NEWSBRIEFS

Rada bans sale of Nikopol plant

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on March 15 voted to include the Nikopol Ferroalloys Plant on a list of enterprises that cannot be privatized in 2006-2007, Interfax-Ukraine reported. Parliament endorsed a similar bill in February, but it was subsequently vetoed by President Viktor Yushchenko. In January the Supreme Court ruled that the 2003 sale of a 25 percent stake in Nikopol for some $80 million to Viktor Pinchuk, the son-in-law of former President Leonid Kuchma, was illegal and returned it to the state. The government intended to sell a 50 percent stake plus one share in Nikopol at an open auction later this year. (RFE/RL Newsline)

CVU says voter lists inaccurate

KYIV - Ihor Popov of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine (CVU), a non-governmental organization monitoring election campaigns in the country, told journalists on March 14 that between 5 percent and 10 percent of voter lists prepared for the March 26 parliamentary elections are inaccurate, Interfax-Ukraine reported. Mr. Popov was commenting on the results of a monitoring mission that his organization carried out in early March. He added that irregularities in voter lists can be found in all regions of Ukraine. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Activists arrested at Miensk rally

MIENSK - Police detained at least five Belarusians and six Ukrainians immediately after a campaign meeting convened by opposition presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich in Miensk on March 12, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported. It was Mr. Milinkevich's third meeting with voters in the Belarusian capital on that day and was attended by more than 2,000 people. There were also an unspecified number of activists of the Ukrainian organization Student Brotherhood, who came to Miensk from Ukraine. Police also detained Hanna Horozhenko, a journalist of Kyiv-based Channel 5, while she was reporting live by the telephone to Kyiv. "The actions of the OMON [riot police] - that was really something. I have never heard such words addressed to a human being, I have never seen such boorishness. I was shocked," Ms. Horozhenko told RFE/RL's Belarus Service later the same day, after she spent several hours in jail and was released following an intervention of the Ukrainian Embassy in Miensk. The fate of the other arrested Ukrainians and Belarusians is unknown. "We have come here with a peaceful purpose, to support the Belarusian people. We see that people are intimidated here. They are afraid but they want changes," a Ukrainian girl named Natalka told RFE/RL shortly before her arrest. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kyiv concerned about detainees

KYIV - The Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry circulated a statement on March 13 to express deep concern over the Belarusian authorities' move to arrest six Ukrainian nationals in Miensk on March 12. The six were attending a rally of one of the candidates for the presidency. In addition, the ministry expressed concern over the forcible termination of a TV report from Miensk by journalists of Ukraine's Channel 5. The statement says the Ukrainian detainees were denied the right to meet with Ukrainian Embassy staffers, which contradicts Article 36 of the Vienna Consular Convention of April 24, 1963. The statement urges Belarusian authorities to promptly release the Ukrainian citizens. It also calls upon Belarusian authorities to respect political and human rights, and secure conditions for unhampered media coverage of the election campaign in Belarus. (Ukrinform)

Court sentences Ukrainian detainee

MIENSK - The Miensk City Court on March 13 sentenced five of six Ukrainians detained in the Belarusian capital to 10 days under arrest. The six Ukrainian citizens were detained on March 12. The Ukrainian Embassy together with jurists of the Associations of Human Rights Protection are readying an appeal to challenge the ruling. Mykola Karpynskyi, one of the detainees, told the court he was beaten by persons in civilian clothes, who tied his wrists with a flag of the Kostenko-Pliusch People's Bloc, insulted him and threatened to make him eat the flag. The sixth Ukrainian in the group was released on March 13 thanks to the efforts of Ukrainian authorities. On March 13 Ukrainian and Belarusian Ministers Borys Tarasyuk and Sergey Martynov spoke on the phone about the case. After the talk, Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus Valentyn Nalyvaichenko conveyed a note of the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry to the Belarusian Foreign Minister, demanding that the Ukrainians be freed and also protesting against the violent halt to reporting by accredited journalists of Channel 5. The Belarusian ambassador to Ukraine was called to the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry to be presented with a copy of the note. (Ukrinform)

Journalists not allowed into Belarus

KYIV - Belarusian border guards on March 15 denied entry to Belarus to two journalists of the Kyiv-based Channel 5, Interfax-Ukraine reported. Reporter Andrii Zhyhulin and camera operator Vitalii Doroschenko were turned back without any explanations from a Kyiv-Miensk train at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. Both reportedly had accreditations issued by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry for working in Belarus during the presidential election campaign. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Opposition seeks electoral law changes

KYIV - The Party of the Regions gathered some 2,000 people in front of the Ukrainian Parliament on March 14 to demand changes to electoral legislation, UNIAN and Interfax-Ukraine reported. The Party of the Regions wants the Verkhovna Rada to give precinct election commissions the right to add names to voter lists on election day. The Parliament on March 14 passed a bill allowing such a procedure on election day, but only in instances where an individual voter has already won a court decision to ensure his/her name is entered accurately on the list. The opposition alleges that the authorities compiled lists of voters for the March 26 parliamentary elections with many deliberate mistakes and omissions aimed at depriving many voters of the right to cast ballots. The People's Opposition bloc, led by Progressive Socialist Party Chair Natalia Vitrenko, staged a separate rally in Kyiv on March 14 to demand that the government allow Ukrainian citizens in the Transdniester region to vote in the March 26 elections. Volodymyr Marchenko of the Progressive Socialist Party told a crowd of some 1,000 people that there is not a single polling station organized by the Ukrainian authorities in Transdniester, where he said 67,000 people have Ukrainian citizenship. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Shamshur presents letter of credence

WASHINGTON - On March 13, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in the United States Dr. Oleh Shamshur presented his letter of credence and a letter of recall of his predecessor to U.S. President George W. Bush. In his reply to the remarks presented, as per protocol, to the newly appointed ambassador of Ukraine, President Bush noted: "The United States remains optimistic about Ukraine's future and looks to Ukraine to be a model for democratic development for its neighbors and beyond." He also expressed his expectation that he would be "working with a new government that will maintain Ukraine's momentum on democratization and reform." The document also noted: "Even as Ukraine faces significant challenges, it has an historic opportunity to consolidate and expand the changes that will make Ukraine a democratic, prosperous member of Europe and of the international community." (Embassy of Ukraine in the United States)

4.5 M want referendum on NATO, EU

KYIV - Initiators of a referendum on Ukraine's potential membership in NATO and the European Union have collected more than 4.5 million signatures in support of staging such a vote, Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Yaroslav Davydovych said in an interview published in the March 11-17 issue of the Zerkalo Nedeli weekly. Mr. Davydovych said the CEC will need one month to check the authenticity of collected signatures. He added that the president of Ukraine has the right to order a recheck of the signatures, as well as to request a ruling from the Constitutional Court on the legality of questions proposed for the referendum. Mr. Davydovych did not speculate on when, if at all, the referendum might be held. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Number of adoptions to double

KYIV - According to Family, Youth and Sports Minister Yurii Pavlenko, the state department for matters of adoption and children's rights will start functioning in May. The Ukrainian government intends to double the number of adoptions this year, Mr. Pavlenko noted. To that end, he said, the ministry will petition the Cabinet to extend benefits that families with children enjoy to foster families, including a three-month leave for one of the foster parents, with a view toward letting foster children become used to a new familial environment. According to data by Ukrainian consular bodies, in late 2005 the number of Ukrainian children who were adopted by foreigners reached about 16,000. A total of 5,743 Ukrainian children were adopted in the United States, 2,172 in Spain, 809 in France and 658 in Israel. (Ukrinform)

Russia slams U.S. over WTO...

WASHINGTON - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Moscow daily Vremia Novostei of March 13 that the United States is holding up Russia's membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) for unspecified political reasons. Moscow avidly wants to join the WTO and still needs to conclude only two bilateral agreements - with the United States and Colombia - as a prerequisite for doing so. Mr. Lavrov said that U.S. negotiators repeatedly bring up issues that the Russians thought had already been settled "in principle," such as "the opening of direct branches of foreign banks in Russia." He noted that Russia's current policies are acceptable to U.S. bankers, "but the administration wants something more. Even though the administration, you would think, would [consider the interests of] its bankers." The minister charged that the United States is treating Ukraine more favorably than Russia in regard to joining the WTO. The U.S. House of Representatives voted recently to repeal the Jackson-Vanik Amendment restricting trade with respect to Ukraine, but the measure remains in force regarding Russia. Mr. Lavrov also denied unspecified suggestions that Moscow is prepared to modify its position on Iran's nuclear program in return for a deal with Washington on WTO membership. (RFE/RL Newsline)

... and human rights report

MOSCOW - The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on March 10 that the recent U.S. report on human rights in Russia could damage bilateral relations, mosnews.com reported. The statement said that the report consists of "a clear juggling of facts and is an example of blatant double standards." All this hinders the "normal development" of bilateral ties. The ministry said it believes the report shows that Washington's policies are "biased against Russia." The statement stressed that neither the United States nor any other country has an "ideal" situation in regard to human rights. The ministry argued, however, that Russia is working "to perfect systems designed to provide for the rights and freedoms of its citizens." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Bartholomew concerned about schism

KYIV - Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople is concerned about the schism between the Orthodox faithful in Ukraine and is working for the union of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, said Ukraine's foreign affairs minister, Borys Tarasyuk, after a meeting with the patriarch. According to cerkva.info, Mr. Tarasyuk said Patriarch Bartholomew had authorized him to coordinate relationships between the Orthodox Churches. Mr. Tarasyuk himself emphasized that he expects that the Orthodox faithful and their leaders in Ukraine and Russia will solve these problems by themselves. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

UOC-KP to open dialogue with UGCC

KYIV - In response to the appeal of Patriarch Lubomyr Husar, head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC) in the name of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, requesting to hold dialogue on Christian union, Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), in the name of the Holy Synod of the UOC-KP, confirmed the UOC-KP's readiness and openness to cooperate. News of the UOC-KP reply was posted by cerkva.info on March 2. According to Patriarch Filaret's letter, the only possible way to the unification of Churches is a "return to the unity of faith between the Christian West and the East broken in 1054." As for the UOC-KP, it will "adhere to the Eastern Orthodox dogmatic and canonical tradition." On the occasion of the coming anniversary of the events of 1946, when the UGCC was liquidated by the Soviet regime, the UOC-KP has condemned the interference of the state in Church matters. According to Patriarch Filaret's letter, "the revival of brotherly feelings between Orthodox and Greek-Catholics is possible on the basis of Christian love. Such love, strengthened with actions, can further the union of Orthodox Rus' and Greek-Catholic Rus' which Metropolitan Petro Mohyla and Metropolitan Yosyf Rutskyi had high hopes for." Metropolitans Mohyla and Rutskyi were, respectively, Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Church leaders of the 17th century in Ukraine. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

Two more foreign voting precincts

KYIV - The Central Electoral Commission has decided to create two more foreign election precincts in Moldova and Portugal. CEC Vice-Chairman Mykola Melnyk said the foreign election precinct in Moldova will be established in the city of Balti, where Ukraine opened its Consulate and where some 12,500 Ukrainian citizens reside. The second precinct will be opened in Porto, Portugal, where a Ukrainian Consulate has been opened and where more than 2,000 Ukrainian nationals reside. Thus, there are now 116 voting precincts for Ukrainian citizens residing abroad. (Ukrinform)

President vows to hold fair elections

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko told students at Shevchenko National University in Kyiv on March 9 that the authorities "have done everything to secure democratic, honest and transparent elections." Mr. Yushchenko also said he finds it deplorable that the people who just 18 months ago were engaged in "shadow politics" - an apparent reference to the manipulation of the presidential vote that sparked the Orange Revolution and his eventual election - are now calling on the nation to turn to the past "behind the backs of political leaders." The president said of the upcoming parliamentary elections: "It is not about choosing colors, it is about a way of life and whether we want to turn back or not." (RFE/RL Newsline)

U.S. reports on rights in Ukraine

WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department said on March 8 in its annual report on human rights worldwide that while Ukraine's human rights performance significantly improved in important areas in 2005, in a number of respects it remained poor. The report says that the improvements followed the Orange Revolution. Accountability by police officers and prison conditions have become better after the change of power. The mass media became much more independent, and restrictions on freedom of assembly largely ceased. There are no reports of political prisoners in Ukraine. However, the report points to arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of life, politically motivated disappearances and hazing in the Ukrainian army. The report also notes that corruption remained a serious problem in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the government, including the armed services. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Mittal announces development program

DNIPROPETROVSK - More than 20 percent of investments, which were envisaged by the program of modernization of iron-ore mines of the ore mining-dressing and metallurgical plants of the public joint-stock company Mittal Steel Krivoi Rog for 2006-2008, have been directed for energy-saving measures, improvement of ecology, and the health and safety of people. Mittal Steel Krivoi Rog Director General Narendra Chaudhary said on March 11 that $1.2 billion (U.S.) is to be spent for the mill's development. The long-term development program is aimed at introducing environmentally friendly and energy-saving technologies, and improving the health care and safety of workers - that is, bringing the enterprise into compliance with environmental and social norms in Ukraine and European Union standards. (Ukrinform)

U.S. awaits results of Rada elections

BORYSPIL, Ukraine - The United States will consider the prospects of Ukraine's membership in NATO after the elections to Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada are completed and a new government is formed, said Borys Tarasyuk, Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs, at a press conference upon his return to Ukraine on March 11. According to Mr. Tarasyuk, the Bush administration is favorably disposed toward proceeding to the action plan for Ukraine's membership in NATO. (Ukrinform)

Horbulin to head integration center

KYIV - Presidential adviser Volodymyr Horbulin has been appointed head of the National Center for Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine. President Viktor Yushchenko signed the relevant decree on March 1. The center is a deliberative body that functions under the president and must be engaged in drafting conclusions and recommendations with regard to strategic planning and state policy on Ukraine's integration into NATO. The center is to draft a systemic approach in deepening cooperation between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Alliance in the political, defense, economic, legal, information, scientific and other spheres, as well as drafting program documents with regard to Ukraine's further integration into NATO. The center comprises officials of the National Security and Defense Council, the ministries of the Economy, Foreign Affairs, Defense, Internal Affairs, Industrial Policies, Emergencies Management, Finance and Justice, the Television and Radio Broadcasting Committee, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Intelligence Service, as well as national deputies. (Ukrinform)

Local deputies' immunity at issue

KYIV - The Our Ukraine faction is collecting signatures in the Parliament for submitting a bill on the cancellation of local rada deputies' immunity, presidential representative to the Verkhovna Rada Yurii Kliuchkovskyi told a press conference on March 1. "The process of signature collecting is under way; our faction and allies have already signed the petition," Mr. Kliuchkovskyi said, adding that 150 signatures are needed to include the bill on the Verkhovna Rada agenda. (Ukrinform)

Car theft a widespread crime

KYIV - According to information from the Internal Affairs Ministry, automobile theft remains one of the most widespread crimes in Ukraine. On average, 30 automobiles are stolen per day in Ukraine. Ukrainian legislation differentiates between automobile theft (punishable by a jail term of three to five years) and "hijacking" of automobiles (up to two years of correctional work for "hijacking"). As a result, teenagers are sent to steal automobiles and every teenager caught claims he is not a thief but merely wants to take a ride. (Ukrinform)

Western Union to have competitor

KYIV - The Ukrainian state-run enterprise UkrPochta has been granted a license to handle money transfers by the National Bank of Ukraine and will soon launch an international transfer service from and to countries where Ukrainian citizens reside, the director general of UkrPochta, Ihor Kravets, said at a March 2 press conference. Thus, the UkrPochta will start competing with the American company Western Union, which presently leads the market for money transfers in Ukraine. The Anti-Monopoly Committee stated that Western Union set high tariffs on money transfers and that this can be remedied through the operation of a competing company on the Ukrainian money transfer market. The Ukrainian state-run enterprise UkrPochta is the national mail operator and consists of 15,000 departments in all regions of Ukraine. (Ukrinform)

Water supply to be reorganized

KYIV - There are plans to reorganize water supply enterprises into joint-stock enterprises in which local authorities will own controlling stakes (50 percent + 1 share) as part of the reform of the housing and utility industry. Minister of Construction, Architecture, Housing and Utilities Pavlo Kachur announced this on March 2, while presenting a program for reform of the housing and utility industry. According to Mr. Kachur, the remaining 49 percent of stakes in such joint-stock enterprises will be sold. He said utility enterprises must first be made attractive to investors before this step can be taken and that reform of the housing and utility industry would facilitate this. Specifically, he said that regional centers are expected to have 24-hour water supplies, expenditures on energy resources are expected to be reduced, while the number of population centers with access to centralized water supply systems is expected to increase by 3 percent during the 2006-2007 period. He added that a 24-hour water supply is expected to be the norm in cities of regional and district importance by the year 2010. (Ukrinform)

Yushchenko, Dobriansky meet

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko met with U.S. Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky in Kyiv on March 2. The two discussed Ukrainian-American cooperation, and the Ukrainian president briefed the undersecretary about the political situation in Ukraine on the eve of the parliamentary elections. Mr. Yushchenko said Ukraine's authorities will spare no effort to hold the elections openly and freely. He thanked the U.S. for moves toward deepening bipartite cooperation and, in particular, for granting market economy status to Ukraine. The meeting was also attended by American Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst. (Ukrinform)

Yushchenko seeks info on RosUkrEnergo

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko said on March 1 that neither the Russian party nor the Austrian side have responded to his request for exhaustive information about the RosUkrEnergo company's founders, the company that on Russia's insistence, was chosen as the go-between in supplying Turkmen gas to Ukraine's borderline under the January 4 gas agreement. According to the president, information that the Security Service of Ukraine possesses is insufficient to clarify the issue of the company's stockholders, primarily on the part of the Austrian bank Raiffeisen, which is in charge of safeguarding its clients' stocks in the RosUkrEnergo. The president said he has instructed Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov to approach GazpromBank and Raiffeisen to petition these institutions for full information about the company's record and current activities. Mr. Yushchenko once again stated that, to the best of his knowledge, no high-level Ukrainian officials have ever been involved in either RosUkrEnergo or its precursors, the companies Itera and UralsGaz, as all these companies were not Ukrainian businesses and were not registered in Ukraine. (Ukrinform)

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 19, 2006, No. 12, Vol. LXXIV

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