"UKRAINE REPORT 2003"
"The Art of Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion,
Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World"
''The constitutional court of Ukraine has ruled that this proposal [to
have the parliament change the constitution so the parliament can elect
the next president] does not challenge the rights of Ukrainian citizens
and is not aimed at hurting Ukraine's independence and territorial
integrity,'' [and thus is constitutional] the court said in a statement."
(articles one, two, three and four]
"UKRAINE REPORT 2003," Number 112
U.S.-UKRAINE FOUNDATION (USUF)
www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS)
Washington, D.C., Kyiv, Ukraine, morganw@patriot.net
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2003
INDEX OF ARTICLES:
1. UKRAINE'S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT SAYS PROPOSED
CHANGE IN CONSTITUTION TO HAVE PARLIAMENT ELECT
THE NEXT PRESIDENT IS CONSTITUTIONAL
Reuters News Service, Kiev, Ukraine, December 11, 2003
2. UKRAINIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULES PARLIAMENT
CAN CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW IT TO ELECT
PRESIDENTS RATHER THAN THE PEOPLE DIRECTLY
BBC NEWS, Europe, Thursday, December 11, 2003
3. UKRAINE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECLARES PROPOSAL
TO CHANGE CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW PARLIAMENT TO
ELECT THE NEXT PRESIDENT IS CONSTITUTIONAL
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 11 Dec 03
BBC Monitoring Service,UK, in English, Dec 11, 2003
4. VAST MAJORITY OF UKRAINIANS WANT TO ELECT
THE PRESIDENT THEMSELVES
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 11 Dec 03
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Dec 11, 2003
5. U.S. AMBASSADOR CALLS ON UKRAINE TO ENSURE FREE
AND FAIR PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
AP Worldstream; Kyiv, Ukraine, Dec 10, 2003
6.UKRAINE'S PARLIAMENT SETS UP COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE
FOREIGN-FINANCED NGO'S AND THEIR POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE
IN THE FINANCING OF THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN UKRAINE
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 11 Dec 03
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Dec 11, 2003
7. "KOZACHENKO CASE" DEADLOCKED ACCORDING TO
THE UKRAINIAN AGRARIAN CONFEDERATION (UAC)
www.AgriMarket.Info, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, December 10, 2003
8. AGRICULTURAL LANDS IN UKRAINE ARE USED INEFFICIENTLY
[Anyone Surprised by this Declaration?]
www.AgriMarket.Info, December 10, 2003
9. VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO SAYS OUR UKRAINE BLOC PLANS
TO HOLD A CONGRESS IN DONETSK IN SPRING OF 2004
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 11 Dec 03
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Dec 11, 2003
10.WORLD BANK APPROVES 250M-DOLLAR LOAN TO UKRAINE
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 10 Dec 03
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Dec 10, 2003
11. "TOUGH FACE OF FAMINE"
PYSANKY CREATED TO COMMEMORATE THE HOLODOMOR
Artwork and Article By Ivan Mishchenko of Korsun' Shevchenkisvkiy, Ukraine
www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS)
Kyiv, Ukraine, December 12, 2003
12. OPPOSITION REQUIRES SINGLE VOICE
By Peter Byrne, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Ukraine, Dec 11, 2003
=====================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER ONE
=====================================================
1. UKRAINE'S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT SAYS PROPOSED
CHANGE IN CONSTITUTION TO HAVE PARLIAMENT ELECT
THE NEXT PRESIDENT IS CONSTITUTIONAL
Reuters, Kiev, Ukraine, December 11, 2003
KIEV, Dec. 11 - Ukraine's constitutional court said on Thursday it
had no objections to parliament electing future presidents, raising fears
that an ally of incumbent Leonid Kuchma could secure the post without the
people having a say.
Kuchma and his allies have sent two proposals to change the
constitution in what the opposition and some analysts say is an attempt to
prolong his rule or at least ensure a successor takes the post and provides
the leader with immunity from prosecution.
The race to take over from Kuchma, who has to step down next October
after two terms, will heighten scrutiny by Washington and the European
Union, which will have taken in Ukraine's neighbours Poland, Slovakia and
Hungary by the time of the poll.
Kuchma weathered months of protests in 2001 over his alleged role in
the murder of a journalist critical of his rule and has faced further
demonstrations recently in the country of 48 million over rising bread
prices and stalled reforms.
''The constitutional court of Ukraine has ruled that this proposal
does not challenge the rights of Ukrainian citizens and is not aimed at
hurting Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity,'' the court said
in a statement.
Under this proposal, the parliament would elect a president next year
to serve until new parliamentary elections in 2007.
Another proposal suggested by Kuchma entails presidential elections
next year that will give the president reduced powers. Then the parliament
would elect another president in 2006.
Before either could be adopted in law, parliament must vote twice on
the drafts.
The opposition has said that both alternatives would be tantamount to
a ''coup'' by the president, ensuring that any presidential hopeful from the
opposition would rule for a limited time with reduced powers.
The opposition, led by Ukraine's most popular politician Viktor
Yushchenko, has started collecting signatures to try to stop attempts at
bringing in change.
Analysts have said the presidential election, if it goes ahead as
planned, could be one of the ex-Soviet state's worst, with many predicting
heavy media bias and manipulation in favour of pro-presidential candidates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITOR'S NOTE: It is extremely unfortunate and unfair to the people of
Ukraine that there seems to be a major flaw in Ukraine's present
constitution that gives the parliament the right to change the constitution
to give the parliament itself the power and right to elect the president and
take this right away from the the people of Ukraine. This perceived serious
flaw is a major blow to the development of a democratic society and civil
rights in Ukraine.
=====================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
======================================================
2. UKRAINIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULES PARLIAMENT
CAN CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW IT TO ELECT
PRESIDENTS RATHER THAN THE PEOPLE DIRECTLY
BBC NEWS, Europe, Thursday, December 11, 2003
The highest court in Ukraine has approved a proposal for parliament to elect
presidents, rather than directly.
The Constitutional Court move could be a blow to opposition parties hoping
to replace the incumbent, Leonid Kuchma, at next year's presidential
election.
The court ruling clears the way for Mr. Kuchma's majority in parliament to
vote the constitutional amendments through.
Economic woes and allegations of political violence have damaged Mr.
Kuchma's popularity in recent years.
Viktor Yushchenko, a former prime minister and now the leading opposition
lawmaker, has been tipped to win the 2004 vote but the Constitutional
Court's ruling is seen as a victory for Mr. Kuchma's camp.
The Constitutional Court issued its opinion but the people of Ukraine have
their own opinion Irina Herashchenko spokeswoman for Viktor Yushchenko.
According to one of the amendments, the parliament, or Supreme Council,
would elect a new president next year to serve until a fresh parliamentary
election in 2007 - one year later than scheduled.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Yushchenko condemned the ruling, saying that opinion
polls showed than only 10% of Ukrainians were ready to allow parliament to
choose their future presidents.
"The Constitutional Court issued its opinion but the people of Ukraine have
their own opinion," said Irina Herashchenko.
The Constitutional Court also ruled that President Kuchma, whose time in
office has been marred by scandal and allegations of corruption, will not
face any criminal prosecutions while he is in power.
Mr Kuchma is only allowed to serve two terms as the country's leader but
Thursday's rulings may mean that he will attempt to prolong his rule or at
least ensure a successor takes the post and provides him with immunity from
prosecution, the BBC's Helen Fawkes reports from Kiev.
=======================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
=======================================================
3. UKRAINE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECLARES PROPOSAL
TO CHANGE CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW PARLIAMENT TO
ELECT THE NEXT PRESIDENT IS CONSTITUTIONAL
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 11 Dec 03
BBC Monitoring Service,UK, in English, Dec 11, 2003
Kiev, 11 December: The Constitutional Court has declared the bill on
amendments to the constitution (authors - Stepan Havrysh, Raisa Bohatyryova
and others), which envisages election of the president by the Supreme
Council [parliament] in 2004 and a one-year extension of the term of the
current parliament to 2007, to be in line with articles 157 and 158 of the
constitution.
The Constitutional Court announced its conclusion on the bill on Thursday
[11 December].
The bill proposes that the parliament elect the president in 2004 (the
president is to be elected with the votes of 300 deputies) and that
elections to parliament in 2007 be held on a proportional basis from party
lists in a national single-mandate constituency. The authors of the document
are also proposing to elect the new president in the Supreme Council after
the 2007 parliamentary election.
The Constitutional Court made a number of observations on individual
articles of the bill. In particular, it said that with these amendments to
the constitution the current Supreme Council would be extending its term for
one year, which would create a precedent and could lead to the parliament
losing the characteristics of an elected body.
The Constitutional Court also drew attention to a discrepancy concerning the
time when the powers of the president, Supreme Council, the Cabinet of
Ministers and the Prime Ministers come into force as proposed in the bill.
Given that the separate powers of these bodies are mutually interconnected
(the decision on formation of the personnel of the government, the creation
and elimination of central executive bodies), their acquisition of these
powers at different times, as the bill foresees, could lead to problems with
their realization.
The Constitutional Court also noted that the draft did not reproduce the
provision on the Supreme Council's power to create special investigating
commissions. These powers are a guarantee of the rights of the opposition,
the Constitutional Court said.
The bill also envisages that the president and parliament appoint equal
numbers of representatives to the Constitutional Court, while under the
current constitution, the president, the parliament and the Congress of
Judges of Ukraine each appoint six representatives to the Constitutional
Court. The Constitutional Court believes that depriving the Congress of
Judges of the right to appoint its representatives to the Constitutional
Court will not contribute to the strengthening of the country's legal
system.
Havrysh said earlier that the amendments in the bill only involve the
transitional provisions of the bill that was developed earlier together with
the Presidential Administration.
The bill on constitutional amendments that was prepared with the
Presidential Administration received a positive ruling from the
Constitutional Court. It envisages election of the president by parliament
and transition to election of parliament on a proportional basis.
It envisages parliamentary elections in 2006 (the term of the Supreme
Council elected in 2002 is four years) and the election of the president by
the newly elected parliament a month later in the same year.
It also proposes to hold presidential elections in 2004, but the president
will have a different list of powers and will give these powers up after the
election of a new president by parliament in 2006.
The Constitutional Court also gave a positive ruling on the bill on
amendments to the constitution developed by the parliamentary commission
tasked with doing so. (END) (ARTUIS)
========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
========================================================
4. VAST MAJORITY OF UKRAINIANS WANT TO ELECT
THE PRESIDENT THEMSELVES
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 11 Dec 03
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Dec 11, 2003
Kiev, 11 December: A total of 86.5 per cent of Ukrainians believe that the
Ukrainian president should be elected by universal ballot. According to the
latest opinion poll which was conducted in November this year, only 4.7 per
cent of Ukrainians agreed that the president should be elected in
parliament, a deputy director of the Razumkov economic and political
research centre, Mykhaylo Mishchenko, told UNIAN. Another 4.4 per cent said
that the president should be elected by universal ballot for 18 months only,
while from 2006 the president should be elected by parliament.
The opinion that the president should be elected by universal ballot
dominated all Ukrainian regions. This idea is most popular in western
Ukraine (94.4 per cent) and least popular in Ukraine's south (79.3 per
cent).
There are no significant differences on this issue among people who adhere
to different ideologies. A total of 94.6 per cent supported electing
president by universal ballot among supporters of national-democratic
ideology, 85.2 per cent among supporters of communist ideology and 84.2 per
cent among those who support social democratic ideas.
The Razumkov centre conducted the poll from 14 to 20 November in all regions
of Ukraine. A total of 2,023 respondents aged 18 or more were polled in 120
cites towns and villages. The margin of error was 2.3 per cent. (END)
(ARTUIS)
========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE
========================================================
5. U.S. AMBASSADOR CALLS ON UKRAINE TO ENSURE FREE
AND FAIR PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
AP Worldstream; Kyiv, Ukraine, Dec 10, 2003
KYIV.......The U.S. ambassador to Ukraine called on the government
Wednesday to ensure a free and fair presidential election next year amid
opposition claims that authorities have obstructed campaigning.
Speaking at a seminar about the 2004 vote, Ambassador John Herbst said
Ukraine is approaching a "crucial crossroads" that will determine the
ex-Soviet republic's fitness to deepen ties with the West, the embassy said.
"The ultimate test of whether Ukraine has truly embraced the principles of
democracy" will be whether officials put a stop to "continued undue pressure
on political opponents" ahead of the vote, Herbst said.
Thousands of opposition supporters have rallied in recent weeks, protesting
against alleged intimidation and harassment which they claim regional
officials and pro-presidential forces are behind in a bid to derail the
opposition ahead of next year's vote.
In October, some 2,500 opponents of opposition leader and former Prime
Minister Viktor Yushchenko forced his Our Ukraine bloc to cancel a planned
pre-election congress in the eastern city of Donetsk by breaking into the
auditorium hours before the meeting was to start.
A week later, opposition representatives reported that demonstrators in the
eastern city of Sumy slashed the tires of dozens of busses preventing party
supporters from attending a political forum. Electricity was also reportedly
turned off at local media offices where opposition members were to be
interviewed. Government officials denied any role.
President Leonid Kuchma called the opposition parties' attempts to hold the
regional meetings illegal campaigning. Official campaigning for the October
2004 presidential vote starts only in April.
Opposition leaders and Western officials have accused Kuchma's
administration of election fraud and using administrative resources and the
media to promote individual candidates in past votes.
No politicians have declared their candidacy for the 2004 ballot, but
Yushchenko is widely tipped to challenge current premier Viktor Yanukovych
to replace Kuchma.
Ukraine's constitution prohibits Kuchma from seeking a third five-year term.
(tv/am/mb) (END) (ARTUIS)
========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
========================================================
6. UKRAINE'S PARLIAMENT SETS UP COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE
FOREIGN-FINANCED NGO'S AND THEIR POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE
IN THE FINANCING OF THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN UKRAINE
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 11 Dec 03
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Dec 11, 2003
Kiev, 11 December: The Supreme Council [parliament] has created a temporary
investigating commission for ascertaining the facts of foreign interference
in the financing of the election campaign in Ukraine through non-government
organizations [NGO's] that operate on grants from foreign states.
Out of 446 deputies registered as present, 289 voted for the creation of the
commission. The [centre-right] Our Ukraine and Socialist Party factions did
not vote.
The authors of the resolution are Communist Party faction leader Petro
Symonenko, Working Ukraine and Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs
faction leader Ihor Sharov, People's Democratic Party faction leader Valeriy
Pustovoytenko, Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc faction leader Yulia Tymoshenko and
People's Choice group leader Mykola Hapochka.
The explanatory note to the document says: "In connection with the
appearance in the media of statements that the financing of non-government
organizations that exist on grants has reached a scale that is equivalent to
direct interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine, it has become
necessary to study the activity of those entities influencing the political
election process that are financed by foreign sponsors."
According to the authors of the document, it is worthwhile to ascertain
whether the practical activity of those charitable foundations, centres and
development programmes that exist on grants corresponds to their statutes
from the viewpoint of Ukrainian legislation.
The temporary commission is to be headed by Communist Valeriy Mishura.
The commission will also include the deputies: Vasyl Horbal (Regions of
Ukraine), Viktor Drachevskyy (Working Ukraine and Party of Industrialists
and Entrepreneurs), Ihor Shurma (United Social Democratic Party of Ukraine),
Leonid Vernihora (Socialist Party), Oleksandr Turchynov (Yulia Tymoshenko
Bloc), Ihor Rishnyak (Agrarian Party), Oleksiy Kozachenko (People's Power),
Mykhaylo Dobkin (Democratic Initiatives), Valeriy Pustovoytenko (People's
Democratic Party), Viktor Kyryllov (People's Choice), and Volodymyr
Yavorivskyy and Yuriy Klyuchkovskyy (Our Ukraine). (END) (ARTUIS)
=========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
=========================================================
7. "KOZACHENKO CASE" DEADLOCKED ACCORDING TO
THE UKRAINIAN AGRARIAN CONFEDERATION (UAC)
www.AgriMarket.Info, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, December 10, 2003
KYIV.....Members of Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC) consider
that the criminal case, started against ex Deputy Prime Minister for
Agriculture Leonid Kozachenko, has come to a dead end.
On the whole, since the start of the hearing of the criminal case there
have been interrogated more than 10 witnesses for the prosecution,
while there are 517 witnesses on this case in total. The absurdity of
the situation is that none of the interrogated witnesses has actually
given any evidence, disclosing any criminal activities of L. Kozachenko
in the period of his vice-premiership, the UAC press-service informed.
The most important witnesses for prosecution have not turned up at
the hearing at all, while others have changed sides from prosecution
for the defence party, the defendant's lawyers have said.
The overwhelming majority of the witnesses, though, have not arrived at
court at all, a UAC spokesman was saying. It turned out to be that in
many court's summons no date and time, for which the witness had been
summoned to court, had been indicated at all. There were cases when
witnesses got to know about their "absence" at the hearing from media
reports, the spokesman said.
Also, there were multitudinous breaches on the part of General
Prosecutor's Office officials in the course of witnesses' interrogation
during the preliminary investigation. In particular, the Judge Angela
Stryzhnevska expressed quite grounded discontent when it had turned
to the surface that some of the witnesses had not been informed at a
preliminary interrogation about criminal responsibility for untruthful
evidence, and other similar mistreatments had occurred. Some of the
interrogated people did not even know the cause of their being
interrogated, the UAC spokesman said.
"The only conclusion, which is to be made now, is that neither
representatives of General and City Prosecutors' Offices . nor the
defence attorneys for L. Kozachenko, nor other participants of the
hearings see any point in continuation of hearing of this case", the
spokesman said.
Former Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture Leonid
Kozachenko is being charged of power and office abuse, resulting in
grave consequences, and in bribery in especially large scale.
According to UAC, the witnesses' interrogation is to last till
December 10. http://www.agrimarket.info/allnews.php (END)
=========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
=========================================================
8. AGRICULTURAL LANDS IN UKRAINE ARE USED INEFFICIENTLY
[Anyone Surprised by this Declaration?]
www.AgriMarket.Info, December 10, 2003
Agricultural lands in Ukraine are used inefficiently and the value of land
resources remains to be low. This was stated by Natalya Ruban, Deputy Head
of the Chief Department for Control and Revisions (KRU, the chief authority
for financial control in Ukraine) at a press-conference December 9.
In saying so Ms. Ruban was referring to the outcomes of checks, made by her
Department, at the state enterprises, reporting the Department of Water
Resources and the Committee for Land Resources of Ukraine, in 2000-2002.
Ms. Ruban said almost half of the lands for agricultural use had not been
transferred into private property or private use up to the moment. Wile 98
percent of citizen, entitled for land property rights, have become owners of
the land plots, only 43 percent of them have legally confirmed their right
by the state land title certificates.
Ms. Ruban said a considerable part of the lands was not put under
registration and was being used without any legal documents issued,
confirming the title being granted to their owners or users.
She said results of the inspections had shown that no rational usage and
protection of lands was being provided, which caused degradation of their
fertility. Thus, land reclamation works, which were planned on 165,400
hectares, have been actually made on just 1,600 hectares; out of 1 million
hectares of over-moisturised and salted lands, the improvement works have
been done on just 25,000 hectares.
According to KRU, the general area of degraded and low-fertile lands at the
moment of the inspections constituted almost 25 million hectares, which
brings annual losses of more than 30 billion hryvnias (5.33 hryvnias = $1).
Ms. Ruban expressed concern by the fact that most of the rural inhabitants
are discontent with the results of the land reform. According to her data,
out of 10,000 people that have been questioned 90 percent reported that
their financial state had not improved after being granted the land share.
The level of knowledge of the land owners about their rights remains to be
extremely low, Ms. Ruban said. (END) (ARTUIS)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITOR'S NOTE: It is quite obvious and has been for a long time that
Ukraine's agricultural land is being used very inefficiently. Otherwise you
would not have thousands of very poor villages sitting on top of some of
the best farmland in the world. The Czar sucked far too much wealth out
of rural Ukraine and crushed its wealth creation capacity, the Soviet system
sucked far too much wealth of out rural Ukraine and crushed its wealth
creation capacity and the present economic and political system sucks far
too much wealth out of rural Ukraine and continues to crush its true wealth
creation capacity.
Rural Ukraine has been grossly handicapped and severely crippled by
extremely poor and disastrous government programs and policies for over
two hundred or more years. When will rural Ukraine be given the real
opportunity to produce the amazing amount of wealth it is capable of
producing for the Ukrainian people? Why not now? It is not time?
=========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
=========================================================
9. VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO SAYS OUR UKRAINE BLOC PLANS
TO HOLD A CONGRESS IN DONETSK IN SPRING OF 2004
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 11 Dec 03
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Dec 11, 2003
Kiev, 11 December: The [centre-right opposition] Our Ukraine bloc plans
to hold a congress in Donetsk next spring.
Our Ukraine leader Viktor Yushchenko said this during a chat-conference
on the bloc's web site.
He also said that forums on specific topics would be held in
January-February, at which the problems of individual sectors, including
coal, education and medicine, will be discussed.
Answering a question about his readiness to "stand up and show his strong
side in the struggle for the presidency" given that "it can be hard for an
educated person to fight with insolence and loutishness", Yushchenko said
that the example of Georgia "showed that it is possible to fight against the
insolence of power".
[Our Ukraine's previous attempt to hold a congress in Donetsk on 31 October
was disrupted by demonstrations and obstructions said to have been organized
by the authorities.] (END) (ARTUIS)
======================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
=======================================================
10. WORLD BANK APPROVES 250M-DOLLAR LOAN TO UKRAINE
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 10 Dec 03
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Dec 10, 2003
Kiev, 10 December: The World Bank board of directors approved the second
Programmatic Adjustment Loan [PAL-2] to Ukraine worth 250m dollars on
Tuesday [9 December] to support the implementation of the government
programme of structure reform.
Out of 250m dollars, 75m dollars will be disbursed immediately and the
remaining 175m dollars will be disbursed after Ukraine has met all
preliminary conditions for the PAL-2.
The programme is aimed to achieve progress in five areas: financial
discipline, regulation, property rights, accountability of public sector and
managing social and foreign risks.
The total amount of World Bank loans has reached 3.5bn dollars for 28
projects since Ukraine joined the World Bank in 1992.
The World Bank board of directors approved the first Programmatic
Adjustment Loan for Ukraine on 16 September 2001.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITOR'S NOTE: Does the World Bank really need to continue making large
loans to Ukraine? Is this really still necessary and critical to the future
of Ukraine? It is the best thing for Ukraine to be hanging on to World Bank
programmatic adjustment governmental loans? How does the private sector
of Ukraine's economy benefit directly from all of this basically government
to government action?
Do these World Bank loan funds go directly into Ukraine's budget and then
can be used for whatever the government decides including financing deficit
spending or are they specifically earmarked and can only be used to achieve
real measurable progress in the five areas mentioned in the news story:
financial discipline, regulation, property rights, accountability of public
sector and managing social and foreign risks?
=========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
========================================================
11. "TOUGH FACE OF FAMINE"
PYSANKY CREATED TO COMMEMORATE THE HOLODOMOR
Artwork and Article By Ivan Mishchenko of Korsun' Shevchenkisvkiy,
Ukraine
www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS)
Kyiv, Ukraine, December 12, 2003
KYIV.........During the Holodomor Exhibition held at the Ukrainian
House in Kyiv last month, Ivan Mishchenko, from the town of Korsun'
Shevchenkisvkiy, Cherkassy Oblast, brought in five unique pysanky he
had created in commemoration of the victims of the holodomor [famine
terror, death by starvation].
Ivan and his family experienced the holodomor and we found Ivan to be
a very special person with a sincere, personal interest in telling
Ukrainians and the rest of the world about the horror, pain, terror
and death caused by the holodomor.
We asked Ivan the leave the five holodomor pysanky for several days
so we could exhibit them and they drew considerable interest.
Ivan also brought in an article he had written about the holodomor and
his pysanky entitled "Tough Face of Famine." The article was been
published in Ukraine in 1999.
Because of the high degree of interest in the holodomor pysanky
and the outstanding article we have posted the article and photographs
of the five holodomor pysanky by Ivan Mishchenko on the web at:
http://www.artukraine.com/famineart/mishchenko.htm
Take a look at Ivan's unique art work and read his very personal article
about the holodomor of 1932-1933.
========================================================
UKRAINE REPORT 2003, No. 112: ARTICLE NUMBER TWELVE
========================================================
12. OPPOSITION REQUIRES SINGLE VOICE
By Peter Byrne, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Ukraine, Dec 11, 2003
If an opposition candidate is to win the presidency next year, the diverse
and often discordant parties and factions that comprise the so-called
opposition will need to get their act together quickly, say political
insiders.
"The leaders of all four opposition parties must come up with a single
candidate and concentrate their efforts in order to wrest control from
pro-presidential forces," Socialist leader Oleksandr Moroz reiterated on
Dec. 10 during a conference in Kyiv attended by representatives of the Yulia
Tymoshenko bloc and the Communist and Socialist parties.
Moroz said it is crucial that the Communist Party endorse the single
candidate jointly with Our Ukraine.
"If the opposition wants to win these elections, it should select a single
candidate and win in the first round," Moroz said, adding that it was high
time for Our Ukraine leader Viktor Yushchenko and Communist Party boss
Petro Symonenko to sit down and cut a deal.
Viktor Pynzenyk, leader of the Reforms and Orders Party, had speculated
earlier that the single candidate would be Yushchenko. He told Channel 5
Television on Dec. 3 that decisions by regional Socialist Party and
Tymoshenko Bloc organizations to nominate their own party bosses were
merely attempts to strengthen bargaining positions before a joint campaign
is announced.
"The leaders of the three groups will work out a compromise," Pynzenyk said.
"I am confident that they will resolve any problems that exist."
Petro Poroshenko, a close advisor to Yushchenko and a prominent Our Ukraine
member, reportedly owns Channel 5 Television.
Moroz has hinted that if Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych wants to run for
president, he would face a tough race.
"Everyone has the opportunity" to run for president, Moroz said. "So does
Yanukovych. However, I would not offer any guarantees that he would win."
Yulia Tymoshenko said Dec. 8 that she is confident that a single opposition
candidate will be put forth for the 2004 presidential elections.
She called upon the opposition to take note of the experience of last week's
parliamentary elections in Russia, where liberal parties including the Union
of Right Forces and the Yabloko Party lost because they failed to form a
single, unified team.
Both Moroz and Tymoshenko have in the past criticized Yushchenko for failing
to resolutely condemn President Leonid Kuchma for his alleged complicity in
numerous crimes, including the abduction and murder of journalist Georgy
Gongadze in the fall of 2000.
Yushchenko has not always been an oppositionist.
Tymoshenko and Moroz were among the founding members of the National
Salvation Forum, which in February 2001 openly called for Kuchma's
resignation. Yushchenko, then prime minister, criticized the forum, joining
with Kuchma and former parliament Speaker Ivan Pliushch in signing a
statement saying that forum members were "resentful of their own losses and
fiascos" and were attempting to seek salvation from political bankruptcy and
criminal responsibility. (END) (ARTUIS)
========================================================
. "UKRAINE REPORT 2003," No. 112, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2003
TWELVE ARTICLES
FOR PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC USE ONLY
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