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Action Ukraine Report

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"
An International Newsletter
In-Depth Ukrainian News, Analysis, and Commentary

"The Art of Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion,
Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World"

U.S. SENATOR DICK LUGAR IN UKRAINE
Chairman, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee

"Regardless of the outcome, free and fair elections will be a strong tribute
to Ukraine's maturing democracy and put Ukraine on the path to join the
community of European democracies. Unfortunately, some in Ukraine are
indifferent, and even hostile, to free and fair elections and to Ukraine's
chosen political orientation," Lugar said at meetings today. "Additionally,
we need to develop more avenues of U.S.-Ukraine cooperation."

"Unfortunately, the Government of Ukraine still has not signed a bilateral
Biological Threat Reduction Agreement with the United States that would
allow the Nunn-Lugar Program to provide a modern, safe, and secure
diagnostic health laboratory and a national network of epidemiological
monitoring stations equipped to rapidly detect, diagnose, and respond to
infectious diseases outbreaks, whether they are naturally occurring or a
result of bio-terrorism." Similar agreement has been reached in Georgia,
where Lugar visited the day before he arrived in Ukraine. [U.S. Senator
Dick Lugar, articles one, two, three and four]

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" Year 04, Number 154
The Action Ukraine Coalition (AUC), Washington, D.C.
Ukrainian Federation of America (UFA), Huntingdon Valley, PA
morganw@patriot.net, ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net (ARTUIS)
Washington, D.C.; Kyiv, Ukraine, THURSDAY, September 2, 2004

-----INDEX OF ARTICLES-----
"Major International News Headlines and Articles"

1.SENATOR LUGAR DISCUSSES UPCOMING ELECTION, CALLS
ON UKRAINE TO SHARE BIOLOGICAL PATHOGEN STRAINS
Urges Ukraine to sign a bilateral Biological Threat Reduction Agreement
Office of Senator Richard Lugar, U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C., Wednesday, September 1, 2004

2. U.S. SENATOR LUGAR URGES UKRAINE TO CONDUCT
A FREE AND FAIR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
The eyes of the world are on Ukraine
AP Worldstream, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

3. SENATOR LUGAR EXPLAINS US STANCE ON RECYCLING
MISSILE SOLID MISSILE FUEL IN UKRAINE
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine in Ukrainian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed., Sep 01, 2004

4. SENATOR PREDICTS STEPPED UP USA-UKRAINE RELATIONS
AFTER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN UKRAINE AND USA
Natalya Kostina, Ukrinform, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, Sept 1, 2004

5. KIEV WORLD CONFERENCE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION, DEMOCRACY BUILDING
World Jurist Association of the World Peace Through Law Center
Kiev, Ukraine: Sunday-Thursday, September 5-9, 2004
E. Morgan Williams, Editor
THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT, 04, Number 154
Washington, D.C., Thursday, September 2, 2004

6. POLAND ASKS UKRAINE TO CLARIFY PRIME MINISTER
YANUKOVYCH'S WORDS ABOUT "LOOTING WESTERN REGIONS"
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

7. ROMANIA SENATE CALLS ON UKRAINE TO STOP THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE DANUBE DELTA CANAL
Radio Romania Actualitati, Bucharest, in Romanian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

8. RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR BACKS UKRAINE IN DANUBE-
BLACK SEA CANAL CONTROVERSY WITH ROMANIA
Chernomyrdin: Ukraine is doing what it should be doing and is right
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

9. MINIMUM WAGE GOES UP IN UKRAINE
UT1, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

10. SIXTY-SEVEN PER CENT OF UKRAINIANS SAY ELECTION
CAMPAIGN NOT BEING CONDUCTED IN A FAIR MANNER
Poll: Round Two: Yushchenko 38%, Yanukovych 34%
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

11. "DIRTY TRICKS START EARLY IN UKRAINE ELECTION"
Kuchma succession battle will decide whether democracy
or authoritarianism triumphs in Kiev
By Tom Warner in Kiev, Financial Times
London, UK, Wednesday, September 1, 2004

12.UKRAINIAN RADIO CARRIES PRIME MINISTER'S ELECTION
MANIFESTO, INTERVIEW WITH SERHIY TYHYPKO
Ukrainian Radio First Programme, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

13. "EUROVISION TRIGGERS UKRAINE FOLK REVIVAL"
The Eurovision winner is influenced by the culture of the Hutsul people
By Helen Fawkes, BBC NEWS, Carpathian Mountains
Western Ukraine, Wednesday, September 1, 2004

14. POPULAR UKRAINIAN SINGER RUSLANA DENIES
SUPPORT FOR ANY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 20 Jul 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Jul 20, 2004
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154 ARTICLE NUMBER ONE
=======================================================
1. SENATOR LUGAR DISCUSSES UPCOMING ELECTION, CALLS
ON UKRAINE TO SHARE BIOLOGICAL PATHOGEN STRAINS
Urges Ukraine to sign a bilateral Biological Threat Reduction Agreement

Office of Senator Richard Lugar, U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C., Wednesday, September 1, 2004

KIEV, Ukraine - U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Dick
Lugar talked by phone with Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma. They
discussed the upcoming presidential elections in Ukraine scheduled for late
October. Lugar also met with former Prime Minister Yushchenko at a
meeting hosted by US Ambassador John Herbst. Lugar visited the Central
Sanitary Epidemiological Station, a facility associated with the former
Soviet Union's biological weapons program.

"Regardless of the outcome, free and fair elections will be a strong tribute
to Ukraine's maturing democracy and put Ukraine on the path to join the
community of European democracies. Unfortunately, some in Ukraine are
indifferent, and even hostile, to free and fair elections and to Ukraine's
chosen political orientation," Lugar said at meetings today. "Additionally,
we need to develop more avenues of U.S.-Ukraine cooperation."

For one, Lugar said there needs to be a stronger cooperation by Ukraine
on biological pathogen threat reduction. "It is clear that the
professionals at the Central Sanitary Epidemiological Station are excited
about the prospects of working closely with their American counterparts
and cooperating on joint research to address infectious diseases," Lugar
said.

"Unfortunately, the Government of Ukraine still has not signed a bilateral
Biological Threat Reduction Agreement with the United States that would
allow the Nunn-Lugar Program to provide a modern, safe, and secure
diagnostic health laboratory and a national network of epidemiological
monitoring stations equipped to rapidly detect, diagnose, and respond to
infectious diseases outbreaks, whether they are naturally occurring or a
result of bio-terrorism." Similar agreement has been reached in Georgia,
where Lugar visited the day before he arrived in Ukraine.

The agreement with Ukraine includes an essential provision for the transfer
of pathogen samples to U.S. health laboratories for the purpose of
developing and providing diagnostic assessments and medical counter-
measures to better protect Ukraine's population for infections diseases.

"I urge Ukraine to quickly sign this important agreement to facilitate the
sharing of pathogen strains like many of their neighbors in the Caucasus
and Central Asia have already done. It is a critical step to increasing our
cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism and infections diseases,"
Lugar said.

Lugar also met with Megan Tetrick of Noblesville, IN, who is a Peace
Corps volunteer in Khmelnitsky, Ukraine. She was 1997 participate in
the Lugar Symposium for Tomorrow's Leaders, a program for Indiana
high school juniors.

Since 1991, the weapons systems deactivated or destroyed by the Nunn-
Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program include: 6,312 nuclear
warheads; 537 ICBMs; 459 ICBM silos; 11 ICBM mobile missile
launchers;

128 bombers; 708 nuclear air-to-surface missiles; 408 submarine missile
launchers; 496 submarine launched missiles; 27 nuclear submarines; and
194 nuclear test tunnels. The International Science and Technology
Centers, of which the United States is the leading sponsor, have engaged
58,000 former weapons scientists in peaceful work.

The International Proliferation Prevention Program has funded 750 projects
involving 14,000 former weapons scientists and created some 580 new
peaceful high-tech jobs. Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan are nuclear
weapons free as a result of cooperative efforts under the Nunn-Lugar
program. LINK: http://www.lugar.senate.gov/nunnlugar.html
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
The Action Ukraine Coalition, "Working to Secure Ukraine's Future"
=======================================================
2. U.S. SENATOR LUGAR URGES UKRAINE TO CONDUCT
A FREE AND FAIR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
The eyes of the world are on Ukraine

AP Worldstream, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

KIEV - U.S. Senator Richard Lugar on Wednesday urged Ukraine to
conduct a fair presidential election to facilitate its integration into
Europe.

"The eyes of the world are (set) on Ukraine because a democratic election
... will have an enormous significance for the future of this country," the
Indiana Republican told reporters in the capital Kiev. He said that a free
and fair election will lay grounds for Ukraine's accession to NATO and the
European Union.

Lugar's was the latest in a series of visits by senior U.S. officials ahead
of the Oct. 31 presidential vote, which is seen as a crucial test for the
country more than a decade after it gained independence from the Soviet
Union.

Lugar, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, arrived in
Ukraine amid claims by international human rights groups and local activists
of numerous campaign violations. Among other things, they say the media
are strongly biased in favor of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

Yanukovych is running with the backing of outgoing President Leonid
Kuchma and is expected to face a strong challenge from opposition leader
Viktor Yushchenko. Kuchma's critics say that democracy has suffered
during his decade in office, and accuse his administration of using its
power to influence the outcome of elections. (am/md/sbg) (END)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
=======================================================
3. SENATOR LUGAR EXPLAINS US STANCE ON RECYCLING
MISSILE SOLID MISSILE FUEL IN UKRAINE

UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine in Ukrainian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed., Sep 01, 2004

KIEV - The USA will not finance Ukraine's hydroblasting method of recycling
solid missile fuel at the Pavlohrad chemical plant, because the USA believes

that this method is dangerous. Speaking at a news conference in Kiev today,
the head of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar, said
that "the USA will not provide money for this" (recycling solid missile fuel
by hydroblasting - UNIAN). We believe that this method may potentially lead
to explosions and endanger Ukrainians themselves," Lugar said.

He said that during a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn
Hryshchenko he was "surprised" by attempts to press on this method "despite
the serious arguments that it is more dangerous". Lugar expressed hope that
Ukraine would agree with the US arguments and accept US recycling
technologies. [Passage omitted: background] (END) (ARTUIS)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
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=======================================================
4. SENATOR PREDICTS STEPPED UP USA-UKRAINE RELATIONS
AFTER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN UKRAINE AND USA

Natalya Kostina, Ukrinform, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, Sept 1, 2004

KYIV - As Senator Richard Lugar told a Wednesday press conference
in Kyiv, Ukraine and the USA are great powers with their own national
interests, in pursuance of which they can cooperate with each other.

The US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairperson predicted that
after the presidential elections in Ukraine and the USA relations between
the two nations will become even more active.

During the US Senator's visit to Ukraine he held a telephone conversion
with President Leonid Kuchma, met with Verkhovna Rada Chairman
Volodymyr Lytvyn and Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryschenko to state
his personal very pro-active stand on furthering American-Ukrainian
cooperation.

Mr Lugar also stated his vision of Ukraine's future as a leading European
nation and an authoritative player in the Pontic Region. The US Senator
stated his appreciation of the Ukrainian military contingent's contribution
to the stabilization process in Iraq.

He also stated his appreciation of the Ukrainians' twelve-year-long effort
in implementing the Nunn-Lugan Program, meant for collectively
diminishing threats, which the DOD launched in 1991. (END)(ARTUIS)
[Ukrinform is the Ukraine government's information agency]
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE
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=======================================================
5. KIEV WORLD CONFERENCE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION, DEMOCRACY BUILDING
World Jurist Association of the World Peace Through Law Center
Kiev, Ukraine: Sunday-Thursday, September 5-9, 2004

E. Morgan Williams, Editor
THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT, 04, Number 154
Washington, D.C., Thursday, September 2, 2004

WASHINGTON ----- The World Jurist Association (WJA) is
sponsoring the "Kiev World Conference on Economic Development,
Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Democracy Building" at the Hotel
RUS in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday through Thursday, September 5-9,
2004, according to Margaret Henneberry, Executive Vice President,
The World Jurist Association of the World Peace Through Law
Center.

One-hundred delegates from around the world will attend the con-
ference. The program on Monday, September 6 will focus on legal
issues related to Economic Development such as "International and
Cross-Border Insolvency," and "Guidelines and Principles of
UNCITRAL, the World Bank and the IMF."

Tuesday's program is about "Alternative Dispute Resolution" with
such topics as "Disclosure Requirements for Arbitrators and
Mediators," "Arbitration and European Community Law: Central
and Eastern Europe and the Czech Republic," and "Enhanced
Judicial Review of Arbitration Awards."

The program on Wednesday, September 8th, will be on "Democracy
Building" with sessions on "Free and Impartial Elections," "The Role
of the Judiciary in Building Sustainable Democracies," "Justice in the
Media: Judicial Independence and Freedom of Speech in a Democracy,"
"Social and Political Aspects of the Electoral Campaign in Ukraine,"
"National and International Legal Means of Combating Trafficking
in People," and "Transnational Drug Business in the Context of
International and Regional Security."

Valerij O. Yevdokimov of Kiev, Ukraine is presently serving as
President of the World Jurist Association.

Margaret Henneberry, Executive Vice President, of the World
Jurist Association, said one does not have to be a member of the
Association or a lawyer to attend the conference. There are still
several openings available for people who would like to attend.
Detailed information about the Kyiv Conference Program, speakers
and registration forms can be found at the WJA website:
http://www.worldjurist.org/events.html

Anyone interested in attending should immediately register online
or contact the WJA in Washington, D.C. at 202-466-5428,
fax 202-452-8540, e-mail: wja@worldjurist.org. One can also
register on site Sunday, September 5, at 9-11 a.m. at the Hotel
RUS in Kyiv. (END) (ARTUIS)
=====================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
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6. POLAND ASKS UKRAINE TO CLARIFY PRIME MINISTER
YANUKOVYCH'S WORDS ABOUT "LOOTING WESTERN REGIONS"

UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

KIEV - Poland is concerned over the statement by Ukrainian Prime
Minister Viktor Yanukovych about the looting of Ukraine's western terri-
tories, the Polish ambassador to Ukraine, Marek Ziolkowski, said. "We
have asked both the prime minister's office and the Foreign Ministry what
it means," Ziolkowski said.

He added that Poland is keen to see the Ukrainian cabinet presenting a
programme of transforming the border areas from a zone of passive
control into a zone of active development. "Eastern Poland and western
Ukraine are not the richest regions in our countries and the unemployment
rate [there] is quite high too," Ziolkowski said.

He also said that legal and illegal active trade in excise goods is going on
in border areas. "But this is not an issue of control - this is an issue of
economic relations," Ziolkowski said. Statements about taking goods
abroad do not resolve the issue.

UNIAN reported earlier, that Yanukovych on 21 August met veterans of
the Cabinet of Ministers and said that after the EU enlargement on 1 May
this year, Ukraine's western regions were being looted as goods were
being taken to new EU member states, because they cost much less in
Ukraine than in these EU countries. (END) (ARTUIS)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
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7. ROMANIA SENATE CALLS ON UKRAINE TO STOP THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE DANUBE DELTA CANAL

Radio Romania Actualitati, Bucharest, in Romanian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

BUCHAREST, Romania - [Announcer] Today, the plenary meeting
of Romania's Senate has approved a declaration-appeal which calls
on Ukraine to stop the construction of the Bystre canal. Here is Gabriel
Benescu reporting:

[Benescu] In the unanimously-approved document, the Senate objects to
and firmly disapproves of the official inauguration of the first section of
the Bystre canal by the Ukrainian authorities in spite of numerous
complaints by the Romanian authorities and criticism expressed by some
European institutions, the US State Department, but also by several
nongovernmental organizations. At the same time, the Senate calls on the
European institutions to intervene and have the work on the canal stopped.
Here is Senate Speaker Nicolae Vacaroiu:

[Vacaroiu] The Romanian Senate reaffirms the opinion of the domestic and
foreign public and turns to the European Parliament, the parliaments of the
Council of Europe members countries, the European Union, and the north
Atlantic alliance with a request to act with all the means available to them
and have the construction of the Bystre canal in the Danube Delta stopped,
until an independent and objective international study is completed about
its effects on the ecosystem in this area.

[Benescu] In the same document, the Senate reiterates Romania's interest in
finding solutions to this confrontational situation in the Danube Delta
through a constructive Romania-Ukrainian dialogue and in the spirit of the
principles that must govern the relations of good neighbourliness between
the two countries, by observing the bilateral judicial documents in force as
well as the international norms on the matter. (END)(ARTUIS)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 154: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
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=======================================================
8. RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR BACKS UKRAINE IN DANUBE-
BLACK SEA CANAL CONTROVERSY WITH ROMANIA
Chernomyrdin: Ukraine is doing what it should be doing and is right

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

KIEV - The Russian ambassador to Ukraine, Viktor Chernomyrdin, backs
Ukraine's decision to open the deep water Danube-Black Sea canal and
believes it will benefit Russia and other states as well.

"Ukraine has restored a canal which used to be. Ukraine has done nothing
[wrong], it has not dug anything, it has not done anything new. It has
restored what used to be," Chernomyrdin told journalists in Kiev today.
Chernomyrdin said that having opened the canal Ukraine has done "what
benefits it". "This benefits Russia too. Economically, it will benefit many
other countries that use water routes to transport their freight," the
Russian diplomat said.

He called "psychosis" the criticism Ukraine is taking over the canal. "It is
not appropriate to behave so, no-one is allowed to do so. Ukraine is doing
what it should be doing and Ukraine is right," Chenomyrdin said. He
believes that the canal row will not lead to international sanctions. "It
would be desirable to avoid this,"

Chernomyrdin said. He added that this issue should be settled at the level
of the Ukrainian and Romanian heads of state and the cabinets of the two
states. "I think this will happen," Chernomyrdin said. [Passage omitted:
background] (END) (ARTUIS)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154: ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
Ukrainian Information Website: http://www.ArtUkraine.com
=======================================================
9. MINIMUM WAGE GOES UP IN UKRAINE

UT1, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

KIEV - As of today, the minimum wage in Ukraine is 237 hryvnyas
[about 45 dollars]. This means any company, private or government-
owned, is obliged to pay no less.

The law on the 2004 state budget envisages real wages going up by
15 per cent and salaries in the public sector - by 25 per cent, and
introducing a single pay scale.

Before today, the minimum wage was 205 hryvnyas. Next January,
it will rise to 262 hryvnyas and, the government is confident, will
equal the subsistence minimum by 2007 [currently 362 hryvnyas].
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
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10. SIXTY-SEVEN PER CENT OF UKRAINIANS SAY ELECTION
CAMPAIGN NOT BEING CONDUCTED IN A FAIR MANNER
Poll for Round Two: Yushchenko 38%, Yanukovych 34%

UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

KIEV - Ukrainian opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko still tops
popularity ratings, a poll has shown. Ukrainian news agency UNIAN on 1
September quoted the poll as saying that Yushchenko leads with 30-per-
cent support over Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who is also running
in the October presidential election and was supported by 24 per cent of
respondents.

The poll was carried out by the Democratic Initiatives Fund and the Sotsis
centre on 19-26 August, covering 2,000 respondents, the agency said.

Seven per cent of those polled said they would vote for Communist Party
leader Petro Symonenko, 6 per cent support Socialist Party leader
Oleksandr Moroz and 2 per cent Progressive Socialist Party leader Nataliya
Vitrenko. Other candidates were supported by less then 1 per cent of
respondents.

If Yushchenko and Yanukovych make it to the second round, 38 per cent
of those polled said they would vote for Yushchenko and 34 per cent said
they would support Yanukovych.

Twelve per cent said they were sure the election is going to be absolutely
free and fair, 33 per cent said there would be sporadic irregularities, but
they would not affect the outcome. Twenty-four per cent said the outcome
would be affected by serious offences, and 19 per cent said the election
would be rigged.

Sixty-seven per cent said the election campaign is not being conducted in a
fair manner, while 31 per cent said that Yushchenko was facing the largest
number of obstacles. (END)(ARTUIS)
=======================================================
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11. DIRTY TRICKS START EARLY IN UKRAINE ELECTION
Kuchma succession battle will decide whether democracy
or authoritarianism triumphs in Kiev

By Tom Warner in Kiev, Financial Times
London, UK, Wednesday, September 1, 2004

KIEV - The Ukrainian presidential election campaign is already getting
dirty, eight weeks before voters go to the polls.

The government of Leonid Kuchma, outgoing president, claims supporters
of the opposition presidential candidate were behind a bomb attack on a
market last month that killed one person and injured 13 others. Four men,
said by police to be supporters of Viktor Yushchenko, opposition leader,
were arrested over the bomb.

The arrests have electrified the campaign to succeed Mr Kuchma, due to
be decided in a two-round election starting on October 31.

Ukraine's succession is seen as a litmus test of whether democracy or
authoritarianism will triumph in the country. That in turn could decide
whether Ukraine, with its 48m people, moves closer to Russia or improves
its ties with the European Union.

Pro-government media have given the scandal heavy play. They have broad-
cast images of Mr Yushchenko's campaign flyers together with bomb-making
instructions, jars of explosive chemicals and neo-Nazi literature, all of
which police said were seized from his supporters' homes and workplaces.

Mr Yushchenko has countered by accusing Mr Kuchma's administration of
orchestrating a crude frame-up in a desperate bid to cling to power.

Mr Yushchenko has a lead of roughly 10 points in most opinion polls over
Mr Kuchma's favoured candidate, Viktor Yanukovich, the prime minister.
But his supporters worry that the government could manipulate the voting to
rob their man of victory.

The incident has led to heated discussion in Ukrainian media of the chances
that the election could end in public protests or even a "Georgian
scenario" - a re-run of the demonstrations that forced Eduard Shevardnadze,
Georgia's veteran president, to step down last year, after he initially
refused to accept election defeat.

Mr Kuchma has been dismissive of talk about a Georgian scenario. But
over the last week, his law-enforcement chiefs have repeatedly claimed
that opposition groups are already planning post-election protests.

Mr Yushchenko says the effort to connect him to the bombing suggests
that Mr Kuchma's administration has lost all hope of winning the election
fairly. He warned that hardliners within Mr Kuchma's administration could
themselves use post-election disturbances as an excuse to cling to power.

"For authorities who have no chance of honest victory, calm and stability
is not an environment in which they feel comfortable," Mr Yushchenko said
at a recent campaign rally.

Police say four opposition activists arrested over the weekend confessed
to committing the bombing on August 20. Police said all four had waived
their right to lawyers. Opposition leaders say the incident fits into a
pattern of intimidation and attacks on the opposition over Mr Kuchma's
10-year rule.

Olexander Moroz, another presidential candidate, said his 1999 campaign
featured a similar incident when one of his managers was arrested and
blamed for two grenades thrown at a rival's rally.

Vyacheslav Chornovil, a former independence activist, was killed in a
mysterious car accident in 1999 shortly after announcing himself as a
presidential candidate. (END) (ARTUIS)
=======================================================
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12. UKRAINIAN RADIO CARRIES PRIME MINISTER'S ELECTION
MANIFESTO, INTERVIEW WITH SERHIY TYHYPKO

Ukrainian Radio First Programme, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Sep 01, 2004

KIEV - Ukrainian state-run Radio First Programme has broadcast the
election manifesto of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who is running
for president in the 31 October poll. It was the first of 10-minute election
casts on state radio to which presidential candidates are entitled under
election law.

Yanukovych's manifesto was presented in the form of an interview with his
campaign chief and National Bank of Ukraine chairman Serhiy Tyhypko.
He said the president currently wields too much power and should hand
some of it over to parliament and the cabinet. Tyhypko also said that
Ukraine is not ready to join the EU at the moment, but should aim at
eventual entry.

In foreign policy, Ukraine should pursue its own interests and develop ties
with Russia, while the USA remains a crucial partner. Cooperation
between Russia and Ukraine should not be developed at the price of the
two countries' independence, Tyhypko added.

NEED FOR CONSTITUTION REFORM
Amending the constitution to relieve the presidency of some of its powers
is a pivotal point in Yanukovych's election programme, Tyhypko said. If
elected president, Yanukovych is ready voluntarily to give up part of his
authority, he added. At the moment, the Ukrainian president is so powerful
that "as a society, we risk the whole of our lives becoming dependant on
one person", he believes.

"The president must share some of his authority with parliament," Tyhypko
said. He went on to outline key points of constitutional reform as seen by
Yanukovych. The president must hand his authority to appoint regional
governors over to the cabinet. The government is formed by the prime
minister together with the parliamentary majority. If MPs fail to form a
majority, parliament should be dissolved, Tyhypko said.

Even if constitutional reform strips the president of some of his powers, he
will not be a weak figure, Tyhypko said. The president should be granted
the right to disband parliament and will keep the authority to nominate the
prime minister, the prosecutor-general, the foreign minister, the interior
minister and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine.

"Viktor Yanukovych is ready to share his authority because he understands
that this is what Ukraine and Ukrainians need at this stage," Tyhypko said.
If elected president, Yanukovych, who leads the Party of Regions, will
make the regional authorities play a bigger role in spending budget funds
and collecting taxes, Tyhypko also said.

FOREIGN POLICY
Ukraine should pursue a very pragmatic foreign policy, Yanukovych believes,
according to Tyhypko. "In all of our ties, we should be looking after our,
Ukrainian interests," Tyhypko said.

Ukraine is currently unprepared to join the EU, although this should remain
an objective, Tyhypko said. "The EU remains something we should eventually
enter. However, EU representatives themselves have said that this will not
happen anytime soon, probably in 10-12 years." "Yanukovych says there is
no need to rush our entry," Tyhypko said. "We should bargain for good
accession terms first."

Second, if Ukraine joined the EU now, it would be unable to sustain the
current high GDP growth rate, Tyhypko said. As one of the first steps
towards establishing closer ties with the EU, Ukraine should set up a
free-trade zone with the union, Yanukovych's campaign chief said.

Ukraine should also develop its ties with Russia, Tyhypko added. "There
are a lot of industries where we could join our efforts to improve the
situation both in Russia and Ukraine," Tyhypko said. He added that both
Ukrainian and Russian arms manufacturers would benefit from stronger ties.
At the same time, he warned that the two states should cooperate on equal
terms, and "be looking after our joint interests as two independent states".

Tyhypko also urged the development of the Single Economic Space of
Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. At the initial stage of the bloc's
functioning, a free-trade zone should be set up within it, Tyhypko said.

The USA will remain "an extremely important partner", Tyhypko said. He
added, however, that: "The economic situation in Ukraine is not so dire
now for us to give up our economic and political interests." (END)
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FOOTNOTE: Another major flaw in Ukraine's system of government is
the fact that the top appointed central banker is allowed at the same time
be the chairman of a political party and be the campaign manager for a
candidate for president. No central banker of any country in the world
should be allowed to do this, no way. The opportunities for corruption
and abuse of power in this situation are limitless.

The holding of multiple government and political positions by a nations'
top banker violates all of the concepts of a true democracy such as
separation of powers, division of power, holding the central banker in
an arms length position from the legislature and the administration,
conflict of interest and so on. Ukraine should pass a law soon that
clearly defines what positions the central banker can not hold and two
of those should be any elected or appointed position in a political party
and the same for any political campaign. (Editor)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154: ARTICLE NUMBER THIRTEEN
Forward The Action Ukraine Report to all your associates in Ukraine
=======================================================
13. "EUROVISION TRIGGERS UKRAINE FOLK REVIVAL"
The Eurovision winner is influenced by the culture of the Hutsul people

By Helen Fawkes, BBC NEWS, Carpathian Mountains
Western Ukraine, Wednesday, September 1, 2004

WESTERN UKRAINE - With her whip and skimpy leather outfit,
Ruslana took Eurovision by storm. It may have looked like a gimmick,
but Ruslana's inspiration comes from an ancient mountain tribe who live
in Western Ukraine.

The Eurovision winner is influenced by the culture of the Hutsul people,
who live in the Carpathian region. Their traditions are based on paganism
and so, during Soviet times, their culture was suppressed.

But as a result of Ruslana's victory, this music from the mountains is
experiencing a new revival. "We use mystical elements of Hutsul music.
They give you energy and people all over Europe are feeling that vitality
now," Ruslana says.

Pop music which celebrates traditional influences has got more fashion-
able here lately. Wearing large halos of flowers in their hair and dancing
barefoot in the mud, hundreds of youngsters from all over Ukraine flock
to a music festival in Sheshory, a village in the Carpathians.

DISTORTION
They watch bands perform by night, while by day they learn about Hutsul
music and its cultural heritage. Irina Tuse, a student from Kiev, is being
shown how to use traditional wooden instruments.

"This culture is really popular now and it's getting to be more and more
widespread." says Irina. "Starting with Ruslana, it's now used a great deal
here. Everyone in Ukraine and Europe knows this music."

Hutsul people have lived in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains for centuries,
but communist leaders discouraged their culture. A few kilometres away
from the music festival, Mykhailo Rybchuk and his band are now free to
play whatever they want. Before Ukraine's independence, they were only
able to perform songs about Soviet leaders.

They are now concerned that the Hutsul culture is being distorted by its
new popularity. "Many people don't play the pure and correct Hutsul
music now," Mykhailo says. "It should be developed by musicians who
are brought up here and then we will only have proper Hutsul music."

ADAPTATION
Alexandra Marianirna, a music expert from the Carpathians agrees. She
is also concerned about they way the music is being used by pop stars.

"I think it would be better for the world to see the real, authentic music
in its natural surroundings. People should only use themes from this music
after studying it seriously."

Wearing a traditional Carpathian outfit in the sweltering heat, Natalya
sends a text to her friend during a break from rehearsals. Natalya
Hroholska is part of band of local students who perform Hutsul dances
and their group is now in big demand.

Following the success of Ruslana, some of Ukraine's best selling musicians
are also adopting parts of the Carpathian culture. Natalya supports what
pop stars like Ruslana are doing. "People are now changing it to make it
a bit more modern and a bit less traditional. I think that it should be
improved and perfected," says Natalya.

With its increased popularity, it could mean that next year, Ukraine
attempts to repeat its Eurovision success with another Hutsul-inspired
song. LINK: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3542148.stm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photo: Natalya Hroholska and friends take a break from rehearsals
Photo: I think it would be better for the world to see the real authentic
music, in its natural surroundings. Alexandra Marianirna
Photo: Ruslana was inspired by the culture of the Hutsul
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.154: ARTICLE NUMBER FOURTEEN
Forward The Action Ukraine Report to all your associates in Ukraine
========================================================
14. POPULAR UKRAINIAN SINGER RUSLANA DENIES
SUPPORT FOR ANY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 20 Jul 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Jul 20, 2004

KIEV - Popular Ukrainian singer Ruslana will not take part in election
canvassing, Ruslana's web site has reported.

"I am not going to take part in the election campaign of any candidates for
Ukrainian president. I has not and I will not make any statements in favour
or against any of the candidates. I am asking journalists not to speculate
using my name or link it with any of the candidates. Illegitimate attempts
to canvass in favour or against someone using my name will be appealed
against according to legislation," the singer said.

Ruslana won the Eurovision-2004 song contest [in May 2004]. [Ruslana
and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who is running for president, sang
a duet on stage during a concert in Zaporizhzhya on Sunday, 18 July. They
were shown on the UT1 state TV channel live during its evening news
programme. Yanukovych pointed Ruslana as an unpaid adviser on cultural
issues after her Eurovision victory.] (END) (ARTUIS)
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"POWER TENDS TO CORRUPT,
ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY"
An observation that a person's sense of morality lessens as his or
her power increases. The statement was made by Lord Acton, British
historian of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
True then, true today, true always.
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