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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"

LEADING POLISH POLITICIANS APPEAL FOR HELP TO
SUPPORT THE ASPIRATIONS OF UKRAINE FOR MEMBERSHIP
IN EUROPEAN AND EURO-ATLANTIC STRUCTURES

"However, the silence of the three great leaders, for instance, at the
summit in Istanbul during a session with Ukraine, I'm talking about the
prime ministers of France, Great Britain and German chancellor, was
significant because here there was a lack of understanding and
determination, or perhaps there is a conviction that Ukraine is in the
sphere of Russian influence.

And, therefore, I feel bitter towards the European Union and many other
Western European countries that they haven't understood the significance
of the Ukrainian issue. Perhaps it will change in the future but this is one
of the most serious problems of the recent years and will continue to be.
[President of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski, article one]

"We expect that the governments of the states of united Europe, the
government of the United States of America, the authorities of the EU and
NATO will declare in a clear manner that if Ukraine indeed comes closer
to European standards in political, social and economic life its membership
in the EU and NATO will not only be possible, but desirable," reads the
appeal.

The signatories appeal to "the governments of the states of a united Europe,
to the government of the United States, to the authorities of the EU and
NATO and also to the nations of Europe and America to increase
assistance to Ukraine that will facilitate its attainment of these
standards." [Signed by 13 leading Polish political activists, article two]

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" Year 04, Number 129
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, MONDAY, August 2, 2004

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

1.POLISH PRES BITTER ABOUT EUROPE'S STANCE ON UKRAINE
They haven't understood the significance of the Ukrainian issue
Silence from the big three, France, Great Britain and Germany in Istanbul
Interview with Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski
By Krzysztof Grzesiowski, Polish Radio 1, Warsaw, in Polish, 30 Jul 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, Friday, Jul 30, 2004

2.LEADING POLISH POLITICIANS APPEAL FOR PRACTICAL HELP
TO SUPPORT THE ASPIRATIONS OF UKRAINE FOR MEMBERSHIP
IN EUROPEAN AND EURO-ATLANTIC STRUCTURES
PAP news agency, Warsaw, in Polish, 30 Jul 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Saturday, Jul 31, 2004

3.COLIN POWELL SAYS POLAND WILL NEVER BE ALONE AGAIN
Polish Foreign Minister expresses bitterness at the U.S.-Soviet-British
collusion to divide Europe as World War II ended, great mistake was made
By George Gedda, AP Writer, AP, Warsaw, Poland, Sun, Aug 1, 2004

4. WARSAW BLOODBATH STILL STIRS EMOTIONS
Vanessa Gera, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago, Illinois, Sun, Aug 1, 2004

5. SCHRODER APOLOGISES TO POLES FOR SUFFERING
Germany's war brought immeasurable suffering over the Poles
By Kate Connolly in Warsaw, Telegraph, London, UK, August 2, 2004

6. REMAINS OF REBEL COMMANDER RETURNED TO POLAND
Family of Antoni Chrusciel and his wife move ashes from the U.S.
Mayor Daly of Chicago is part of the American delegation
By Monika Scislowska, AP, Warsaw, Poland, July, 2004

7. US OBSERVERS REPORT VIOLATIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION LAW IN SEVERAL REGIONS IN UKRAINE
Delegation of former U.S. Congressmen in Ukraine
By Andrii Derkach, Ukrainian News, Kyiv, Ukraine, July 30, 2004

8. RUSSIAN OIL ACROSS UKRAINE 'WILL EASE PRICE PRESSURE'
Controversial deal through currently idle Odessa-Brody pipeline
By Tom Warner in Moscow, Financial Times, London, UK, August 2 2004

9. BRITISH, UNITED STATES AND GERMAN INVESTORS BUY
90% OF UKRAINE'S USD 500 MILLION EUROBONDS
Viktor Riasnyi, Ukrainian News, Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, July 30, 2004

10. GOLDEN TELECOM MOBILE-TELEPHONE OPERATOR IN
UKRAINE ROLLS OUT ROAMING SERVICES IN CANADA
By Olha Bila, Ukrainian News, Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, July 30, 2004

11. INFORMATION ABOUT "THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"
The Action Ukraine Program, Washington, D.C., Mon, August 2, 2004

12. VICTOR YUSHCHENKO: THERE WILL BE NO DEFEAT
Interview with Victor Yushchenko, By Tatyana Ivzhenko,
Nezavisimaya Gazeta" "Independent Newspaper" (Russia)
No. 158, Friday, 30 July, 2004

13. UKRAINIAN STATE TV STATION ELECTION COVERAGE
HIGHLY FAVORS PM VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH--VIOLATES FAIR-
PLAY AND EQUAL ACCESS INTERNATIONAL MEDIA STANDARDS
BBC Monitoring Research Service, UK, Sat, 31 Jul 04

14. UKRAINIAN HOMESTEAD IN CANADA TO BE HISTORIC SITE
Settler sparked massive Ukrainian immigration to the Canadian Prairies
Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Fri, July 30th, 2004
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.129 ARTICLE NUMBER ONE
========================================================
1. POLISH PRES BITTER ABOUT EUROPE'S STANCE ON UKRAINE
They haven't understood the significance of the Ukrainian issue
Silence from the big three, France, Great Britain and Germany in Istanbul

Interview with Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski
By Krzysztof Grzesiowski, Polish Radio 1, Warsaw, in Polish, 30 Jul 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, Friday, Jul 30, 2004

WARSAW - [Passage omitted]....And a final issue, Mr President. Ukraine
appears to have turned its back on the European Union and NATO while
developing closer ties with Russia. And has Ukraine - the answer to which
you should know best - either decided to withdraw its troops from Iraq or
simply wants to hold consultations with Poland and the United States
regarding the date of withdrawal of its contingent?

[Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski] I think that as far as Iraq is
concerned, the issue, which we are also discussing, concerns the new Iraqi
government defining the scope of the international forces' presence,
including Polish and Ukrainian, as well as the issue of reducing the number
of units in 2005. And consultations with regard to this issue are in
progress.

Here, President Kuchma's position was very clear, far clearer than the
stance of the Ukrainian opposition which had doubts. In my opinion, the
scope of reducing troops during next phases is subject to consultations.

However, since you asked about Ukraine generally, perhaps it's worth
adding a comment. Undoubtedly, those statements have two dimensions.
One is strategic; Ukraine is still searching for its place and is under
strong Russian influence and pressure to integrate into this country.

Ukraine would like to integrate into the Western Europe, however,
unfortunately, not the whole of Western Europe wants to help Ukraine on
this issue.

And I regret to say it because Poland and I myself personally, have made
every effort, sometimes even going beyond certain standards which we
ordinarily apply.

However, the silence of the three great leaders, for instance, at the summit
in Istanbul during a session with Ukraine, I'm talking about the prime
ministers of France, Great Britain and German chancellor, was significant
because here there was a lack of understanding and determination, or perhaps
there is a conviction that Ukraine is in the sphere of Russian influence.

And, therefore, I feel bitter towards the European Union and many other
Western European countries that they haven't understood the significance of
the Ukrainian issue. Perhaps it will change in the future but this is one of
the most serious problems of the recent years and will continue to be.
[Passage omitted] (END) (ARTUIS)
======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.129: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
======================================================
2. LEADING POLISH POLITICIANS APPEAL FOR PRACTICAL HELP
TO SUPPORT THE ASPIRATIONS OF UKRAINE FOR MEMBERSHIP
IN EUROPEAN AND EURO-ATLANTIC STRUCTURES

PAP news agency, Warsaw, in Polish, 30 Jul 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Saturday, Jul 31, 2004

WARSAW - A dozen or so political and state activists have issued an
appeal to "the highest authorities of the Polish Republic to actively
support the aspirations of Ukraine for membership of European and
Euro-Atlantic structures".

The signatories of the appeal, sending the Ukrainian nation expressions of
"sympathy and friendship", encourage it to "undertake the practical efforts
indispensable for integration with Europe".

Last Monday [26 July], President Leonid Kuchma signed a decree introducing
amendments to the new defence doctrine of Ukraine, that had been adopted in
June. A specific aim in the form of NATO and EU membership was replaced
by a general formulation about the conducting by Ukraine of a policy of
integration with Euro-Atlantic structures.

"A new iron curtain on the eastern border of the EU would be harmful and
dangerous for Europe. Ukraine today stands at a cross-roads and its European
orientation seems to be threatened. This has happened in great measure
through the stance of those European governments and circles that are taking

away Ukraine's hope for future membership in the EU and NATO. This is a
stance that is harmful for Ukraine, and harmful for Europe," reads the
appeal that was sent to PAP on Friday [30 July].

In the view of the signatories, "taking away from Ukraine the hope for
membership of NATO and the EU deprives it of the motivation to undertake
difficult reforms, democratize life and aspire to European standards in
political, social and economic life. At the same time, it weakens the
position of those Ukrainian politicians who declare the necessity of
integration with Europe, pushing them to the margins of political life. It
on the other hand strengthens the forces desiring a return to the situation
before the disintegration of the USSR."

The authors of the appeal regard decisions of a NATO-Ukraine summit
as also decisions positively regulating the relations of the NATO and EU
with Russia as "going in the right direction, but constituting barely a
first step on this road. The affiliation of Ukraine to European and Euro-
Atlantic structures does not contradict the good relations of Ukraine with
Russia that we feel to be important for the world order."

"We expect that the governments of the states of united Europe, the
government of the United States of America, the authorities of the EU and
NATO will declare in a clear manner that if Ukraine indeed comes closer
to European standards in political, social and economic life its membership
in the EU and NATO will not only be possible, but desirable," reads the
appeal.

The signatories appeal to "the governments of the states of a united Europe,
to the government of the United States, to the authorities of the EU and
NATO and also to the nations of Europe and America to increase assistance
to Ukraine that will facilitate its attainment of these standards."

THE APPEAL HAS BEEN SIGNED BY:
:
(1) Bogumila Bedychowska (Polish-Ukrainian Forum),
(2) Wladyslaw Bartoszewski (former Minister of Foreign Affairs),
(3) Stefan Bratkowski (honorary chairman of the Association of Polish
Journalists -SDP),
(4) Stefan Jurczak (former deputy Speaker of the Senate),
(5) Krzysztof Kozlowski (former Senator of the Polish Republic),
(6) Jan Krol (former Deputy Speaker of the Sejm),
(7) Tadeusz Mazowiecki (former Prime Minister),
(8) Andrzej Olechowski (former Minister of Foreign Affairs),
(9) Bohdan Osadczuk (retired professor of the Free University in Berlin),
(10) Jerzy Pomianowski (Editor of [the Russian-language] Novaya Polsha),
(11) Jan Widacki (former Ambassador of the Polish Republic to Lithuania),
(12) Henryk Wujec (Polish-Ukrainian Forum) and
(13) Jerzy Zimowski (former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs). (END)
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.129: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
========================================================
3. COLIN POWELL SAYS POLAND WILL NEVER BE ALONE AGAIN
Polish Foreign Minister expresses bitterness at the U.S.-Soviet-British
collusion to divide Europe as World War II ended, great mistake was made

By George Gedda, AP Writer, Warsaw, Poland, Sun, Aug 1, 2004

WARSAW, Poland - Secretary of State Colin Powell told Poland on Sunday
that it need never fear the kind of outside domination it has endured in the
20th century because the United States now stands at its side.

Powell spoke hours before he participated in a ceremony commemorating the
60th anniversary of the start of the Warsaw Uprising, a rebellion against
Nazi occupiers that was crushed after 63 days. The heroism of the Polish
fighters is commemorated each Aug. 1.

"Poland will never be alone again, especially with the United States
standing alongside Poland," Powell told reporters. He laid a wreath at a
memorial to victims of the uprising and was to deliver brief remarks at an
official ceremony Sunday evening.

The secretary met with President Aleksander Kwasniewski after a meeting
with Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, who accompanied the
visiting American to his news conference.

Cimoszewicz did not blame the United States for not coming to Poland's aid
during the 1944 uprising, but he expressed bitterness at what he described
as U.S.-Soviet-British collusion to divide Europe and other regions into
spheres of influence as World War II ended.

Saying he was not speaking in his official role, Cimoszewicz said the plot
was agreed to, and later refined, at the three-power conferences in Tehran,
Iran, in 1943 and at Yalta, Ukraine, in 1945.

"A great, great mistake was made when the three allies agreed to divide
Europe - to divide the world - and they decided about the fate, the
future of independent sovereign nations," Cimoszewicz said. "It should
never happen again in the world."

Once Nazi Germany was defeated in 1945, Poland quickly came under
Soviet dominance, a situation that was to last until the collapse of
European communism in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Since then
Poland has joined NATO and the European Union and has become aligned
closely with the United States.

Some 2,400 Poles serve in Iraq as part of the U.S.-led coalition.
Cimoszewicz said he expects that figure will go down once the Iraqis hold
elections for a transitional government in January, but he indicated a final
decision will depend on the security situation in Iraq.

Powell said he was grateful for the Polish contribution, noting that the
government's commitment remains strong despite Polish casualties and the
deployment's high cost.

He said the United States will work with each of the coalition partners in
the coming months as they review their troop commitments in Iraq. Powell
planned a Sunday evening flight home at the end of a seven-day trip that
also included Hungary, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and Bosnia.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOOTNOTE: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told Poland on
Sunday that it need never fear the kind of outside domination it has endured
in the 20th century because the United States now stands at its side.

Ukraine also endured outside domination of the worst kind during the 20th
century from several major well known oppressors from Berlin, Moscow
and other European capitals. Would Colin Powell be willing to make a trip
to Kyiv this year and tell Ukraine the same thing he just told Poland?

Secretary of State Powell told reporters in Warsaw, ""Poland will never be
alone again, especially with the United States standing alongside Poland."
We urge Secretary of State Powell to go to Ukraine in mid-October 2004
and say, "Ukraine will never be alone again, especially with the United
States standing alongside Ukraine." Any bets on this actually happening?
(Editor) (END)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.129: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
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=======================================================
4. WARSAW BLOODBATH STILL STIRS EMOTIONS

Germany isn't the only issue in contention. The Russian ambassador also
angered Polish veterans and historians by remembering the uprising as a
''united fight against a common enemy.'' ''The fruits of our common victory
are sacred,'' Nikolai Afanasievski wrote in a commemorative booklet
prepared by the organizers of today's ceremony. Poles see the Soviet
Union's behavior during the uprising as a monstrous betrayal.

Moscow initially called on the Poles to rise up, but when the Polish Home
Army -- which was both anti-Nazi and anti-Soviet -- began fighting, the
Soviets let the slaughter happen. It was a bitter prelude to the 40 years of
communist rule and Soviet hegemony that would follow -- a time during
which the uprising was officially ignored.

By Vanessa Gera, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago, Illinois, Aug 1, 2004

WARSAW, Poland -- On Europe's great fault line, where World War II
began and left the German and Polish capitals both in ruins, today is a day
steeped with symbolism: A German chancellor will be in Warsaw for the
first time to pay homage to the dead in the doomed Warsaw Uprising of
1944.

Sixty years after the rebellion, in which the Nazis killed 200,000 people,
Germany's place in the emotional equation is still a complicated matter.
And so is Russia's. Looking both west and east, Poles have much to resent
-- the Germans for perpetrating the slaughter and the Soviet army for not
intervening, even though it was parked at the gates of Warsaw.

On top of that, the revolt was written out of Polish history during its 40
years of communist rule, and as a result it was eclipsed in the world's
consciousness by the well-known and internationally documented Warsaw
Ghetto Uprising a year earlier.

The 63-day Warsaw Uprising began Aug. 1, 1944, when the Allied victory
over the Third Reich seemed imminent, with the D-Day forces sweeping
toward Germany from the west, and the Red Army parked at the gates of
Warsaw, ready for the final march on Berlin.

It led to SS leader Heinrich Himmler's infamous order to his troops: ''Every
inhabitant should be killed, no prisoners are to be taken, Warsaw is to be
razed to the ground, and in this way the whole of Europe shall have a
terrifying example.''

Today, Poland's relations with its German neighbor are in some ways closer
than ever, and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's office says he is honored to
be invited to a commemoration of ''enormous historical and symbolic
importance.''

But official gestures aside, new tensions are brewing -- brought on,
ironically, by the closer relationship since Poland joined the European
Union on May 1.

The discord is rooted in World War II, which ended with the Allied powers
giving Poland a swath of prewar Germany, a decision that uprooted millions
of ethnic Germans from their homes.

Some Germans have threatened to use EU courts to regain their property, and
Poles deeply resent their portraying themselves as victims of a war that
Adolf Hitler started by invading Poland in September 1939. How easily
emotions are inflamed became clear last week when the main German expellee
lobby group commemorated the Warsaw Uprising in a Berlin church, without
inviting any Polish delegates.

The head of the Federation of Expellees, Erika Steinbach, said at the event
that her aim was reconciliation and dialogue. ''We want to sympathize, and
we yearn for the sympathy of others,'' she said.

But Polish politicians were outraged, among them 82-year-old Wladyslaw
Bartoszewski, a former foreign minister and Holocaust survivor who fought
in the uprising. ''The Warsaw Uprising is something sacred for many Poles,
especially for the residents of Warsaw,'' he told the Gazeta Wyborcza
newspaper. ''Hands off this sacred thing!''

Kazimierz Ujazdowski of the opposition Law and Justice Party called
Steinbach ''impudent and aggressive'' and demanded the German government
disavow the group's actions.

Schroeder and his government have distanced themselves from Steinbach's
group and have urged Germans to abandon all demands for compensation.
Even before the latest blowup, Warsaw Mayor Lech Kaczynski ordered
experts to estimate the damage done to Warsaw during the uprising,
threatening to sue Germany for the cost of reconstruction.

Though the German government has given some compensation to forced
and slave laborers of the Nazi era, it has never paid for rebuilding Warsaw.
Studies done in the late 1940s estimated total damage at about $30 billion.

Today, cross-border businesses, German investment in Poland and university
exchanges bring Poles and Germans together with growing frequency, but
mistrust and ugly stereotypes on both sides persist.

Germany isn't the only issue in contention. The Russian ambassador also
angered Polish veterans and historians by remembering the uprising as a
''united fight against a common enemy.'' ''The fruits of our common victory
are sacred,'' Nikolai Afanasievski wrote in a commemorative booklet
prepared by the organizers of today's ceremony. Poles see the Soviet
Union's behavior during the uprising as a monstrous betrayal.

Moscow initially called on the Poles to rise up, but when the Polish Home
Army -- which was both anti-Nazi and anti-Soviet -- began fighting, the
Soviets let the slaughter happen. It was a bitter prelude to the 40 years of
communist rule and Soviet hegemony that would follow -- a time during
which the uprising was officially ignored.

''Can you imagine if Washington, D.C., had been completely destroyed and
no monument was allowed to its destruction for 45 years?'' said Norman
Davies, an Oxford University historian who published a book last year on
the uprising.

So thoroughly was the silence imposed that for a long time, outsiders knew
only of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by the Jewish remnant in the capital.
Today, the historical blanks have been amply filled in. As part of this
year's remembrance, a new museum to the uprising will be opened, and
Warsaw today is dotted with plaques commemorating Poles who fell during
the uprising. (END) (ARTUIS)
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 129: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE
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========================================================
5. SCHRODER APOLOGISES TO POLES FOR SUFFERING
Germany brought immeasurable suffering to the Poles with the war it started

By Kate Connolly in Warsaw, Telegraph, London, UK, Aug 2, 2004

WARSAW - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder yesterday delivered a
passionate apology to Poland for the "immeasurable suffering" its people
faced after they attempted a two-month stand against Nazi occupiers six
decades ago.

Mr Schroder, the first German chancellor to have been invited to the
anniversary of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, said he was honoured to be a
guest of Warsaw.

In a powerful gesture of silent atonement, Willy Brandt, the former German
Chancellor, knelt at the memorial to the 1943 Jewish uprising in the Warsaw
Ghetto when he visited Poland in December 1970.

"I consider it a great honour to me personally to have been invited and a
big-hearted gesture to my country, which brought such immeasurable suffering
over the Poles with the war it started," Mr Schroder said at a press
conference after talks with Marek Belka, the prime minister.

Mr Schroder's presence at the Warsaw commemorations, which were also
attended by Colin Powell, America's secretary of state, John Prescott, the
deputy prime minister, and other foreign leaders, was seen as a significant
step in the reconciliation process between the two former enemies.

Yesterday's attempts at reconciliation have been overshadowed by Polish
fears about the rising influence of pressure groups representing Germans who
lost their property when they were expelled or fled Poland at the end of the
war and who are now demanding recognition and reparations for their losses.

Mr Schroder was under great pressure to raise the issue yesterday and in a
long-awaited proclamation he tried to reassure Poles that the government
would not back the deportees' demands. "The German government will oppose
such claims and make that plain before any international court," he said,
showing signs of tension. Mr Belka had expressed the urgency faced by
Germany and Poland to find a way out of the heated dispute "before relations
worsen".

Mr Powell, whose presence was seen as American acknowledgement of
Poland's military participation in Iraq, spoke of his admiration for "the
spirit that kept freedom alive during those terrible days". Poles would
never again be abandoned by their American allies, he said.

>From his holiday retreat, the Pope paid tribute to fellow Poles. "I bow my
head and render honour to the heroes of Warsaw who took up the struggle
against the occupier for freedom and sovereignty for the homeland," he said.

At 5pm, the exact hour at which Home Army commanders gave the orders to
start the Uprising on Aug 1, 1944, Mr Schroder laid a wreath in memory of
the 250,000 Poles who died when resistance fighters took on the might of the
far better armed Nazi troops in a 63-day battle. After his troops had
crushed the uprising, Hitler ordered Warsaw to be razed in revenge.

Yesterday, in towns and cities throughout Poland, national red and white
flags were flown alongside the red and gold banner of Warsaw. Many areas
were brought to a standstill by one-minute silences and the evocative sounds
of wartime sirens. (END) (ARTUIS)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOOTNOTE: German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder delivered a
passionate apology to Poland for the "immeasurable suffering" its people
faced after they attempted a two-month stand against Nazi occupiers six
decades ago. When does the German Chancellor come to Lviv and
Kyiv and deliver a passionate apology to Ukraine for the "immeasurable
suffering" its people suffered under the Nazi troops? (Editor)
===================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.129: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
Ukrainian Information Website: http://www.ArtUkraine.com
=======================================================
6. REMAINS OF REBEL COMMANDER RETURNED TO POLAND
Family of Antoni Chrusciel and his wife brought ashes from the
U.S. Mayor Daly of Chicago is part of the American delegation

By Monika Scislowska, AP, Warsaw, Poland, Sat, July 31, 2004

WARSAW, Poland -- The remains of the revered leader of a doomed 1944
revolt against Poland's Nazi occupiers were finally laid to rest Friday in
Warsaw, brought from the United States for a ceremonial funeral as part
of 60th anniversary observances of the uprising.

Antoni Chrusciel was chief of the Home Army resistance movement in
Nazi-occupied Warsaw and commanded the thousands of largely teenage
insurgents who rose up against the Germans on Aug. 1, 1944. He led 63 days
of fighting, until the resistance gave way to the better-armed enemy. About
200,000 Poles, including 20,000 insurgents, died in the uprising, and the
city was turned to rubble.

''He was -- and remains -- one of our national heroes,'' Warsaw Mayor Lech
Kaczynski said as Chrusciel's remains were interred at the city's Powazki
military cemetery. Chrusciel was captured and held in prison camps in
Germany until being liberated by U.S. troops.

Instead of returning to communist Poland after the war, he chose to live in
exile in Britain and moved to the United States in 1956, settling in
Washington, D.C. He died there in 1960 at age 65. ''World War II expelled
him from his own country,'' Kaczynski told a crowd of more than 1,000
people, including family members and war veterans, gathered in the wooded
cemetery.

Zbigniew Scibor-Rylski, head of the Warsaw Insurgents' Union, a veterans
association, said the 1989 fall of communism and rebirth of democracy in
Poland were Chrusciel's dream, one he never got to see. ''The ideals you
struggled for have become reality,'' he said at the funeral. ''Poland is
free from foreign domination.''

Ten Polish army soldiers fired three volleys in salute as the remains of
Chrusciel and his wife, Waleria, were lowered into the ground. Chrusciel's
two daughters - Wanda and Jadwiga - brought their parents' ashes to Warsaw
on Wednesday.

"This burial is a symbol of good hope for Poland," Jadwiga Chrusciel said
after the ceremony. "Our father always had hope that something would change
in Poland and he would be able to return." The funeral was preceded by a
Roman Catholic Mass at the garrison church in the Old Town, the scene of
most of the fighting during the uprising. Mayor Daley [of Chicago] is part
of the American delegation. (END)(ARTUIS)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.129: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
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=======================================================
7. US OBSERVERS REPORT VIOLATIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION LAW IN SEVERAL REGIONS IN UKRAINE
Delegation of former U.S. Congressmen in Ukraine

By Andrii Derkach, Ukrainian News, Kyiv, Ukraine, July 30, 2004

KYIV - Observers from the United States have reported violations of the
lawon presidential election during election campaign conducted in Sumy,
Poltava and Kharkiv regions. Gregory Laughlin [former U.S. congressman],
a representative of the US delegation of observers, announced this at
meeting with chairman of the Central Election Commission Serhii Kivalov.

Laughlin said that during their trip to these regions US observers received
numerous complaints from teachers, medical workers, employees of transport
organizations and farmers about election camping violations. The complaints
stated that state officers threatened with dismissals and forced people to
collect signatures and participate in the meetings in favor of a particular
candidate.

According to Laughlin, the delegates also received complaints that
candidates are not in equal conditions when it comes to campaigning in
mass media.

During their meetings with voters of these regions, the latter said they do
not believe that electoral laws of Ukraine are being followed, Laughlin
added. He went on saying that the reported violations are all over the
place. "Unfortunately, cases like this are not occasional," Laughlin said.

The delegation of ex-congressmen of the US is staying in Ukraine to
observe the election process. Their visit was organized by the Financial
Aid Fund of the US Agency for International Development [see
correction footnote below].

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the US Senate (upper house of
parliament) unanimously passed a resolution urging the Government of
Ukraine to ensure a democratic, transparent, and fair election process.
Ukraine has invited representatives of international organizations to
supervise the election of the President of Ukraine. The election campaign
in Ukraine kicked off on July 3. The voting day is October 31.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOOTNOTE: The former U.S. congressman in the election monitoring
delegation to Ukraine are members of the U.S. Association of Former
Members of Congress. The work in Ukraine was organized by their
association under a program designed and implemented by the U.S.-
Ukraine Foundation (USUF), Washington and Kyiv, which is sponsored
by USAID.
======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.129: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
Ukrainian Information Website: http://www.ArtUkraine.com
=======================================================
8. RUSSIAN OIL ACROSS UKRAINE 'WILL EASE PRICE PRESSURE'
Controversial deal through currently idle Odessa-Brody pipeline

By Tom Warner in Moscow, Financial Times, London, UK, Aug 2 2004

MOSCOW - TNK-BP, the Russian-British oil company, says a controversial
deal announced last week to open an export route for Russian oil across
Ukraine will take pressure off world oil prices by making room for Russian
oil producers to boost production.

In the face of strong opposition from the US, the European Union and Turkey,
TNK-BP agreed to pump at least 9m tonnes of oil for the next three years, or
about 200,000 barrels a day, through the currently idle Odessa-Brody
pipeline, which links an oil pipeline hub in western Ukraine with an oil
terminal near Odessa. The agreement means more Russian oil will be moving
across the Black Sea and through the Bosphorus straits to the
Mediterranean.

The US, EU and Turkey argue the extra oil would add to long waits at the
straits during winter and increase the danger of accidents. The US and EU,
as well as some political forces in Ukraine, have also argued that Ukraine
is losing an opportunity to decrease its dependence on Russia. The US and
EU urged Ukraine to use the pipeline in the other direction, to carry light
Caspian oil from the Black Sea to north-central Europe.

Marina Drachova, a spokeswoman for TNK-BP, said increasing Russia's
oil export capacity "should be in everybody's interests". Critics, however,
allege that Russia's pipeline operator, Transneft, obstructed Ukraine's
efforts to organise supplies of Caspian oil to central Europe. Some also
alleged that BP wanted to ensure there would be enough Caspian oil
available to fill its BTC pipeline, set to open next year.

The Financial Times has obtained copies of letters by other big Russian
oil companies that show they did not share TNK-BP's strong interest
in the pipeline.

Yukos, Lukoil and Surgneftegaz sent a joint letter on September 23
informing Collide, a British Virgin Islands company that operates the
terminal at the Black Sea end of the pipeline, that its terms were
unacceptable. Ms Drachova said the pipeline would still be cheaper than
rail routes across Ukraine being used by Russian oil companies. (END)
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.129 ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
Send The Action Ukraine Report to your friends in Ukraine
========================================================
9. BRITISH, UNITED STATES AND GERMAN INVESTORS BUY
90% OF UKRAINE'S USD 500 MILLION EUROBONDS

Viktor Riasnyi, Ukrainian News, Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, July 30, 2004

KIEV - British investors have bought 45%, United States 30% and Germany
15% of the Ukrainian Eurobonds issued on Thursday, July 29 in the volume
of USD 500 million.

A representative of a western bank disclosed this to Ukrainian News. He said
the remaining 10% was acquired mostly by investors from other European
countries.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Ukraine on July 29 sold its Eurobonds
worth USD 500 million to western investors at a floating yield rate equal to
six-month LIBOR + 3.375%. The Eurobonds have a maturity of five years from
August 5, 2004, to August 5, 2009. The managers of the placement are the
Citigroup, Credit Suisse First Boston, and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein.

Last February, Ukraine sold USD 600 million in seven-year Eurobonds to
western investors at the annual yield rate of 6.875%. The dollar-denominated
Eurobonds will circulate between March 4, 2004, and March 4, 2011. 52%
of them was purchased by American and 46% by European investors.

Besides, last year Ukraine floated USD 1 billion in Eurobonds at the annual
yield rate of 7.65%. (END) (ARTUIS)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.129: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
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=======================================================
10. GOLDEN TELECOM MOBILE-TELEPHONE OPERATOR IN
UKRAINE ROLLS OUT ROAMING SERVICES IN CANADA

By Olha Bila, Ukrainian News, Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, July 30, 2004

KYIV - Golden Telecom GSM, a mobile-telephone operator, has inked an
agreement with Rogers Wireless operator on rollout of its automatic
international roaming services in Canada. The press service of Golden
Telecom GSM disclosed this to Ukrainian News.

"Mobile communications of Golden Telecom GSM are available in Canada,"
the press report says. Rogers Wireless provides GSM-1900 mobile
communications services in the larger part of Canada: in big cities like
Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and others,
as well as their adjacent territories and motorways. Golden Telecom GSM
now has roaming agreements with 96 operators in 56 countries.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Golden Telecom GSM introduced
automatic international roaming services in Canada under an agreement with
Microcell Connexions in April 2003. Founded in 1996, Golden Telecom is
part of the Russian holding called Golden Telecom Inc.

It provides a range of telecommunications services, including local, long-
distance, international, and mobile telephone services as well as Internet
access and data transfer under the trademarks Golden Telecom GSM,
UNI, Allo! and Svit Online. The number of Golden Telecom GSM's
mobile-telephone subscribers remained unchanged at 0.054 million in June.
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 129 ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
========================================================
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12. VICTOR YUSHCHENKO: THERE WILL BE NO DEFEAT

Interview with Victor Yushchenko, By Tatyana Ivzhenko,
Nezavisimaya Gazeta" "Independent Newspaper" (Russia)
No. 158, Friday, 30 July, 2004

The registration of candidates for the presidency of Ukraine ended earlier
this week. Their exact number is not yet known but everybody acknowledges
that the two main contenders are the prime minister of Ukraine Victor
Yanukovych and the leader of the opposition Victor Yushchenko who shared his
plans for the future with "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" ("Independent Newspaper").

QUESTION - Victor Andryeyevich, much attention is given to the so-called
Russian factor when talking about presidential elections in Ukraine. Do you
take it into consideration?
YUSHCHENKO - Let us not forget that we are talking about Ukrainian
elections, which results do not depend on foreign factors but on the will of
36 million Ukrainian citizens who have a right to vote. The president of
Ukraine will be chosen in Ukraine and not in Moscow, Brussels or Washington.
The people already have historic experience to realize their responsibility
for the fate of the country: one has to live with what one has voted for.
As far as the Russian factor s concerned, I do not want either to exaggerate
its influence or to diminish it. It is not the decisive factor but an
important one. It is naiveté to think that Russia will tell whom to elect
the next president of Ukraine. It is true, however, that Moscow is concerned
about the strategy of Ukraine-Russia partnership. It is understandable that
our neighbors are interested in the programme of bilateral relations that is
offered by one or another Ukrainian presidential candidate.
All our partners take interest in this issue too since Ukraine's foreign
policy over the last few has turned into an instrument of haggling with
Russia and the West. The issue is no longer politics but intrigues. Here is
the latest example for you: on the day of the summit between the presidents
of Ukraine and Russia in Yalta Leonid Kuchma signed alterations to the
military doctrine and stated that Kyiv wouldn't accede to NATO and
integrate into the European Union.
No sooner Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had shown its great joy in
new Ukraine's military doctrine that Kuchma's foreign policy turned to
another side and Ukrainian diplomats, Security Council and the Minister
of Defense stated together that the military doctrine was just a short-term
document and that they were still determined to head for NATO and the
EU.Tell me if this is serious politics. Do responsible partners behave this
way?
Such policy does not benefit anybody. Kyiv today has disappointed both
Moscow and Brussels. Kyiv's strategic partners are interested in seeing the
situation change after the elections. This is why many hope that the new
president will establish democratic, public, though-out, and responsible
international relations.
QUESTION- Are you ready, as president, to prevent misbalance in the
interests of Russia and the West towards Ukraine? How can you (if you are
planning to do so) guarantee safety for the international businesses already
in Ukraine?
YUSHCHENKO - My electoral programme has a separate section, which
addresses relations with our northern neighbor. I am convinced that
relations
with Russia will really become mutually beneficial, friendly, and stable
after October 2004. Let us be frank: Russia is very important for securing
Ukraine's strategic interests regardless of who comes to power. My
government in 2000 managed to reverse the longstanding tendency of declining
commodity turnover between Ukraine and Russia and achieved a 30-percent
increase in just a year.
Then, after my dismissal, it started dropping; now, thanks God, it is
increasing again. The potential of our economic relations is far from being
reached, however. The new authorities will have to do their best to activate
relations with Russia. Europe too is among our strategic partners. I do not
think that there is a conflict here; I do not view the two political
directions in the "either-or" context. Ukraine needs to develop equal
partnership relations both in the East and in the West.
As far as investments are concerned, it was during my premiership in 2000
that Ukraine received the highest volume of investments from Russia. We
encouraged the participation of Russian capital in privatization in Ukraine
and it was then impossible to witness the kinds of actions that have taken
place in 2004 when the team of Kuchma and Yanukovych simply prevented
"Severstal" from participating in the privatization of "Kryvorizhstal" and
kept the plant for themselves.
Being an economist, I do not pay attention to the "geography" of the money.
If foreign capital wants to work for Ukrainian economy, it needs to be
welcomed and favorable conditions ought to be created for investors,
competitive environment ought to be ensured, and all businesses ought to
have equal opportunities.
Ukraine's current investment climate is far from ideal. I communicate with
business representatives every day and with representatives of Russian
business too and I know how many problems are caused by the faulty tax
system, how entrepreneurs suffer from mass corruption of the sitting
government. Such system of relations between the government and business
must be changed. Then investors will come to Ukraine.
QUESTION - But many foreign businesses started working in Ukraine
under the current government and under its rules. How justified are their
worries about the nationalization, re-privatization, and redistribution of
property if the government is changed?
YUSHCHENKO - There are no grounds for such concerns: there will
be no redistribution of property. Nationalization, de-privatization, and
re-privatization are out of the question. We have no time to start figuring
out what was happening in 1993-94. We need to draw a line and move
forward. It is important that the country's business elite agree to start
the new stage of development after 31 October 2004 and agree to work
in accordance with new civilized norms, forgetting about clan and oligarchic
schemes of secret agreements and plots.
I hope that business will embrace the new rules of the game when the new
government lends it its hand and guarantees the supremacy of law. Both
politicians and businesspeople are now talking about the need to separate
business and power.
There are, of course, isolated cases (and I am talking about Ukrainian and
not foreign businessmen), which cannot be ignored, for example, we consider
the privatization of "Kryvorizhstal" to be a political bribe and robbery
(foreign investors, including Russian ones, were not even allowed to submit
bids. Businessmen with close ties to Prime Minister Victor Yanukovych and
Leonid Kuchma's son-in-law Victor Pinchuk were the ones who won the
tender.).
We will not ignore the situation with "Ukrtelecom" either, which the
government's "own" people want to get a hold of quietly during the elections
and for a really low price. We are talking about swindling Ukraine away.
Russian businesspeople, by the way, have nothing to do with it - it is being
done by our homegrown oligarchs. This is why all the illegal actions of the
Kuchma-Yanukovych team that they are engaging in during the elections will
be appealed against in accordance with the law.
QUESTION - Is it true that you have offered certain safety guarantees for
Kuchma and his surroundings in case the pro-presidential forces do not
engage in illegal activities to ensure Yanukovych's victory and if Kuchma
refuses running for the third term?
YUSHCHENKO - No, it did not happen. But it is a fact that we will have
toadopt a law about the president and about guarantees for the president.
We do not mean a law about Kuchma but a law about the president; similar
roads have already been taken by Poland, Russia, and other our neighbors.
If the society wants to put a civilized end to the past, we have to do it.
QUESTION - Do you communicate with the president?
YUSHCHENKO - The last time we met was prior to the June voting on
the political reform. I have explained my position to him: the topic of
constitutional reform ought to be examined separately from the upcoming
presidential elections. I suggested abandoning pre-election speculations on
the topic of constitutional changes and introducing into the bill an article
about implementing changes after the 2006 parliamentary elections. I am
convinced that such important reform for the country must be conducted
with "clean hands" and based on the support of the people.
I thought that the president understood my position. However, the very next
day Kuchma again started talking about the pressing need to conduct the
reform prior to the presidential elections while the pro-presidential
majority, disregarding the Constitution and the ruling of the Constitutional
Court, voted on the bill. But this is a topic for the Presidential
Administration.
QUESTION - In your opinion, can the parliament change the Constitution
in September so that the president's powers are reduced to a minimum due
to the expansion of the powers of the prime minister and that Leonid
Kuchma could aspire to become the head of the government?
YUSHCHENKO - I do not believe into the political reform based on the
government's scenario. I know, however, that tremendous preparatory work
for the fall parliamentary session is underway. Astronomic sums of money for
bribing deputies of the Verkhovna Rada to vote "in favor" of the reform have
been mentioned. It is obviously believed that many deputies will get giddy.
I believe though, that my colleagues will have enough courage, enough
responsibility before their electors, and enough common sense since the
stakes are high in this election campaign and they are not measured in
money.
Everybody understands that the government has started the political reform
with one purpose only - to preserve the existing system, simply to transfer
authoritative power from one cabinet to another, from the Presidential
Administration to the Cabinet of Ministers. The suggested scenario of
constitutional reform has nothing in common with the democratization process
in Ukraine; it is only needed to create an illusion of some meaningful
changes. If the deputies vote for this bill, at the end of October we will
have a prime minister with presidential authorities and his name will be
Kuchma Leonid Danilovich.
Such scenario may have irreversible, fatal consequences for the country.
Such reform will not be understood and supported by either the Ukrainian
citizens or our closest neighbors. The government has to understand that.
But the Kuchma-Medvedchuk-Yanukovych team does not have a different
scenario because the people do not trust the current government and will
never support its protégé. It is a sociological fact.
QUESTION - Do you view other candidates as rivals and competitors or
already feel yourself a winner?
YUSHCHENKO - I feel the support of millions of my fellow countrymen.
My main competitors are the administrational resources and the dirty
technologies - the only trumps of the pro-government's team, which they
are already playing today. I realize that campaign will not be easy. Even
the head of Victor Yanukovych's electoral headquarters Sergey Tigipko
acknowledges that the administrational resource will blossom at these
elections.
President Kuchma, by the way, also acknowledges that these are the
dirtiest elections in the history of Ukraine. Psychological pressure at
the e\voters will really be tremendous. Hints are already being given that
nothing depends on the people and that honest victory is impossible in
our country.
I am sure that the government will try manipulating the results of the
voting as well. But the real situation in the country is such that the
government will lose regardless of who represents it.
Together with Petro Simonenko and Aleksandr Moroz (leaders of the
Socialist and Communist parties respectfully. - "NG") we are establishing
a powerful control system over the electoral process and the vote counting.
There will be also numerous international observers. We would like Russia
to show interest in the cleanness and transparency of Ukrainian elections.
QUESTION - Is there a possibility that a "chestnut revolution" similar to
the "rose revolution" in Georgia will take place in Ukraine?
YUSHCHENKO - I do not think it possible and necessary to compare
the situation in Ukraine the situation in Georgia, or Poland, or any other
country. We will not blindly follow somebody else's example. I am
convinced that, if honest and transparent elections are not held, the
people, considering unprecedented level of distrust towards the government,
will not be silent.
QUESTION - What will be the first order you sign in case of victory and
what will be your actions in case of a defeat?
YUSHCHENKO - Formally - an order about forming the government.
but I understand that you are asking about something else. One of the first
orders I will sign will be the one that will start the implementation of the
new strategy of Ukraine's socio-economic development. This document,
developed by my team members, guarantees to every Ukrainian citizen that
life in Ukraine will change for the better within one calendar year.

QUESTION - And in case of defeat?
YUSHCHENKO - There will be no defeat. (END)(ARTUIS)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 129 ARTICLE NUMBER THIRTEEN
=======================================================
13.UKRAINIAN STATE TV STATION ELECTION COVERAGE HIGHLY
FAVORS PM VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH--VIOLATES FAIR-PLAY
AND EQUAL ACCESS INTERNATIONAL MEDIA STANDARDS

BBC Monitoring Research Service, UK, Saturday, 31 Jul 04

KIEV - With the progress of the presidential election campaign in Ukraine a
regular feature of Russian TV reporting throughout July, one candidate
stands out. He is Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who - certainly in the
case of state-owned Russia TV and state-controlled Channel One - has been
given noticeable prominence and has been treated especially favourably.
Meanwhile, the main opposition candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, was given at
best marginal coverage. All others were largely ignored. Channel One and
Russia TV were by far the most active in their coverage, while NTV for the
most part abstained from the debate.
To begin with, however, a press article. The day before the start of the
presidential election campaign in Ukraine in early July, a noteworthy report
in Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily contained an account of Russian PR man
Gleb Pavlovskiy's news conference, at which he denied plans for him to "take
part" in campaigning on behalf of any candidate.
Somewhat sceptical in its attitude to Pavlovskiy's assurances, the article
commented on how, that declaration notwithstanding, he proceeded to "unleash
a barrage of criticism" against Viktor Yushchenko and praise Viktor
Yanukovych "in every way he could". For example, Pavlovskiy warned that
Yushchenko's victory would signify victory by the west of Ukraine over its
eastern regions, which would be a "disaster for Ukraine itself". Meanwhile,
Yushchenko himself was characterized by Pavlovskiy as "weak and not
independent". By contrast, Yanukovych, Pavlovskiy said, was a politician
"able to consolidate the nation".
YANUKOVYCH
In one of the first reports on the subject, Russia TV's "Vesti Nedeli"
Sunday current affairs slot on 4 July ran a feature on the presidential
election campaign in Ukraine. The report repeated Pavlovskiy's sentiment
with regard to Yushchenko almost word for word, and boosted Yanukovych,
who was credited with good economic growth in Ukraine. Yanukovych was
also the only one to have had his official registration as candidate for
president covered, in a report by Russia TV on 7 July.
The plugging of Yanukovych continued on 9 July, when both Channel One's and
Russia TV's main evening news bulletins reported on Putin's phone call to
Yanukovych to congratulate him on his birthday. In Russia TV's "Vesti",
Yushchenko was said to have lost some support, while Channel One's "Vremya"
added a footnote in the form of a report that Ukraine's Agrarians had now
decided to back Yanukovych for president. More support for Yanukovych was
seen to come in reports by both the channels the next day, 10 July, which
announced the intention of another political party, the United Social
Democrats of Ukraine, to throw their weight behind Yanukovych.
On 23 July, Channel One carried another report in which - "with exactly 100
days to go" before the election and "15 candidates now registered" -
Yanukovych seemed to be the only candidate who merited attention. Thus, we
were told that Ukraine's unions and youth were now firmly in support of his
bid for president. Yanukovych himself promised higher student grants, while
a "For Yanukovych!" banner at a youth rally served a graphic illustration of
his popularity.
The number of those in support of Yanukovych rose to "over 100 parties and
public organizations" in a Channel One report the following day, 24 July.
And a 2.5-minute item from Russia TV's "Vesti" main evening news the same
day reported that Yanukovych "has been guaranteed support by a union of
Ukrainian democrats, which includes more than a 100 organizations". "One of
the main priorities of my programme is to build new relations with
Russians - our strategic partner and our long-standing economic partner -
with whom we want to and will develop strategic relations," Yanukovych tells
a forum of his supporters, in Russian.
The same tone, favourable throughout, was in evidence in a Channel One
report on 25 July, which described in detail how "130" political parties and
public organizations, at a congress in Kiev the same day, "joined forces" to
back Yanukovych for president, with "five more" political parties ready to
accede to the accord. There was an excerpt from Yanukovych's speech to the
forum, in which he praised the achievements of his "coalition government".
It is noteworthy that, in its coverage of the event, Channel One was ahead
even of Ukraine's own TV since, as at 1400 gmt (the time of the broadcast),
no Ukrainian channel had carried a similarly substantial report.
Channel One's "Vremya" main evening news on 27 July continued the line.
Yushchenko, though not overlooked, was obliquely disapproved of in phrases
such as "the noise he made was the loudest" in the initial stages of his
campaign, and was all but written off when the 4.5-minute report highlighted
his failure to unite the opposition, with "only" Yuliya Tymoshenko's
"sacrifice" of her ambitions and others, such as Oleksandr Moroz, Petro
Symonenko and even a member of Yushchenko's own faction in parliament
to go it alone. The view was corroborated by a pundit.
The portrayal of Yanukovych, on the other hand, could not be more different.
In fact, the description of his activities accounted for at least the same
amount of time in the report as that allotted to all the other candidates
combined. In the report, not only did he "finally" become the single
candidate from Ukraine's "democrats" able to unite his supporters in an
effective parliamentary majority, with a "coalition" cabinet minister per
member of the coalition; he also enjoyed the support of a newly created bloc
of "25 political parties as well as 52 youth and 81 public organizations".
An account of Yanukovych's meeting with army officers (plans for steady
rises in spending on defence) and his campaign manager's news conference
(pledge of transparency) rounded off the dispatch.
OTHERS
With few exceptions, other candidates were almost entirely ignored. On 19
July, both RTV and NTV reported on nationalist candidate Dmytro
Korchynskyy's arrival at Ukraine's Central Electoral Commission (!) aboard
an APC. In RTV's case, there followed a feature about Yanukovych on the
campaign trail in Donetsk, plus Pavlovskiy's repeated assurances that Russia
would not get involved. And on 22 July NTV gave a minute of its airtime to
news of Russia's controversial media figure Sergey Dorenko's plan to adopt
Ukrainian citizenship and campaign on behalf of Communist candidate Petro
Symonenko.
By way of a statistical breakdown, the name of Yanukovych was monitored in
at least 10 news bulletins, almost exclusively by Russia TV and Channel One,
during July in connection with the election campaign (and on quite a few
other occasions, to do with a coal mine blast in Ukraine which claimed the
lives of more than 30 miners or his official engagements). By comparison,
Yushchenko cropped up in just two reports, in both cases on Russia TV and
on both occasions in a negative context. (END) (ARTUIS)
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 129 ARTICLE NUMBER FOURTEEN
========================================================
14. UKRAINIAN HOMESTEAD IN CANADA TO BE HISTORIC SITE
Settler sparked massive Ukrainian immigration to the Canadian Prairies

Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Fri, July 30th, 2004

GILBERT PLAINS, Canada - A homestead near Gilbert Plains that once
belonged to a Ukrainian immigrant is being made a historic site by the
federal government this weekend.

"Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
(will) commemorate the national historic significance of Josef Oleskow and
the Wasyl Negrych Pioneer Homestead," the federal agency said in a brief
statement yesterday.

Parks Canada is to hold an official ceremony marking the former homestead
as a historic site on Sunday at 2 p.m. That coincides with the last day of
Canada's National Ukrainian Festival in nearby Dauphin, 325 kilometres
northwest of Winnipeg. The homestead is located 20 kilometres north of
Gilbert Plains on Provincial Highway 274.

The homestead is significant because it belonged to a man who is credited
with starting a wave of immigration that led tens of thousands of Ukrainians
to settle the Canadian Prairies.

"We celebrate the fact our parents did come here. We have much better lives
because of the hardships they endured," said Mary Procyshyn, president of
the Ukrainian Festival, now in its 39th year.

Procyshyn's grandfather, Ukrainian immigrant farmer Kost Lesiuk, who came
to the Prairies in 1914, could have been inspired by Oleskow's immigration
campaign. They both came from the same part of Ukraine.

Oleskow was a doctor from Galicia, a part of Ukraine that was held by the
Austro-Hungarian empire in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The doctor started his campaign with a letter in 1895 from his home in
Galicia, informing the Canadian government that hard times were threatening
to drive many farmers off the land. He convinced Canada that Ukrainians
would make good settlers, with the result that by 1898, 10,000 Ukrainians
had arrived in Canada.

By 1914, more than 150,000 Ukrainians would settle here, states a University
of Waterloo website on Oleskow's role in peopling the Prairies
(www.dcs.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/ukrainian.html).

Many of those early immigrants settled in Manitoba, in Dauphin, Shoal Lake,
Stuartburn, Whitemouth, Cooks Creek, the Interlake, St. Norbert and
Winnipeg. (END) (ARTUIS)
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PUBLISHER AND EDITOR
Mr. E. Morgan Williams, Executive Director, Ukrainian Federation of America
(UFA); Coordinator, The Action Ukraine Coalition (AUC);
Senior Advisor, Government Relations, U.S.-Ukraine Foundation (USUF);
Advisor, Ukraine-U.S. Business Council, Washington, D.C.;
Publisher and Editor, www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS),
http://www.ArtUkraine.com Ukrainian News and Information Website;
CONTACT: P.O. Box 2607, Washington, D.C. 20013,
Tel: 202 437 4707, morganw@patriot.net
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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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