukraine's offer to exchange outstanding Ukrainian bonds for seven-year Eurobonds denominated in euros or U.S. dollars rather than declare a default on the bonds. He said the offer is valid until March 15. In other news, Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko has reportedly postponed a trip to the U.S. scheduled for this week due to the International Monetary Fund's decision to suspend its credits until April, according to an ITAR-TASS report of February 28. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Fuel imports to Ukraine slow down

KYIV - Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on February 28 that traders have imported only 126,000 metric tons of gasoline in the first two months of this year, compared with 235,000 during the same period last year, Reuters reported. In a bid to improve the situation, the vice-chairman of Parliament, Stepan Havrysh, said the Verkhovna Rada will probably pass a bill temporarily lifting all excise and customs duties on fuel on March 11. Officials and traders said the decline in imports resulted from the Parliament's recent repeal of tax breaks for joint ventures, according to the agency. Ms. Tymoshenko also blamed export tariff hikes in Russia. "Russia is making policy as if it did not need the Ukrainian market," she said. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Party calls for more Russian schools

KYIV - The Slavic Party in Ukraine has called on the authorities in Moscow and Kyiv to protect Russian-language speakers in Ukraine, ITAR- TASS reported on February 23. The party called for more Russian-language schools in Ukraine and said the country's language policy is based on "Russophobia." It also said that Russian-language speakers constitute a majority in Ukraine and that 90 percent of the population prefers to speak Russian. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Party wants referendum on language

KYIV - Slavic Party Chairman Oleksander Bazyliuk said on February 28 that his party has forwarded a request to the Central Election Commission for a referendum on official recognition of the Russian language in Ukraine, ITAR-TASS reported. He said he is confident his party can gather the 3 million signatures required to call a referendum. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kyiv synagogue nears reopening

KYIV - The Central Synagogue will be opened in its historical building on March 14, Chief Rabbi of the Kyiv Jewish Community Moshe Reuven Asman said on February 17. The building belongs to the Kyiv city administration as a historical, cultural and architectural site. (Eastern Economist)

Hungarian PM visits Ukraine

KYIV - Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary on February 25 assured his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yuschenko, that his country will not impose visas on Ukrainians until it enters the European Union. Both prime ministers stressed the importance of improving bilateral economic ties. Mr. Yuschenko said Hungary is "Ukraine's main partner in Eastern Europe." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine moves ahead on privatization

KYIV - The State Property Fund on February 24 announced that shares in nine electricity companies will be traded on various stock exchanges in March. The move comes after the Parliament passed, in its first reading, a privatization program for 2000, which affects more than 800 companies. However, factions in the Parliament have pledged to push for amendments to the privatization bill in its second reading. The Russian government has expressed an interest in acquiring some of the companies slated for privatization in lieu of money transfers to pay Ukraine's energy debts. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukrainian PM denies Russian claims

KYIV - Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko on February 25 said Ukraine has not agreed to hand over leading enterprises to Russia in payment of gas debts, Interfax reported. Mr. Yuschenko also rejected Russian First Vice Prime Minister Mikhail Kasianov's claim that he has presented a list of enterprises Russia would be willing to accept as debt payment. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Rada chair: referendum unconstitutional

KYIV - Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ivan Pliusch said on February 25 that the April 16 referendum on confidence in the Parliament does not comply with the Constitution of Ukraine, ITAR-TASS reported. Mr. Pliusch said the country is not ready for new elections. A group of 108 lawmakers have asked the Constitutional Court to examine President Leonid Kuchma's decree on the referendum. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Analyst predicts 2000 Rada elections

KYIV - Early elections to the Verkhovna Rada will take place in 2000, predicted the director of the Institute of Politics, Mykola Tomenko. He added that the new Parliament would have 175 non-Communist oriented deputies, where the regional elite and financial and political groups will be the biggest in the history of the Ukrainian parliamentary system. He further prognosticated that the Progressive Socialist, Green and NDP parties will not be represented in the future Rada and added that after the elections, a new government would be appointed. (Eastern Economist)

President urges Rada to cooperate

KYIV - In a February 22 address to the Verkhovna Rada, President Leonid Kuchma urged the legislature to cooperate with the executive in pushing the country's reform process ahead, the Associated Press reported. Mr. Kuchma praised the formation of a center-right majority in the legislature, saying he hopes it will make the legislative process more effective. According to ITAR-TASS, the president also said he is not opposed to signing a cooperation agreement with the Parliament and the Cabinet of Ministers as long as those institutions pledge to engage in "joint deeds, not slogans." And he urged the government to aim to ensure annual economic growth of 6-7 percent by 2005. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Chechen group launches publication

KYIV - A Chechen group in Odesa has started publishing a newsletter covering the war in Chechnya, the Associated Press reported on February 24. The publication will be distributed to diplomatic missions in Ukraine. Russian authorities have reportedly put pressure on Ukraine to shut down the publication. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine to investigate Chechen bureau

KYIV - Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Ihor Hrushko said the "competent bodies" in Ukraine, including the Internal Affairs Ministry, will launch an investigation into the Chechen information bureau in Odesa, ITAR-TASS reported on February 22. Mr. Hrushko said the activities of the bureau will be suspended if it is found to be breaking Ukrainian law. He said the Foreign Affairs Ministry is dealing with the issue because it concerns Ukraine's relations with Russia and has "diplomatic nuances." (RFE/RL Newsline)

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