NEWSBRIEFS

Lytvyn dismisses U.S. exam of tapes

KYIV - "It is a subsequent slip of paper that does not mean anything for Ukraine or the Ukrainian judiciary system," Volodymyr Lytvyn, chief of the presidential administration, said on ICTV Television on February 11, referring to a recent U.S. expert conclusion that former presidential bodyguard Mykola Melnychenko's secret recordings are genuine. Mr. Lytvyn added that the publicized conclusion is a campaign move by "those politicians who may be seen as outsiders in the election race." He did not disclose which politicians he had in mind. Meanwhile, Our Ukraine leader Viktor Yuschenko commented on February 12 that the U.S. examination of Melnychenko's tapes is "a step toward the truth." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Prosecutor rejects U.S. expert's opinion

KYIV - Deputy Procurator General Oleksii Bahanets on February 8 said the results of the recent U.S. examination of Col. Mykola Melnychenko's recordings, which provoked Ukraine's "tape scandal" in 2000, "have no legal force for the Ukrainian investigation," Interfax reported. Mr. Bahanets noted that, according to Ukrainian legislation, such an examination may be made only by "a competent expert with an appropriate license." Lawmaker Oleksander Zhyr said on RFE/RL on February 7 that Bruce Koenig, a veteran FBI expert on audio and video recordings, had examined samples of the Melnychenko recordings and concluded that they are authentic and unaltered. The Procurator General's Office of Ukraine maintains the tapes are doctored. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Court rejects Melnychenko's bid

KYIV - The Supreme Court of Ukraine on February 8 upheld the decision of the Central Election Commission denying the registration of former presidential bodyguard Mykola Melnychenko, who has been granted asylum in the United States, as a candidate on the Socialist Party list in the upcoming parliamentary election, Interfax reported. The court said the information Mr. Melnychenko supplied about his place of residence in the past five years is "essentially unreliable." Meanwhile, earlier this month the commission accepted a parliamentary bid by former Ukrainian banker Viktor Zherdytskyi, who has been in a German jail since 2000 awaiting trial for allegedly embezzling several hundred thousand dollars intended to assist Ukrainian victims of World War II. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma: Ukraine must join EU by 2011

KYIV - Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma told a government meeting on February 8 that Ukraine must join the European Union by 2011, Interfax reported. Mr. Kuchma noted that to qualify for EU membership Ukraine should secure annual economic growth of between 5 and 7 percent, join the World Trade Organization by the end of 2003, and create a free-trade zone with Central and Eastern European countries by 2004, Reuters reported. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Prosecutors ready to charge Lazarenko

KYIV - Deputy Procurator General Mykola Obikhod told journalists on February 7 that prosecutors have gathered enough evidence to officially charge former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko with ordering the killings of prominent businessman Yevhen Scherban in 1996 and former National Bank of Ukraine Chairman Vadym Hetman in 1998, Ukrainian media reported. Mr. Obikhod said Mr. Lazarenko paid $850,000 to kill Mr. Hetman and more than $2 million for the murder of Mr. Scherban. The prosecutor added that police have arrested Messrs. Scherban's and Hetman's executioners. Mr. Obikhod said his office has again asked "the competent U.S. authorities" to extradite Mr. Lazarenko. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Bills passed on judicial system, elections

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on February 7 on the judicial system in the country, Interfax reported. That same day the Parliament passed a new version of the bill on television and radio debates during election campaigns, which had been vetoed last month by President Leonid Kuchma. The former bill obliged all candidates in presidential and parliamentary elections to take part in such debates, while the current bill makes participation in them voluntary. In addition, the current bill obliges only the state-controlled radio and television channels to organize such debates, while its previous version extended this obligation to private channels as well. The Parliament also adopted a new version of the local election bill, which also was vetoed by President Kuchma in January. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kyiv seeks talks on Hungarian law

UZHHOROD - Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatolii Kinakh and Hungarian President Ferenc Madl on February 7 visited the Zakarpattia Oblast, which is inhabited by a Hungarian ethnic minority. Hungarian Radio reported that Messrs. Madl and Kinakh spoke about the opportunities of bilateral cooperation and the effects of Hungary's Status Law on Ukrainian Hungarians. The Ukrainian prime minister said the implementation of the law regarding Ukrainian Hungarians must be based on European standards and Ukrainian laws. Mr. Kinakh proposed to set up a Ukrainian-Hungarian intergovernmental committee to deal with the issue. Asked by journalists whether Kyiv will ask Budapest to find work in Hungary for Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian origin, Mr. Kinakh replied that, given the Zakarpattia Oblast's good economic performance in 2001, the government will do everything possible to provide jobs for those people in their native region. (RFE/RL Newsline)

UOC-KP parish in Crimea threatened

SYMFEROPOL - Authorities of the Crimean Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) on February 6 addressed the state and the general public asking for help. They stated that reactionary groups are attempting to take possession of the only UOC-KP parish in Crimea. Bishop Clement of Symferopol (UOC-KP) asserted that the Property Fund of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is trying to expropriate the premises of the only UOC-KP church on the peninsula, the parish of Ss. Volodymyr and Olha. The Property Fund has refused to abide by the Crimean Supreme Council's decision of last year to transfer the building to the UOC-KP for a term of 50 years and is preparing to overturn the ruling. Bishop Clement said he believes that the persecution of everything Ukrainian is still continuing in Crimea. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

Lukashenka thanks Communists

MIENSK - Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka met on February 6 with Ukrainian Communist Party head Petro Symonenko, who headed a group of Ukrainian lawmakers visiting Miensk. "First of all, I want to thank you for your honesty, fairness and colossal support - not for Lukashenka but for the Belarusian people - that was rendered by the Communist Party of Ukraine and you with your comrades during the last presidential election [in Belarus]," Belarusian Television quoted Mr. Lukashenka as saying. (RFE/RL Newsline)

CEC allocates pre-election airtime

KYIV - The Central Election Commission (CEC) on February 6 drew lots to allocate airtime and space in newspapers to political parties and election blocs, UNIAN and Interfax reported. This was done to ensure their rights to state-financed election advertising on nationwide Ukrainian Television (First Channel), Ukrainian Radio (First Program), and in the governmental Uriadovyi Kurier and parliamentary Holos Ukrainy newspapers. CEC Chairman Mykhailo Riabets told journalists that the commission registered 4,113 candidates running in the March 31 parliamentary elections on party lists, and 3,107 candidates in single-seat constituencies. Mr. Riabets added that 268 deputies of the current Verkhovna Rada are seeking re-election. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Crew die in plane crash in Morocco

KYIV - A Ukrainian AN-12 cargo plane crashed on February 7 in southern Morocco, killing eight crew members on board, Interfax reported, quoting a government official. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Hungarian president meets with Kuchma

KYIV - Hungarian President Ferenc Madl on February 6 met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Leonid Kuchma, Ukrainian media reported. Mr. Madl urged Ukraine to develop closer ties with the European Union and NATO. Mr. Kuchma took advantage of the meeting with President Madl to slam Ukraine's party system. "The Republic of Hungary passed the stage of political forces' structuring long ago. Today there are virtually only two forces vying for the right to have a majority in the future Parliament. Those political forces have no differences concerning the country's main lines of development. To my deep regret, I cannot say the same about Ukraine," 1+1 Television quoted President Kuchma as saying. "The cloning of political parties and blocs has reached the point of absurdity in Ukraine," he added. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Latvian, Ukrainian ministers meet

RIGA - Foreign Affairs Ministers Indulis Berzins of Latvia and Anatolii Zlenko of Ukraine meeting in the Latvian capital on February 6 discussed bilateral relations and agreed to continue working on several draft agreements, including those on protection of classified information, cooperation in culture, and the fight against economic and financial violations, the BNS news agency reported. Mr. Zlenko expressed support for Latvia's efforts to join the European Union and NATO, and noted that joining those structures are priorities also of Ukraine's foreign policy. The ministers decided to form an intergovernmental Latvian-Ukrainian economic commission in Riga in March to enhance economic cooperation, with Mr. Berzins noting that Latvia backs Ukraine's efforts to be admitted to the World Trade Organization. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Poland to introduce visa requirements

WARSAW - The Polish government intends to revoke the agreements on visa-free traffic with Russia, Ukraine and Belarus "late in summer or in autumn" in 2003, the PAP news service reported on February 6, quoting an anonymous government official. The official added that Poland will stick to this pledge even if European Union enlargement does not take place precisely on January 1, 2004. Eneko Landaburu, the director general for enlargement with the European Commission (EC), said EC experts propose that Poland introduce visas for citizens of its three eastern neighbors around a year prior to its EU entry. He made it understood, however, that if Poland suggests a period of a little less than a year and presents "credible guarantees," the EC will accept it, the agency reported. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yuschenko, Symonenko meet on RFE/RL

KYIV - RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on February 4 broadcast live a discussion between former Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko, the leader of the Our Ukraine election bloc, and Communist Party Chairman Petro Symonenko. It was the second high-profile political debate aired by RFE/RL during the election campaign in Ukraine, following a meeting between Yulia Tymoshenko and Viktor Medvedchuk two weeks ago. Mr. Symonenko slammed the reforms undertaken by all governments of independent Ukraine, including Mr. Yuschenko's, as detrimental to the interests of the people. Mr. Yuschenko stressed the importance of a democratically elected parliamentary majority in pursuing changes to the economy and society. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma tightens CD production

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma has issued a decree intended to curb CD piracy in the country in a move aimed at halting $75 million of U.S. trade sanctions, Interfax reported on January 30. The decree orders the government to designate state officials to monitor CD production and sales, and requires that every CD be stamped with a special identification code. Meanwhile, Deputy Procurator General Oleksii Bahanets has said that an investigation of five Ukrainians plants determined that those plants did not have the facilities to produce the large number of pirated CDs claimed by the United States. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Russian Bloc HQ firebombed

KYIV - The headquarters of the Russian Bloc in Kyiv has been subjected to an arson attack, Ukrainian media reported on January 30. Unknown attackers broke the windows of the headquarters, which is also the site of the newspaper Russkii Mir, and threw Molotov cocktails into the premises. The fire destroyed some furniture and a computer. The Russian Bloc has appealed to President Leonid Kuchma and law enforcement bodies for protection, saying the attack was an attempt at "intimidating the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine and depriving it of moral support" in the ongoing election campaign, Interfax reported. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine to get $60 M to fight AIDS, TB

KYIV - The World Bank is ready to allot $60 million to Ukraine to combat AIDS and tuberculosis, New Channel Television reported on February 1, quoting unnamed World Bank officials who spent two weeks in Ukraine studying the situation pertaining to those illnesses. The money will be primarily channeled into diagnosing AIDS and tuberculosis, supplying medicines and monitoring infected people. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 17, 2002, No. 7, Vol. LXX

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