NEWSBRIEFS (07/04/04)

NEWSBRIEFS

Ukraine marks Constitution Day

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma said on June 28, on the occasion of Constitution Day, that "the adoption of the fundamental law sealed for all time our independence and the will of the Ukrainian nation to live in their sovereign state," Interfax reported. Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn said that since the Constitution of Ukraine was adopted on June 28, 1996, that date has come to symbolize national consensus and "the superiority of national interests over the ever-changing political situation." Mr. Lytvyn also said the Constitution needs to be improved and "enriched by the experience of the creation of a state." Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych stressed that the Constitution is not "an adamant dogma," and that "the decentralization of the power [in Ukraine] is necessary." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yushchenko to run as independent

KYIV - Our Ukraine leader Viktor Yushchenko announced on June 28 that he will run as an independent in this fall's presidential election, the UNIAN news service reported. Mr. Yushchenko said he decided to run as an independent because while all the parties in the Our Ukraine Bloc support his candidacy, his program also is supported by many organizations that are not associated with the bloc. "The main election struggle will take place not between representatives of particular parties but between the representative of the authorities and the representative of the nation," Mr. Yushchenko explained. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Official calls paper's story "speculation"

KYIV - Vasyl Baziv, deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, said on June 25 that the articles in The Independent suggesting that President Leonid Kuchma was involved in the slaying of journalist Heorhii Gongadze are "speculation" in the run-up to the presidential election this fall, Interfax reported. "Making a ballot box of the headless journalist's corpse is no less amoral than the beheading itself," Mr. Baziv told reporters. He added that the investigation should be objective and honest, resulting in the punishment of the journalist's killers. "The man who is most interested in this is the president of Ukraine," Mr. Baziv added. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma urges NATO to expand relations...

ISTANBUL - During his address on June 29 at the NATO summit in Istanbul, President Leonid Kuchma called on the Atlantic alliance to broaden its relations with Ukraine, Interfax reported. Mr. Kuchma said that Ukraine has undergone important changes over the past five years, adding that its pace of economic growth has been among the highest in Europe and that the country is characterized by "the stability of its political situation and ethnic tolerance." He also said that, after a "period of loud but ineffective declarations," relations between Ukraine and NATO are headed in the right direction - "the way of practical actions." The president assured the alliance that Ukraine intends to continue participating in joint projects - in particular the scrapping of ammunition and light weapons - and to take measures to make Ukraine's military standards compatible with those of NATO. (RFE/RL Newsline)

... promises to assure election monitoring

ISTANBUL - President Leonid Kuchma on June 29 told participants at the NATO summit that Ukraine will "assure all necessary conditions" are made for observers' work during the country's presidential elections this fall, Interfax reported. Mr. Kuchma noted NATO members' recent interest in Ukraine's domestic politics, in particular the presidential election. He added that Ukraine expects "just one thing" from outside election observers: "to report objectively about events in the country and bring this information to the broad international community." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine pressed to share NATO values

ISTANBUL - NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on June 29 reiterated his stance that Ukraine should make greater efforts to absorb values shared by NATO members, Interfax reported. Among those values, according to Mr. de Hoop Scheffer, are the superiority of law, free and fair elections and media freedom. He stressed the importance of NATO's partnership with Ukraine and praised the country's military reforms. "Ukraine does a good job," he said. "But do not forget that the further integration with NATO structures means the protection and the observance [of the] values on which the alliance was built." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma seeks specific path of cooperation

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma announced on June 29 that talks between Ukraine and the European Union regarding the signing of a joint action plan should yield a specific program of cooperation, Interfax reported, citing presidential spokeswoman Olena Hromnytska. Mr. Kuchma said that Ukraine's highest priorities in the talks are achieving market-economy status, access to the EU's markets, and less stringent EU visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens. "If the EU proves unready for such decisions, talks should be extended" until Ukraine achieves more favorable conditions, President Kuchma said. (RFE/RL Newsline)

NATO to Kyiv: respect democratic norms

ISTANBUL - NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer called on Ukraine on June 25 to respect democratic principles, Interfax reported, citing Deutsche Welle's Ukrainian Service. Mr. de Hoop Scheffer said Ukraine should not only pay attention to the reform of the armed forces but also promote democratic values, if it intends to boost its cooperation with NATO structures. "We all know what it means - no persecution of the media, conducting free and fair elections, and the superiority of law and freedom of speech," he explained. The secretary-general praised Ukraine for its efforts in international security, pointing to its readiness to patrol the Mediterranean Sea. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Putin for better ties with Belarus, Ukraine

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin, speaking on June 27 at a cultural festival near Novhorod Siverskyi, Ukraine, said that he values the cultural heritage of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and wants to strengthen cultural ties among them, the RTR and ORT news services reported. Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka were also present at the festival, which was held close to the Russian and Belarusian borders. Mr. Lukashenka said he supports the views of the Russian president and that the three countries should adopt the "best of Soviet traditions." Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych also attended the meeting. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Rada passes constitutional reform bill

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada voted 275-5 on June 23 to pass bill No. 4180, containing amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine prepared by the parliamentary Constitutional Committee, Interfax reported. The opposition Our Ukraine and Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc parliamentary caucuses the same day blocked the rostrum and did not take part in the voting. The opposition considers bill No. 4180 to be the same piece of legislation as bill No. 4105, which is intended to shift presidential powers to the Parliament and the prime minister. The latter bill was rejected by the Verkhovna Rada in April. Bill No. 4180 will now head to the Constitutional Court for consideration and will require 300 votes for approval upon its return to the parliamentary agenda in the fall. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma criticizes Our Ukraine

KYIV - Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma said on June 24 that the previous day's parliamentary vote on a constitutional reform bill shows that Our Ukraine is opposed to political change in Ukraine, Interfax reported. Mr. Kuchma said that Our Ukraine's decision not to participate in the voting on bill No. 4180 demonstrates that the opposition party is "on the other side of the barricade." He asked: "Are they comfortable with such a confrontation of power in the country?" He also stressed that the main goal of the proposed constitutional reform is the creation of an effective state power. "The reforms are necessary for the whole country," Mr. Kuchma stated. (RFE/RL Newsline)

SDPU backs Yanukovych for president

KYIV - The Political Council of the Social Democratic Party-United has endorsed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's candidacy in the presidential election slated for October 31, Interfax reported on June 24, quoting the party press service. Mr. Yanukovych is running as a joint candidate of pro-governmental forces. "Public consent for us is the most important criterion of the success of reforms," SDPU Political Council members wrote in a statement outlining their rationale for supporting Mr. Yanukovych. The party also urged all political forces in the Verkhovna Rada to support the proposed amendments to the constitution that were approved by the Parliament on June 23 and are backed by Mr. Yanukovych. The SDPU intends to hold its congress on July 4. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukrainian seamen detail Iraq torture

KYIV - Two Ukrainian merchant seamen who ended up in Abu Ghraib prison after being arrested in August 2003 said they were kept naked and hooded for hours during their 10 months of imprisonment, reported the Associated Press. Nina Karpachova, Ukraine's ombudsman for human rights, refused to specify whether American troops were involved in the alleged torture, but said, "we know who was in charge of Abu Ghraib." Tanker M/V Navstar captain Mykola Mazurenko and first mate Ivan Soschenko were arrested by the British navy in the port of Umm Qasr for alleged oil smuggling and sentenced to seven years in prison by an Iraqi court. The two were extradited recently on condition they serve the rest of their sentence at home. Ms. Karpachova told the press that Messrs. Mazurenko and Soschenko claimed that while in Abu Ghraib they were frequently "subjected to sleep deprivation, kept naked for hours and hooded." Prisoners were often "gassed with tear gas" and forced to "lick food straight from the floor," she added. The ombudsman said the two seamen "are in serious health condition." Markian Lubkivskyi, a Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman, said the seamen's claims would be investigated and "if it is true ... we will raise the case to the international level and do everything to protect the rights of our citizens including financial compensation." (Associated Press)

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