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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"

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" Year 04, Number 178
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, FRIDAY, October 1, 2004

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

1. VIKTOR MEDVEDCHUK LAYS OUT PLAN TO DECLARE INVALID
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS IN UKRAINE, RUSSIAN SUPPORT
Yanukovych and Yushchenko Then Could Not Run In New Election
ANALYSIS: by Stanislav Belkovskiy, "Guarantor of Instability"
Source: Ukrayinska Pravda web site, Kiev, in Ukrainian 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, Thursday, Sep 30, 2004

2. FORMER UKRAINIAN DEFENCE MINISTER YEVHEN MARCHUK
SPEAKS OUT ABOUT HIS DISMISSAL FROM OFFICE
Interview With Yevhen Marchuk by Roman Skrypin
Source: TV 5 Kanal, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 29 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

3. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO
ARRIVES IN VIENNA FOR MORE MEDICAL TESTS
Source: ICTV television, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

4. "THE WHOLE COCKTAIL WHICH I FACED AFTER 5 SEPTEMBER
WOULD KNOCK DOWN ANY BULL, ANY BULL" SAYS YUSHCHENKO
Source: Inter TV, Kiev, in Ukrainian 1700 gmt 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

5. VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH SAYS THAT HIS OPPONENT VIKTOR
YUSHCHENKO LACKS CHARACTER TO MEET HIGH STANDARDS
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 27 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mon, Sep 27, 2004

6. POLICY OF BRUSSELS TOWARDS KIEV IS STUPID AND SHORT-
SIGHTED STATES POLISH COMMENTARY INTERVIEW
Main cause is the Russophilia of French and German politicians
Interview with Bohdan Oszdczuk, "Sadness, Apathy and Hope"
BBC Monitoring Quotes Package from Polish press 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sept 30, 2004

7. EU WANTS UKRAINE AS A MEMBER SAYS FOREIGN MINISTRY
Source: TV 5 Kanal, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

8. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT PLAYS DOWN PRIME MINISTER'S
STRONG PRO-RUSSIAN STATEMENTS
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 29 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 29, 2004

9. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT URGES COOPERATION BETWEEN
CIS INTERIOR MINISTRIES
UT1 TV, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

10. CIS INTERIOR MINISTERS SIGN AGREEMENT IN UKRAINE
ON COLLECTIVE MEASURES TO FIGHT TERRORISM
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

11. YANUKOVYCH HAS NO INTENTIONS TO TAKE PART IN TV
DEBATES DURING FIRST ROUND OF ELECTIONS--TOO BUSY
His TV coverage is because he is Prime Minister not because of bias in media
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Mon, September 27, 2004
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.178: ARTICLE NUMBER ONE
========================================================
1. VIKTOR MEDVEDCHUK LAYS OUT PLAN TO DECLARE INVALID
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS IN UKRAINE, RUSSIAN SUPPORT
Yanukovych and Yushchenko Then Could Not Run In New Election

ANALYSIS: by Stanislav Belkovskiy, "Guarantor of Instability"
Source: Ukrayinska Pravda web site, Kiev, in Ukrainian 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, Thursday, Sep 30, 2004

KIEV - Ukrainian presidential administration chief Viktor Medvedchuk
has secured the Kremlin's support for a scheme to disrupt an upcoming
presidential election in Ukraine, a Russian political analyst has said. In
an article posted on a Ukrainian opposition-minded web site on 30
September, reputed Kremlin adviser Stanislav Belkovskiy said that
Medvedchuk had recently visited Moscow to present his plan to
President Putin and his chief of staff Dmitriy Medvedev.

Under the plan, the poll will be declared invalid amid violations, and two
frontrunning contenders will not be able to run in a repeat election.
Ukrainian officials may also eventually try to accuse Russia of trying to
disrupt the presidential election in Ukraine, Belkovskiy said.

The following is an excerpt from the article by Stanislav Belkovskiy posted
on the Ukrayinska Pravda web site on 30 September under the title
"Guarantor of instability"; subheadings have been inserted editorially:

The closer we come to the fateful day of Ukraine's presidential elections
[on 31 October], the stronger becomes the myth of Moscow's bony hand
stretching lewdly towards the tender throat of the Ukrainian people.
[Passage omitted: Russian influence on Ukrainian politics exaggerated]

But the myth must be dispelled as soon as possible because it is completely
groundless in doctrinal terms. What is all this stuff about some
all-powerful hand of Moscow's, my friends?! Russia is just doing Ukrainian
leaders' bidding

Let us begin by saying that, towards the summer of 2004, Russia had no firm
stance whatsoever on the development of the political situation in Ukraine.
It was already clear that the pro-American Viktor Yushchenko [opposition
leader and presidential hopeful], manipulated by his CIA wife, was
unsuitable. But no one knew anything about a successor to [Ukrainian
President] Leonid Kuchma who would suit Moscow. Rumours were rife
about Volodymyr Radchenko, secretary of the National Security and
Defence Council, and even about Serhiy Hrynevetskyy, the governor of
Odessa Region.

What is more, no system of criteria had actually been worked out for
deciding how a candidate who suited Russia would differ from one who
did not. Besides, the tireless Viktor Medvedchuk [the presidential chief
of staff] was constantly sending the Kremlin totally comforting signals
suggesting that soon the constitutional reform would take place and then it
was of no importance whatsoever who the next Ukrainian president would
be and why he had been born.

Then the Kremlin unexpectedly found out (rather than thinking it up, as is
sometimes nowadays alleged here and there in our country) that Ukraine's
official heir was [Prime Minister and presidential candidate] Viktor
Yanukovych. So he was the one to be supported.

It cannot be said that the candidature of the Donetsk romantic with two
convictions [Yanukovych hails from the industrial city of Donetsk, and was
convicted twice. The convictions were later cancelled, according to official
reports] gave rise immediately to mind-bending ecstasy in Vladimir Putin.
Aesthetically and historically, Putin and Yanukovych are two big differences
[i.e. are poles apart] (my apologies to folk in Odessa for the hackneyed
quotation).

By and large, Putin made no secret among his close associates of the main
(and only) reason why Russia should solidly back Yanukovych: Mr Kuchma
had asked him to. So the theory about a bloodthirsty plot by an all-
powerful, all-penetrating Kremlin has, to put it mildly, little in common
with the political reality.

The Kremlin has done two things to bring about a Yanukovych victory. The
first was practical, necessary and useful. The Russian channels for funding
Yushchenko were blocked. Aleksey Mordashov (of Severstal [Northern
Steel]) and Vladimir Yevtushenkov (of the Sistema financial joint-stock
corporation), who were about to bankroll the People's Strength [election
coalition led by Yushchenko], were told that money should be spent wisely,
and not in the way that [the former head of the Yukos oil company, Mikhail]
Khodorkovskiy once did. These businessmen would receive their dividends
in good time from the caressing hands of Mr Yanukovych.

RUSSIA'S HELP MAY BACKFIRE

The second deed was to send those spin doctors to Kiev. This ploy is open
to some doubt: maybe the Kremlin had decided to back Viktor Yushchenko
in this sophisticated way. After all, the variety and boldness of the ideas
cast on to the fertile Ukrainian soil by the Moscow luminaries strike the
imagination. The whole range of ideas revolves around the firm conviction
that the [improper use of] government resources and arm twisting will win
the day.

Certain useful pieces of advice placed Mr Yanukovych in a complete
quandary - that business about the second state language, for example
[Yanukovych said Russian should be given the status of an official
language]. For some reason, no-one had borne in mind that the current
president had already promised, on more than one occasion, to make
Russian the state language.

And each time, when he had real power, he came up against the complete
impossibility of implementing that bold design. So making Yanukovych
promise something like that to a mistrustful Ukrainian people is just like
trying to talk Boris Yeltsin into lying down on a railway line, at long
last, for publicity purposes.

Russia has never had any cogent strategy in Ukraine and does not have one
now. Nor are there any clear ideas about Russian interests (unless
Yevtushenkov's interest in building luxury accommodation in Kiev is regarded
as such, of course). Talking about Moscow's predilection for imperial
hegemony in this situation is either simple-minded self-deception or
unscrupulous cunning.

MEDVEDCHUK UNVEILS PLAN FOR CANCELLING ELECTIONS

In fact, Moscow's notorious Ukrainian policy, which Moscow is certainly not
the first to find out about, is determined by one man from the city of Kiev.
The name of that man is Viktor Medvedchuk. So it was that the head of the
Ukrainian president's administration was recently once again in Moscow,
where he met Vladimir Putin and Dmitriy Medvedev [Putin's chief of staff].
During the meetings, which were warm and friendly, Medvedchuk presented
a secret plan for cancelling the presidential elections in Ukraine.

The plan is simple, like all political stage managing: horrendous violations
will be registered in a number of both eastern and western regions in the
first round of the election (on 31 October). It will become clear that both
Yanukovych and Yushchenko have stooped to using the ugliest imaginable
type of government resources (concentrated in the hands of governors loyal
to them) on a wide scale.

In this situation, the Central Electoral Commission will declare the
election invalid, because their progress was out of line with the basic
requirements of democracy. After a brief respite - they have to make sure
that people will not take to the streets or, if they do, that it will not be
for long - fresh elections will be called, in which Yushchenko and
Yanukovych will no longer take part, since their moral, physical and
financial resources have been drained.

The Kremlin responded to Medvedchuk's request in its own inimitable way.
Moscow undertook not to condemn the cancellation of the election and,
basically, to mind its own business. But, if there is any trouble, we
haven't discussed anything with you, Mr Medvedchuk, and we haven't
sanctioned anything at all.

In essence, Leonid Kuchma's chief of staff suggested that the gullible and
simple-minded Russia become a guarantor - a guarantor of instability,
which will inevitably engulf Ukraine should this scenario be implemented.

The fact that Russia did not reject such an honourable mission merely
serves to illustrate the total crisis in (or, more precisely, the absence
of) the ancient Kremlin's Ukrainian policy. It can be assumed that
Medvedchuk's plan is not to the liking of either Yanukovych or Yush-
chenko, nor, accordingly, will it please those echelons in the Ukrainian
elite that are pinning their particular hopes on the favourites in the
presidential race.

Such an eventuality is not too beneficial strategically to Kuchma either,
since the cancelled election scenario deprives him of legitimacy as the
ruler (it should be recalled at this point that the concept of "legitimacy"
in politics is more to do with the perception of the masses than with the
law). So the provisions of the plan can only be boosted and the Ukrainian
president can only be convinced of the real need for it by attributing the
cancelled election scenario to Russia and to the hegemonist Vladimir Putin
personally. That seems to be what Medvedchuk is up to.

So I hasten to speak up for Russia. Russia did not think of cancelling the
elections. Russia did not think up anything at all. My country, which is
traditionally thought of as an empire, is today coming more and more to
play the part of a garden gnome that is trying to look intelligent and to
keep watch over the post-Soviet epicentres of instability. -30-
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.178: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
=======================================================
2. FORMER UKRAINIAN DEFENCE MINISTER YEVHEN MARCHUK
SPEAKS OUT ABOUT HIS DISMISSAL

Interview With Yevhen Marchuk by Roman Skrypin
Source: TV 5 Kanal, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 29 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

KIEV - A former Ukrainian defence minister, Yevhen Marchuk, has said he
was dismissed in a rushed way following a smear campaign in the media.
Speaking in a live TV interview, Marchuk said his ministry had nothing to do
with a controversial missile fuel recycling programme in Pavlohrad. On 22
September, President Leonid Kuchma said he had accepted Marchuk's
resignation, in particular, over the slow progress of the Pavlohrad project.

Marchuk also said more "sensations" would be made public based on the
alleged wiretapped recordings of conversations in Kuchma's office. Marchuk
dismissed rumours that an armed option is being planned for the election in
Ukraine. He also expressed his disappointment at Ukraine's apparent turn
away from NATO and the EU and said he would remain active in public life.

The following is an excerpt from Marchuk's live interview with Roman
Skrypin, broadcast on Ukrainian opposition television channel TV 5 Kanal
on 29 September, subheadings have been inserted editorially:

[Skrypin] We have a very valuable guest, the former defence minister, Yevhen
Marchuk. When his was defence minister, he never visited our studio. This
person is interesting in different respects, he has held many positions and
was a presidential candidate in 1999. Good evening, Mr Marchuk, very good
to see you.
[Marchuk] Good evening.
[Skrypin] The main question for journalists today is why you were dismissed.
What are the reasons? This dismissal is shrouded in mystery. There are many
assumptions. Now we can ask you why.
HASTY DISMISSAL
[Marchuk] I think the dismissal itself is not a tragedy. More important are
the circumstances of how it was done and the events leading up to it. It was
obvious that the president was in a hurry for some reason. At the meeting in
Pavlohrad at the chemical plant to discuss the issues which the Defence
Ministry was supposedly concerned with, no representatives of the Defence
Ministry were invited. We wanted to send a representative of the Defence
Ministry to Pavlohrad, but he was not sent there. On the other hand, the
president probably did not know, was not informed or forgot that the Defence
Ministry has nothing to do with the rocket fuel stored at the Pavlohrad
chemical plant. It is a problem of the National Airspace Agency. Also, if we
recall some of the events leading up to this, you know that reports were
broadcast on the same day on Russian and Ukrainian TV about me, that the
Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office was showing a document with my
signature on it.
[Skrypin] You mean the helicopters in Turkey [which Marchuk authorized to
be used by a civilian company, and of which one crashed].
[Marchuk] About the helicopters in Turkey, and at the same time there were
some reports on Russian TV. The background against which the dismissal
itself took place, the process itself, someone was afraid of coming into
contact with me. Nether the president nor the presidential administration
contacted me. All this looks inappropriate. Because that night we had a very
important operation, the one which I authorized. We were rotating the
peacekeeping contingent in Iraq using a very risky scheme not used before.
That night we sent five flights, it was very risky, because it was a new
scheme. On the same day, as you know, I was presenting a bill in parliament.
So, the president's announcement about my dismissal was very rushed.
[Skrypin] The reason is still a mystery. There are several versions, but I
have another question. Is it true that you are not allowed into the Defence
Ministry to take your belongings from the office? These rumours are
spreading among journalists.
[Marchuk] Tomorrow I am going to the Defence Ministry, we shall see.
[Skrypin] Is it true or not that you are not allowed inside?
[Marchuk] It is not true. Not true in general, but there is some truth in
another matter. Yesterday, there was a ceremony of introducing the new
defence minister to subordinates. I was not invited. I did not go because I
was not invited. That is not how it should be done. Let us recall how
[former defence minister Volodymyr] Shkidchenko was introduced, how I
was introduced. A former minister, regardless of whether a plane had been
downed [referring to the Russian airliner shot down by a Ukrainian missile,
which led to the resignation of Defence Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk, now
reappointed] he is still invited. That is a minister's fate. He is invited,
and hands over his duties to the next minister. This was another sign of
inappropriateness.
NO ARMED OPTION PLANNED
[Skrypin] One of the reasons is said to be that an armed option is being
planned for Ukraine. Because all of a sudden we have information about a
military parade being planned in Kiev on 28 October for unknown purposes.
They are talking about some exercises, which also coincide with the
presidential election. These are not some tank manoeuvres out in the field
but civil defence exercises, and so on. Is it planned so that the president
or someone else can have some forces to possibly deal with rebellious
electorate?
[Marchuk] One important thing must be kept in mind. When the [defence]
ministry is headed by a civilian minister, in accordance with the law on
civilian democratic control, the General Staff chief is the
commander-in-chief of the armed forces, not the civilian minister. When
the defence minister is a military officer, it is the minister, not the
General Staff chief, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
As for the exercise, it is true that there is a plan for an exercise on 28
October, I mean not an exercise but a parade in Kiev dedicated to the 60th
anniversary of Ukraine's liberation from the Nazis. It was planned a long
time ago, for 28 October.
[Skrypin] The election is on 31 October.
[Marchuk] The election is on 31 October, and the liberation of Kiev is on
6 November.
[Skrypin] You are basically dismissing this information about the parade
troops being deployed in Kiev and then moved out.
[Marchuk] We must say it how it is, there was a special commission set
up to prepare for this event.
MORE OF TAPE SCANDAL COMING
[Skrypin] Another version of why you were dismissed, rather unexpectedly,
the president always does it while visiting some region, not in Kiev. He has
this habit. But it is said that the reason may be that you are involved in
the tape scandal. These versions became public after a documentary by
Volodymyr Aryev on 5 Kanal. It is one of the three versions, it says that
you are involved, and that the president had reasons to dismiss you.
[Marchuk] He did not tell me anything about it. As for the tape scandal, I
think that Aryev's film is a precursor to another stage. As far as I know,
there will be a sensational continuation of some versions, absolutely
provocative in nature, which should overshadow today's events concerning
the election, around [opposition candidate Viktor] Yushchenko and around
[candidate backed by the authorities, the current prime minister, Viktor]
Yanukovych.
[Skrypin] You speak about all these special operations as if you know
something. How would you assess the situation at hand, in particular, the
situation much discussed today, the health of presidential candidate
Yushchenko.
[Marchuk] You know, I think it is more important for analysts, in addition
to facts, to know who and how comments, interprets and presents these
events. Like with the poisoning of Yushchenko, the final conclusion...
[Skrypin, interrupting] You say poisoning. We are not saying poisoning any
more.
[Marchuk] I am sorry, it just stuck.
[Skrypin] The circumstances which led to Yushchenko's current condition.
[Marchuk] Yushchenko's illness of unknown origin, as doctors say. We need
to wait for doctors' conclusions and not rush it. At the same time, there is
a lot of hasty comments on the reasons and the doctors' words. We all
need simply to be patient and wait for the final conclusion to be made by
doctors. Some channels are rushing to deny it, some are trying to overhype
Yanukovych's incident [when he was attacked with unidentified objects, said
to be eggs or stones, in Ivano-Frankivsk], while others are showing it as it
was or in slow motion.
This is more important to me, as a practician and analyst, because when
people watch and hear this information, they need to ask themselves whether
they know everything what is going on in high offices. They do not know
everything. And there were many examples in our history when people did
not know what was happening in high offices of the authorities and supported
something which was not worth risking the fate of Ukraine.
I just want to say that you, the journalists, and politicians and analysts
need to be more open and clear when explaining to people what it is, when
during an election campaign one candidate makes statements signalling a
U-turn of Ukraine's foreign policy.
[Skrypin] Good thing we touched on it, this was our next question. Just to
clarify the previous point, you are saying that we should not inform about
all this, the poisoning and the egg-throwing. We inform about it in detail,
this is our style at 5 Kanal. [Passage omitted: repetition]
UKRAINE MUST CHOOSE NATO
Yanukovych did make important statements, it is confirmed at the
Yanukovych's campaign web site. They urge youth to be against NATO and
in favour of the Russian language, and, as Yanukovych said, in favour of
dual citizenship. What is your stand on this, because it is said that with
your dismissal the movement towards NATO has stopped?
[Marchuk] You know, we should recall these discussions of changes to the
military doctrine. You remember that the words on NATO membership being
Ukraine's final goal were removed. But the Ukraine-NATO strategy remained,
where Ukraine's membership in NATO is the final goal. This strategy
remained, it was decided by the National Security and Defence Council.
[Skrypin] The National Security and Defence Council made this decision when
you were in office. Second, you were the defence minister who gradually
implemented this decision. Nowadays, we hear a statement by a presidential
candidate, not the least important person in the country. This statement in
fact contradicts the course announced by the president and the foreign
policy established by the Supreme Council [parliament] and the National
Security and Defence Council. Why is this done, is it some political trick?
Maybe someone from the Kremlin gave this advice, this is the only place
where it could come from. Well, maybe Belarusian [President Alyaksandr]
Lukashenka can give similar advice. Who could give this advice to
Yanukovych?
[Marchuk] You know, it is sad to see this background against which Leonid
Kuchma is finishing his presidency. Very sad. Not only because things are
happening to the main candidates, as we see, but also because of these sharp
statements. Regardless of how Yanukovych will later comment on this
statement, it is a symbol. NATO entry is not just a physical process, it
could happen later. It is about the choice of values. NATO comprises 26
countries, half of Europe. It is about values, standards, the way of life,
stability and many other factors.
[Skrypin] Free and fair elections too, I wanted to add for our viewers.
[Marchuk] It is one of the values. This political background today is
unclear because of these reports and statements. They indicate that a change
of course is being prepared for one of the candidates. No matter how they
comment on it now.
[Skrypin] It has not changed yet. I would like to provide reaction to these
statements, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer publicized an
official reaction of the alliance.
[Passage omitted: De Hoop Scheffer says Ukraine plays an important role in
international security, praises Ukraine-NATO cooperation. Kuchma plays
down Yanukovych's statement.]
[Skrypin] Mr Marchuk, you took part in the previous election campaign.
How would you compare this campaign with the previous one?
[Marchuk] This campaign has much more aggressive methods which are
used against candidates. On the other had, the politics today are not
straightforward, and I think this is dangerous. The election is turning into
a choice. Not the election process, but the choice of what sort of country
Ukraine will be in the future. People must understand that they need to
make a choice, not simply drop a piece of paper. I think there are many
reasons for this. Yes, there will be cooperation with NATO even after the
election. Because Russia also cooperates with NATO. But the issue is
deeper than that. Because we are choosing between a course towards
European civilisation, where all the branches of power work towards it,
not antagonistic to Russia, God forbid. Or we are choosing something else.
[Passage omitted: progress towards NATO has been slow, Marchuk recalls
his political career, says he was one of the greatest supporters of NATO]
WILL REMAIN ACTIVE IN PUBLIC LIFE
[Skrypin] Which candidate do you see your choice of civilization with?
Where should we expect to see you? Are you not going to be in public
before the election?
[Marchuk] I will be in public, it is difficult to say with which candidate.
It is a difficult situation in terms of realizing public potential. I shall
work for Ukraine.
[Skrypin] Very general.
[Marchuk] I shall work for Ukraine to my best ability, I have enough
experience and knowledge for this. My views are known, not only on
the European choice, but also on other issues.
RUSSIAN PR CONSULTANTS WORKING IN UKRAINE
[Skrypin] We are running out of time, there will be no news bulletin at
2200. Now I would like to talk about the ratings and about certain
manipulations. The ratings of Yushchenko and Yanukovych are equal. The
Russian Public Opinion Fund said this, citing their own study. Yesterday
[Russian PR expert] Gleb Pavlovskiy commented on them in our studio, he
is from the Effective Policy Fund. [Passage omitted: details of the poll]
[Marchuk] Roman, can you imagine a Ukrainian political analyst going on
Russian TV and actively commenting on the Russian presidential election
and giving advice?
[Skrypin] I will return to my earlier question, do you know anything about
Yanukovych's headquarters cooperating with Gleb Pavlovskiy and Marat
Gelman [another Russian PR consultant]. Does the presidential administration
chief [Viktor Medvedchuk] have anything to do with it? The media are
actively discussing it.
[Marchuk] I can say that Russia plays a very big role in Ukraine's domestic
policy and the presidential campaign. There is no doubt about it. The
persons or media capabilities must be looked at separately.
[Skrypin] So you are not ready to say.
[Marchuk] I know that Russian experts take part in consultations. [Passage
omitted: Marchuk comments on presidential ratings, says there is much
speculation] -30-
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.178: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
========================================================
3. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO
ARRIVES IN VIENNA FOR MORE MEDICAL TESTS

Source: ICTV television, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

KIEV - [Presenter] Presidential candidate [and Ukrainian opposition leader]
Viktor Yushchenko arrived in Austria at noon today. Yushchenko will undergo
an additional medical examination at the Rudolfinerhaus clinic in Vienna.
Yushchenko was accompanied by his wife Kateryna Chumachenko and son
Taras. Mr Yushchenko flew to Vienna on a scheduled flight of the Ukraine
International airlines. Our programme learnt at the airlines that the flight
was delayed [one hour] for technical reasons. Yushchenko plans to stay at
a clinic for three-four days.

[Correspondent] Viktor Yushchenko's condition is absolutely satisfactory,
surgeon Mykola Korpan said in Vienna today. He is the doctor who witnessed
the first symptoms of Yushchenko's illness. Korpan brought Yushchenko to
Rudolfinerhaus in his own car. Clinic president Michael Zimpfer vehemently
denied reports about Yushchenko's grave condition. The Austrian doctors want
to hold a new and thorough examination of the Ukrainian patient to establish
a correct diagnosis. Yushchenko says he is feeling better, but still not
good enough.

[Yushchenko, looking weary, with a swollen face, speaking in Russian] I feel
better than I did some two-three weeks ago. But I could not say that I am
happy to walk around with my face looking like this.

[Correspondent] Mykola Korpan talks about a need for repeated inpatient
treatment and a possible change in the set of treatment methods. Austrian
experts in toxicology and pharmacology are likely to be involved in the
examination. No new details concerning the health of the Ukrainian
politician were revealed today. The doctors are saying this is the medical
secret. Also, they do not specify how long Yushchenko's examination will
take.

[Korpan] I think that it will take a very short time, but it will take time
to obtain the results. But the examination will be very brief.

[Correspondent] Yushchenko said that an active therapy course could
take three-four days. Only after that it will be possible to tell something
specific about the cause of his illness. However, it is clear today and it
was confirmed by the Vienna doctors that there are no medical reasons to
talk of deliberate poisoning of the presidential candidate. Yushchenko
himself has urged to rely on medical records and documents rather than
rumours.

[Video shows Yushchenko in the airport, MP Yevhen Chervonenko and
Mykola Korpan meeting him, Yushchenko with his wife near a car,
Yushchenko speaking with journalists.]

[Korpan and other Rudolfinerhaus doctors said that they could not either
deny or confirm that Yushchenko was poisoned - see TV 5 Kanal, Kiev,
in Ukrainian 1200 gmt 29 Sep 04.] -30-
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.178: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
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4. "THE WHOLE COCKTAIL WHICH I FACED AFTER 5 SEPTEMBER
WOULD KNOCK DOWN ANY BULL, ANY BULL" SAYS YUSHCHENKO

Source: Inter TV, Kiev, in Ukrainian 1700 gmt 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

KIEV - [Ukrainian opposition leader and presidential candidate] Viktor
Yushchenko arrived in Vienna today. Surgeon Mykola Korpan and [opposition
Our Ukraine faction] MP Yevhen Chervonenko met Yushchenko at the airport.
Yushchenko immediately went to the Rudolfinerhaus clinic where he was
prescribed an additional treatment course. The doctors insisted that
Yushchenko should return to the hospital.

Yushchenko said at the airport that he was feeling a bit better. Asked to
comment on yesterday's statements by the doctors that they had no grounds
to say that Yushchenko had been poisoned, Yushchenko said that he does
not understand why so much attention is being paid to this issue.

[Yushchenko, with his face swollen, speaking in Russian] I am a bit
surprised that the whole discussion has focused on whether or not Yushchenko
was poisoned and by what means. I am a mountaineer, I am an alpine skier,
my health is normal, I have had no chronic disease, not a single one for all
my fifty years. I am a healthy man. The whole cocktail which I faced after 5
September, of course it will knock down any bull, any bull.

[Korpan and other Rudolfinerhaus doctors said that they could not either
deny or confirm that Yushchenko was poisoned - see TV 5 Kanal, Kiev, in
Ukrainian 1200 gmt 29 Sep 04.] -30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.178: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
========================================================
5. VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH SAYS THAT HIS OPPONENT VIKTOR
YUSHCHENKO LACKS CHARACTER TO MEET HIGH STANDARDS

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 27 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mon, Sep 27, 2004

Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych has said his main opposition
rival, Viktor Yushchenko, lacks character to meet Yanukovych's high
personnel requirements and, therefore, will not be offered the post of
prime minister after the 31 October presidential election.

Answering questions from Russian journalists, Yanukovych highlighted
serious differences between his and Yushchenko's election platforms
over Ukraine's NATO membership and ties with Russia. Yanukovych
said Ukraine would be better off staying out of NATO and furthering
relations with Russia. The following is an excerpt from a report by the
Interfax-Ukraine news agency:

KIEV - A Ukrainian presidential candidate, Prime Minister Viktor
Yanukovych, has no intention of offering the post of prime minister to his
main opponent, Viktor Yushchenko, if he wins the election, Yanukovych
said in Kiev on Monday [27 September]. He was speaking during a
meeting with Russian mass media managers.

Answering a question from Interfax, Yanukovych stressed that "a head of
government should be a person with iron will, he should lead rather than be
led. Unfortunately, Viktor Andriyovych (Yushchenko) does not possess
such qualities," Yanukovych stressed.

Recalling the time when Yushchenko was the prime minister and he headed
the Donetsk Region state administration, Yanykovych said: "When he
(Yushchenko) came to Donbass [Donetsk coal mining region], I remember
how helpless he looked."

"He has some fortes, he has distinguished himself as a banker, for instance,
but Yanukovych has his own working style and has very stringent staff
requirements."

Asked whether he will replace heads of regional administrations if elected,
Yanukovych said: "There will be some changes, but there will be no blanket
dismissals. Personnel is the most prized possession, but shortcomings do
need to be removed," Yanukovych said.

Asked how "President" Yanukovych's policy would differ from "President"
Yushchenko's, he pointed out several things. In particular, he stressed that
if he is elected, Ukraine will not join NATO but will develop relations with
the alliance.

He said that entry into NATO would entail the introduction of common arms
standards and, consequently, would lead to the closure "of a whole sector of
the economy - the military industrial complex". "The introduction of NATO
standards would mean this - shut down the plants, hang a lock and buy
weapons. We cannot allow that to happen," Yanukovych said.

He said the security system in Europe should be built on a new basis.
"Ukraine should occupy its place in the European security system, reforming
its army." "Ukraine cannot imagine how a European security system can be
built without Russia; we will settle this issue together with Russia," he
said.

Yanukovych noted that he favours and "is a proponent of developing relations
with Russia and the countries of the Single Economic Space [Belarus and
Kazakhstan, apart from Ukraine and Russia]". "You won't see that in
Yushchenko's book, that's plain to see," Yanukovych stressed.

He remarked that he is an advocate of the freedom of the press. He said
he does not divide the press into the prime minister's supporters and
Yushchenko's supporters. "I want coverage to be impartial. I have never
clamped down on the press - either in Donetsk or here. The press should
be free," Yanukovych concluded.

[Passage omitted: background to statements by Yanukovych's campaign chief
Serhiy Tyhypko that Yanukovych could make Yushchenko prime minister]
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.178: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
========================================================
6. POLICY OF BRUSSELS TOWARDS KIEV IS STUPID AND SHORT-
SIGHTED STATES POLISH COMMENTARY INTERVIEW
Main cause is the Russophilia of French and German politicians

Interview with Bohdan Oszdczuk, "Sadness, Apathy and Hope"
BBC Monitoring Quotes Package from Polish press 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sept 30, 2004

WARSAW - "The document on Ukraine's neighbourliness with the EU is...
shameful and the policy of Brussels towards Kiev is stupid and
short-sighted," Bohdan Osadczuk says in a commentary interview for Zycie,
www.zycie.com.pl/, entitled "Sadness, apathy and hope". Former US
Secretary of State "Zbigniew Brzezinski once said that this kind of policy
will lead to the reconstruction of the Russian Empire," he notes.

"Ukraine is also not being favoured by the fact that the dependence of the
EU on Russian oil and gas is growing. Were Ukraine a potentate in raw
energy carriers it would already long ago have been inside the EU."

EU policy towards Ukraine does not depend on Ukraine, Osadczuk suggests.
"The officials quite simply do not want us inside the EU. The expansion to
10 new states was already a horror for the bureaucrats in Brussels. They
have no idea in relation to Ukraine. The main cause is the Russophilia of
western politicians, the French and German ones above all. If Moscow said
please take Ukraine into the EU, there would be shock, then discussion and
finally applause and a commentary in which it would be stated that that we
can finally accept Ukraine into our ranks. It would be stated that this was
always the aim of the EU," Osadczuk asserts.

Various arguments are being gathered in Brussels for not accepting Ukraine:
"the policy is first to reject Turkey, and then Ukraine." The reason is
"absolute ignorance, and the conviction through many generations that
Ukraine is a Russian province." If the president of France thinks Ukraine is
a part of Russia, and is "not aware of geography or history, then what can
we expect of the bureaucrats in Brussels?" Osadczuk argues. -30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.178: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
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7. EU WANTS UKRAINE AS A MEMBER SAYS FOREIGN MINISTRY

Source: TV 5 Kanal, Kiev, in Ukrainian, 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

KIEV - [Presenter] Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Markiyan
Lubkivskyy, has said that close attention towards the Ukrainian presidential
election from the European Union is explained by the fact that the EU wants
to see Ukraine as a member.

[Lubkivskyy] The European Union's fears are concerned exclusively with
Ukraine adhering to the norms and rules of the European Union. This again
confirms that the European Union wishes to see Ukraine among its members.
[Lubkivskyy's remarks follow a critical statement from the EU about
irregularities in the presidential campaign in Ukraine.] -30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 178: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
========================================================
8. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT PLAYS DOWN PRIME MINISTER'S
STRONG PRO-RUSSIAN STATEMENTS

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 29 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 29, 2004

SHEVCHENKOVE (Cherkassy Region), Ukrainian President
Leonid Kuchma said that the statements by the Ukrainian prime minister
and presidential candidate, Viktor Yanukovych, about dual citizenship
and an official status for the Russian language are "election promises".

"Let us call this the presidential race. I have repeatedly said that many
people promise things which they cannot do at all," Kuchma told journalists
in the village of Shevchenkove, Cherkasy Region.

Kuchma also said that the prime minister "has promised to make a bridge
across the Kerch Strait without knowing that this is impossible to do
geologically".

He said that one should proceed from the constitution when settling these
issues. "As the president of Ukraine I want to say one thing: the
constitution is like the Lord's Prayer for me. That is it. No comments,"
Kuchma said.

Kuchma said that when running for president in 1994, he spoke in favour of
giving the Russian language an official status. "This means that Russian
should in no circumstances be a foreign language in Ukraine," Kuchma said.
Both Russian and Ukrainian languages share common history, Kuchma said.
"There are many Ukrainians among many prominent people (Russians -
Interfax-Ukraine)," Kuchma added.

In particular, Kuchma said that Ukrainian businessmen should know the
Russian language because of close cooperation with Russia and its influence
on the Ukrainian economy. -30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.178: ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
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9. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT URGES COOPERATION BETWEEN
CIS INTERIOR MINISTRIES

UT1 TV, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

KIEV - [Presenter] Ukraine will take part in the Eurasian group for
combating money-laundering and terrorism funding. [Ukrainian] President
Leonid Kuchma today signed a decree to this effect.

Also today, the head of state met CIS interior ministers, who had taken part
in a meeting of the council of CIS interior ministers in Kiev. Leonid Kuchma
noted the efficiency of the council and its important role in maintaining
law and order in the CIS.

[Kuchma, in Russian] Yes, we share common views on what is going on and
on how we should combat this. I am convinced that we do share common
views. This is doubly pleasing, the more so because we meet to develop
common strategy and tactics. The most important thing is to coordinate our
actions under the conditions of these global threats.

I refer to the problems of terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering
above all - as well as our domestic problems. We have more than enough
of those, [although] they exist at a lower level. -30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.178: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
========================================================
10. CIS INTERIOR MINISTERS SIGN AGREEMENT IN UKRAINE
ON COLLECTIVE MEASURES TO FIGHT TERRORISM

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, 30 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 30, 2004

KIEV - CIS interior ministers have signed a number of documents after a
meeting of the council of CIS interior ministers, which was held in Kiev on
29-30 September. Among them was an agreement on collective measures
to fight terrorism.

A key point of the agreement is to develop and introduce technical devices
for tracking the movement of people who may be involved in crimes.

In addition, the ministers signed a joint protocol, an agreement on
developing projects and plans for implementing a CIS interstate programme
on fighting the illegal circulation of drugs, psychotropic substances and
their raw material for 2005-2007. [Passage omitted: other technical
agreements signed.] -30-
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.178: ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
========================================================
11. YANUKOVYCH HAS NO INTENTIONS TO TAKE PART IN TV
DEBATES DURING FIRST ROUND OF ELECTIONS--TOO BUSY
His TV coverage is because he is Prime Minister not because of bias in media

Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Mon, September 27, 2004

KYIV - Presidential candidate, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych has
no intention to take part in televised debates with other candidates during
the first round of elections.

Hanne Severinsen, a co-rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE)'s Monitoring Committee for Ukraine, made this
statement to the press after a meeting of PACE delegates with Yanukovych.
"Not in this round. [Yanukovych] might participate in the next round," she
said.

Severinsen noted that Yanukovych, asked by the PACE commission about
his intentions to take part in televised debates, said he is too busy with
his prime minister's duties and cannot debate on television with all
candidates during the first round of elections.

When the premier was asked about creating a level playing field for all
candidates on mass media, he said he is covered by media only in
connection with his government post, and he is covered positively because
national economy is developing positively.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, on Monday Yanukovych discussed
the presidential elections with the delegation from the PACE provisional
commission on monitoring the election process. Yanukovych assured the
delegates that Ukrainian government and he personally are interested in
honest and democratic elections.

The CEC qualified Yanukovych for the presidential race on July 6.
On July 3, Ukraine launched the election campaign that must end the day
before the voting day of October 31. Twenty-four candidates compete in
the race. Hryhorii Chernysh, the leader of the Party for Rehabilitation of
the Ukrainian People, and Green Party leader Vitalii Kononov have
recently dropped out. -30-
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