Search site
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 133
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, August 6, 2004

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

1. LITTLE PROGRESS FOR UKRAINE ELECTIONS
Senior U.S. official says attempts thus far to promote a free and
fair presidential election this fall have been unsuccessful
Associated Press, Washington, D.C., Thursday, August 5, 2004

2. FORMER MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
OBSERVE THE ELECTION PROCESS IN UKRAINE
Numerous violations of election laws reported to delegation
Many people are denied access to a free press
U.S.-Ukraine Foundation (USUF), Kyiv, Ukraine, Thur, 5 Aug 2004

3. INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS WATCHDOG WARNS OF NUMEROUS
CAMPAIGN VIOLATIONS IN UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
By Anna Melnichuk, AP Worldstream; Kiev, Ukraine, Thur, Aug 05, 2004

4. "SOME NGOS NOTICE"
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights delivered
a blistering report about the Ukrainian election campaign
EDITORIAL, Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug 5, 2004

5. UKRAINIANS SAY THEY ARE FORCED TO CAMPAIGN
FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH
One-third of the residents of Kharkiv Region have been forced to participate
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, Aug 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

6.YUSHCHENKO'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS
CRIES FOUL OVER "LIBELLOUS INFORMATION"
BEING PASSED OUT IN EASTERN UKRAINE
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 5 Aug 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

7. THE LOCAL "ENEMY OF THE PRESS" -REGIONAL GOVERNOR
VOLODYMYR YATSUBA-RIDS DNIPROPETROVSK OF
"THE CHANNEL OF HONEST NEWS" CHANNEL 5
"Our Ukraine Website," Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, 4 August 2004

8. PEOPLE OF POLTAVA REGION IN UKRAINE ASKING
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION TO TURN "CHANNEL 5" ON
Address to the Poltava Regional Administration
Press service of the Ukrainian People's Party
Poltava, Ukraine, Wednesday, August 4, 2004

9. UKRAINIAN TV CONTINUES TO BE HEAVILY BIASED
IN FAVOUR OF PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH
Source: BBC Monitoring Research Service, UK, in English, Aug 05, 2004

10. RUSSIAN TV: UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS ABOUT
CHOOSING BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE WEST
CIS will be dealt deadly blow and Ukraine will be distancing
itself from Russia if Yushchenko wins
Centre TV, Moscow, Russia, in Russian, Aug 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

11.RUSSIAN SPIN DOCTOR SAYS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR
PUTIN STRONGLY SUPPORTS VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH OVER
VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO IN UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL RACE
ANALYSIS: by Andriy Myselyuk, "Yushchenko Is Not Our Candidate"
Halytski Kontrakty, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian 26 Jul 04, p.21, 22
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

12.SOCIALIST LEADER MOROZ OPPOSES GRANTING IMPUNITY
TO UKRAINE PRESIDENT LEONID KUCHMA
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Russian, 5 Aug 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

13. "THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"
The Action Ukraine Program, Washington, D.C., Friday, August 6, 2004

14. UKRAINIAN NGO'S AND THINK-TANKS' OSCE STATEMENT
Statement is in Response to the
'Statement by the CIS Countries on the Situation within the OSCE'
UKRAINIAN MONITOR
Center for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine (CPCFPU)
Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 22, 2004
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.133 ARTICLE NUMBER ONE
========================================================
1. LITTLE PROGRESS FOR UKRAINE ELECTIONS
Senior U.S. official says attempts thus far to promote a free
and fair presidential election in Ukraine this fall have been unsuccessful.

Associated Press, Washington, D.C., Thursday, August 5, 2004

WASHINGTON - The United States has sent high-level envoys to
Ukraine in what has been an unsuccessful attempt thus far to promote
a free and fair presidential election this fall, a senior official said
Thursday.

Former President George H.W. Bush and the State Department's second-
ranking official, Richard Armitage, have visited Ukraine recently. A number
of other prominent personalities will follow as the country prepares for the
Oct. 31 balloting. Bush was president when Ukraine voters decided to
break away from the Soviet Union in 1991.

The senior official, asking not to be identified, told reporters that the
Kiev government, led by President Leonid Kuchma, has subjected
opposition leaders to continuing harassment.

Public squares booked for opposition rallies have been placed off limits
on short notice, the official said. He added that media coverage has been
decidedly tilted in favor of government loyalists.

The official said Ukrainian leaders are mistaken if they believe the United
States will ease pressure on the country because of the more than 1,500
Ukrainian troops participating in the multinational force in Iraq. It is
the fourth largest non-U.S. contingent in that country.

The Ukrainian leadership appears to be divided over whether the country
should seek membership in NATO and the European Union. According
to the official, the United States will not support any bid by Ukraine to
join NATO if the election is not free and fair.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOOTNOTE: The United States Ambassador to Ukraine, John Herbst,
has been in Washington, D.C. this week holding briefing sessions with
U.S. government officials and also with non-governmental groups. (Editor)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.133: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
=======================================================
2. FORMER MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
OBSERVE THE ELECTION PROCESS IN UKRAINE
Numerous violations of election laws reported to delegation
Many people are denied access to a free press

U.S.-Ukraine Foundation (USUF), Kyiv, Ukraine, Thur, 5 Aug 2004

KYIV - A delegation of former members of the United States Congress
visited Kharkiv, Poltava and Sumy Oblasts observing the election process
from 25 July through 31 July. The delegation consisted of John Conlan
(R-AZ), Arlen Erdahl (R-MN), Jack Hightower (D-TX), Gregory
Laughlin (R-TX), Andrew Maguire (D-NJ), and Tom Sawyer (D-OH),
who were all individually accredited as election observers by Ukraine's
Central Election Commission.

The Delegation's visit was sponsored by the US-Ukraine Foundation
(USUF) in partnership with the United States Association of Former
Members of Congress (USAFMC), and with funding from the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID).

This delegation is the first of four that will be visiting Ukraine in the
upcoming three months. This project demonstrates the US-Ukraine
Foundation's unique involvement as it is one of a few organizations
looking at the election process as a whole over the period of the entire
campaign.

The Delegation visited Lebedyn, Trostianets, and Okhtyrka in the
Sumy Oblast; Dykanka, Karlivka, and Chutove in the Poltava Oblast;
and Merefa, Vovchansk, and Kupiansk in the Kharkiv Oblast. The
Delegation met with village and regional authorities, representatives
of political parties, media, and local NGOs.

The Delegation stressed the importance to Ukraine that the forth-
coming presidential elections be fair to all candidates and parties.
They asked local officials to uphold the laws of Ukraine and ensure
that every Ukrainian citizen has an opportunity to vote for the
candidate of his or her choice and that the ballots be counted properly.

Some citizens, representatives of political parties, and media
representatives reported numerous violations of Ukrainian law early
on in the election process. They reported that hospital employees,
teachers, employees of local government and employees of private
concerns were being threatened with loss of their jobs if they didn't
sign a petition in support of a particular candidate. Reports of such
actions were numerous enough to be considered pervasive.

Ukrainian citizens showed a high interest in the election and want to
participate and freely express their opinion. However, very few
thought that their votes would be counted correctly.

A serious problem in all three oblasts is that much of the press is
owned by the village or regional government and is not always free to
cover the news objectively. The few private news sources available
publish under difficult circumstances and with limited circulations.
Thus, many people are denied access to a free press.

The Delegation met with the Deputy Governor of Kharkiv Oblast,
the Chairman of the Central Election Commission; representatives from
Victor Yushchenko's campaign and representatives from Victor
Yanukovych's campaign, as well as representatives of the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the U.S. Embassy
in Kyiv.

During the concluding visit with the Chairman of the Central Election
Commission, Congressman Laughlin reported the violations found
and asked the Commission to look into the allegations and ensure that
the law of Ukraine be followed throughout the country. (END)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: For further information, please contact Christina Redko at
USUF, credko@usukraine.org.
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.133: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
Now a major source of Ukrainian news for thousands around the world
=======================================================
3. INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS WATCHDOG WARNS OF NUMEROUS
CAMPAIGN VIOLATIONS IN UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

By Anna Melnichuk, AP Worldstream; Kiev, Ukraine, Aug 05, 2004

KIEV - An international human rights watchdog warned Thursday that it
has already spotted numerous campaign violations in the run-up to Ukraine's
presidential election.

Citing biased media coverage and pressure on state workers to support
Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the Vienna-based International Helsinki
Federation for Human Rights said it had found "numerous violations ... in a
campaign that has barely begun."

It called on authorities in the former Soviet republic to do more to
guarantee a free and fair vote on Oct. 31. Western governments and rights
groups have also urged Ukraine's leaders to conduct a clean vote in an
election seen as a crucial test for he country more than a decade after it
gained independence in the Soviet collapse.

In a report, the Helsinki Federation said that coverage in state-controlled
media is heavily biased in favor of Yanukovych, who is seeking the
presidency with the backing of current President Leonid Kuchma. Critics
say democracy has suffered during Kuchma's 10 years in office and accuse
his administration of manipulating past elections.

The state-owned TV channels "routinely convey negative portrayals" of the
leading opposition candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, and newspapers often
publish "strongly propagandistic" materials in favor of Yanukovych, the
watchdog's report said.

The group urged Ukrainian authorities to "ensure equal access of all
candidates to the state-controlled media" and "freedom for all candidates to
address voters."

Yuri Murashov, the head of Ukraine's Helsinki Committee, said the report was
based on the findings of committee observers who recently toured the nation
of 48 million sandwiched between Russia and the expanded European Union.

The observers also reported that factory workers, students and regional
authorities are being pressured into supporting Yanukovych "with threats to
their jobs, positions or scholarships."

Western countries, human rights groups and media watchdogs have repeatedly
called on Ukrainian authorities to conduct a clean vote, which is seen as a
crucial test for he country more than a decade after it gained independence
in the Soviet collapse.

Yanukovych recently promised that Ukraine will accept international election
observers and that his government would ensure "an immaculate vote."
Analysts say Yanukovych and Yushchenko may face each other in a run-off,
which will be held if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of vote.
(am/av/mb/sbg) (END) (ARTUIS)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOOTNOTE: The entire report from the Vienna-based International
Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) was the lead article in The
Action Ukraine Report, Number 131, published this week on Wednesday,
August 4. (Editor)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.133: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
Help send "The Action Ukraine Report" around the World
=======================================================
4. "SOME NGOS NOTICE"
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights delivered
a blistering report about the Ukrainian election campaign

EDITORIAL, Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug 5, 2004

We've long feared this fall's presidential election will be one of the great
non-events in recent history.

It could all happen without even really registering on the public
consciousness. Forces loyal to candidate Viktor Yanukovych will quietly
put in motion the election-stealing mechanism they've been building
stealthily for more than a year now. President Kuchma's hand-picked
oblast officials will deliver guaranteed pro-Yanukovych votes in their
precincts, with the help of local police and street thugs paid with vodka.
The Ukrainian media, being what it is, will do what it can to help, smearing
opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko as a CIA agent and Nazi
enthusiast.

Election observers will yell in protest, which might get reported deep
inside Western newspapers with too little understanding of Ukraine's
geo-political importance, and might not get reported at all. Yanukovych
will be quietly "elected," and Western protests will be meant with
triumphant smirks from the Ukrainian power class.

And that will be that. Fait accompli. Ukraine will have taken a big step
into the political darkness.

It doesn't have to turn out that way, of course. One bright spot - if that's
what it is - is that Western groups are showing more signs of being as
concerned with the political situation here as they should be. This week the
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights delivered a blistering
report about the Ukrainian election campaign, accusing "governmental
officials" of "illegally abusing public institutions to manipulate the
outcome" of the election.

The report ought to stun readers not familiar with Ukrainian politics. "As
in recent Belarusian elections," it says, "factory workers are being
pressured into supporting the government-backed candidate, with threats
to their jobs if they do not cooperate. The heads of regional administrative

bodies have been threatened with dismissal if elections results do not meet
government goals."

The IHF document also alludes to "reports of university students being
threatened by.deans to support Mr. Yanukovych, and to avoid attending
electoral rallies of opposition candidates," and suggests that the
government is disrupting, and eavesdropping on, opposition phone
communications. Valuably, the IHF claims that "government agents might
seek to provoke ethnic tensions" in order to sandbag Yushchenko. They
called attention in particular to the strange way in which racist fringe
parties have taken to loudly supporting Yushchenko - raising suspicions
that they're being paid by pro-Yanukovych elements to compromise the
opposition candidate by association.

Last week, in an outburst the sentiments behind which we applaud, Poland's
President Aleksander Kwasniewski told an interviewer this: "I feel bitter
towards the European Union and many other Western European countries
that they haven't understood the significance of the Ukrainian issue."

Kwasniewski, a friend of Ukraine, understands that Ukraine needs as much
Western chaperoning as it can get right now. Hopefully, the IHF report will
prod the West to increase the intensity of their efforts. This is important.
Europe and the rest of the West have to remember that. (END)
(ARTUIS) LINK: http://www.kpnews.com
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 133: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE
Join the free distribution list of The Action Ukraine Report
=======================================================
5. UKRAINIANS SAY THEY ARE FORCED TO CAMPAIGN
FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH
One-third of the residents of Kharkiv Region have been forced to participate

UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, Aug 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

KIEV - Almost a third of the residents of Kharkiv Region have said they had
been forced to take part in rallies supporting presidential candidate [and
prime minister] Viktor Yanukovych, the Razumkov centre has said.

According to a poll conducted by the Razumkov centre at the end of July, 4
per cent of people [across Ukraine] answered "Yes" to the question "Have you
been forced to take part in forums, rallies or conferences in support of
presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych?". About 96 per cent said "No".

The deputy director of the Razumkov centre's sociological service, Mykhaylo
Mishchenko, said that taking into account that Ukraine has more than 37m
voters, the number of people who have been "strongly urged" to support the
pro-government candidate can be more than 1.5m.

Poll results showed that the residents of eastern Ukraine were most often
forced to support Yanukovych (8 per cent). This number was especially high
in Kharkiv Region (27 per cent), where thousands took part in a recent rally
in support of Yanukovych's candidacy. [Passage omitted: Mishchenko comments]

The poll was conducted between 22 and 28 July across Ukraine. A total of
2014 people over 18 years of age were polled in 122 cities and towns in
accordance with the model of Ukraine's socio-demographical make-up. The
margin of error (not taking into account design-effects) is 2.3 per cent.
LINK: http://www.unian.net (END) (ARTUIS)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.133: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
Ukrainian Information Website: http://www.ArtUkraine.com
=======================================================
6. YUSHCHENKO'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS
CRIES FOUL OVER "LIBELLOUS INFORMATION"
BEING PASSED OUT IN EASTERN UKRAINE

UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 5 Aug 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

KIEV - The central election headquarters of presidential candidate [and
Our Ukraine centre-right opposition bloc leader] Viktor Yushchenko has
called on residents of [eastern Ukrainian city of] Kharkiv not to believe
the "libellous information" about Yushchenko that is being circulated by
leaflets in Kharkiv Region today. This was what the press service of
Yushchenko's central HQ said in a statement which was sent to UNIAN.

"Leaflets (without any information about who wrote or published them)
carrying untrue and libellous information about Yushchenko and his team
are being circulated in the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv Region today. The
leaflets are being handed out by young people, mostly students from higher
educational establishments, who say when being engaged in conversations
that they "don't want to do it but are being paid", the statement says.

The statement says that "it has become known from confidential sources
that the highest-level officials are involved in coordinating dirty PR
methods.

It is under their guidance that another batch of dirty compromising material
is being taken from Lviv to Kharkiv: 100,000 issues of a newspaper which
was published by the Moloda Halychyna printing house belonging to the
USDPU [propresidential United Social Democratic Party of Ukraine led
by presidential chief of staff Viktor Medvedchuk]. The newspaper carries
libellous information about Yushchenko, his family and his team".

At the same time the central HQ says that it "has sufficient strength to
foil the dispatch of `black publications' to Kharkiv Region".
LINK: http://www.unian.net (END) (ARTUIS)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.133: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
Become a financial sponsor of The Action Ukraine Report
=======================================================
7. THE LOCAL "ENEMY OF THE PRESS" -REGIONAL GOVERNOR
VOLODYMYR YATSUBA-RIDS DNIPROPETROVSK OF
"THE CHANNEL OF HONEST NEWS" CHANNEL 5

"Our Ukraine Website," Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, 4 August 2004

DNIPROPETROVSK - The press service of Victor Yushchenko's
Dnipropetrovsk regional headquarters reported that the broadcasting of
"Channel 5" ceased in Dnipropetrovsk. "Falstaf" and "SDS" operators
explain their actions by the "bad quality of signal."

Representatives of Yushchenko's regional headquarters think, however,
that the cable providers received another signal - from the regional state
administration - loud and clear.

Sources within the Dnipropetrovsk regional administration had warned
that Dnipropetrovsk would be "soon rid of "Channel 5." Dniprodzerzhinsk
and Novomoskovsk were the first ones to be cut off while Dnipropetrovsk's
turn came on 3 August.

It needs to be noted that Television and Radio Broadcasting company
"Region," which rebroadcasts "Channel 5" in the town of Synelnikove
(30 km from Dnipropetrovsk), has no problems with receiving the signal.
This company, since it cooperates with "Channel 5," has come under
pressure from the law-enforcement and administrative institutions that
have gotten used to conducting checks at the TV Company.

Upset citizens of Dnipropetrovsk call Victor Yushchenko's regional
headquarters every day expressing their willingness to participate in
protest rallies and have even promised to bring action against the cable
providers. Members of Victor Yushchenko's headquarters understand,
however, that the cable providers are not the ones to blame and suggest
gathering protest rallies by the building of the regional administration.

Local mass media representatives have been of late calling the regional
governor Volodymyr Yatsuba "the enemy of the press." The local news
have turned - joke local journalists - into a soap opera called "One day
in the life of Volodymyr Hryhorovych." It seems obvious that the local
authorities have decided that the people of Dnipropetrovsk do not need
"the channel of honest news." (www.razom.org.ua) (END)(ARTUIS)
======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.133: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
Ukrainian Information Website: http://www.ArtUkraine.com
=======================================================
8. PEOPLE OF POLTAVA REGION IN UKRAINE ASKING
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION TO TURN "CHANNEL 5" ON

Address to the Poltava Regional Administration
Press service of the Ukrainian People's Party
Poltava, Ukraine, Wednesday, August 4, 2004

POLTAVA, Ukraine - "The people of the Poltava region are asking for
your assistance in realizing their right for obtaining complete information.
The programmes of "Channel 5" is not being broadcasted in Poltava

The people of Poltava region are asking the government to turn "Channel
5" on. Local cable providers are afraid to turn it on despite the fact that
there are many people in the town who would like to watch "the channel
of honest news," is stated in a written address of the Poltava community
members to the head of Poltava regional administration Udovychenko
and the people's deputy of Ukraine Kukoba.

Those who have signed this address note that, despite the fact their town
"looks like a European one," the local authorities have a long way to go
even to approach the European standards. Therefore, members of the
Poltava community are asking the local and state officials to make a step
towards building a civilized society and to appeal to the cable providers
to give the local community to watch "Channel 5" programmes. (END)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOOTNOTE: The number of well documented presidential election
violations has been especially high in the Poltava Region. Election
observers report the authorities in that region are being very active
and tough in supporting very repressive free election measures. (Editor)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.133 ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
Send The Action Ukraine Report to your friends in Ukraine
=======================================================
9. UKRAINIAN TV CONTINUES TO BE HEAVILY BIASED
IN FAVOUR OF PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH

Source: BBC Monitoring Research Service, UK, in English, Aug 05, 2004

KIEV - Coverage of the fourth week of the presidential election campaign
(26 July-1 August) by Ukraine's three most-watched TV channels continued
to be heavily biased in favour of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

State-owned UT1, and the private Inter and One Plus One channels (all of
whose news coverage is widely believed to be strongly influenced by the
presidential administration) gave uniformly positive coverage to the
activity of Yanukovych's government and to his election campaign, while
devoting much attention to negative stories about his main rival, Our
Ukraine leader Viktor Yushchenko.

Meanwhile, news programmes on ICTV and Novyy Kanal (which are
associated with Viktor Pinchuk, an MP, industrialist and President Leonid
Kuchma's son-in-law) continued to devote less attention to the campaign
than the three administration-linked channels, and what they did show was
less obviously biased.

Yushchenko's campaign received more positive coverage on 5 Kanal, which
is controlled by Our Ukraine MP Petro Poroshenko. The channel gave largely
neutral coverage to other candidates. However, it also showed a number of
reports directly attacking Yanukovych.

STATE OWNED UT1 TV
Over the week, UT1's coverage of the election campaign continued to favour
Yanukovych. In addition to covering his official activity as prime minister,
UT1's 1800 gmt evening news bulletin showed frequent reports about minor
parties, NGOs and workers' collectives supporting his bid, and regular
updates on the campaign to collect signatures in his support.

Over the week, UT1's evening news showed a total of over 10 minutes of
positive or neutral reporting about Yanukovych's campaign, in addition to
its enthusiastic coverage of his official activities.

Meanwhile, coverage of Yushchenko on UT1's evening news bulletin continued
to be overwhelmingly negative. Over the week, the programme devoted about
seven minutes to negative reports about Yushchenko and his associates.

These included a report on 26 July about prosecutors sending a to court a
criminal case against the director of the Leninska Kuznya shipyard in Kiev,
which is controlled by Poroshenko, and considering opening a criminal case
against former Our Ukraine MP Oleh Tyahnybok for anti-Semitic remarks
during a speech in western Ukraine on 17 July. The channel showed a video
of the speech in which Tyahnybok is seen speaking on a mountainside in front
of a tent bearing "Yes! Yushchenko!" slogans. The video was shown a total
of six times by the three administration-linked channels during the week
19-25 July.

On 28 July, UT1 reported that "opposition activists" had attacked
Yanukovych's election headquarters in the Chernihiv Region town of Pryluky.
It showed follow-up reports on 29 July and on 1 August. All these reports
showed police, pro-Yanukovych politicians and local people condemning the
attack. The individuals allegedly involved in the attack were not given the
opportunity to give their side of the story.

UT1 also regularly reported other presidential candidates' criticism of
Yushchenko. Over the week, it showed: Bratstvo (Brotherhood) radical
youth organization leader Dmytro Korchynskyy criticizing Yushchenko
and the business activities of Our Ukraine MP David Zhvaniya on two
occasions; Progressive Socialist Party leader Nataliya Vitrenko saying
Yushchenko is tarnished by the xenophobia and anti-Semitism of some
of his followers on two occasions; United Family leader Oleksandr
Rzhavskyy criticizing Yushchenko's fair election pact initiative and
criticizing Our Ukraine MP Mykola Tomenko for calling him a marginal
figure; and Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko criticizing the
Yushchenko government's social policies in 2000. The total time of all
these reports was about 3 minutes 30 seconds.

UT1 did not show any of these candidates criticizing the current
authorities. UT1 news also plugged a book by a former tax inspector
accusing Yushchenko of corruption on two occasions.

INTER, ONE PLUS ONE TV
Inter and One Plus One followed pattern of UT1 in praising Yanukovych
and attacking Yushchenko. On most days, they reported the same events
and quoted the same people as UT1. For example, on 28 July, both Inter
and One Plus One carried items about the former taxman's book about
Yushchenko.

However, One Plus One sometimes appeared less assiduous than Inter in
following the same agenda as UT1. For example on 26 July, the evening news
bulletins of both Inter and UT1 contained reports on: the opening of
Yanukovych's press centre; a forum of democratic forces in Luhansk that
supported Yanukovych; Korchynskyy's youth organization picketing a shipyard
in Crimea owned by Zhvaniya; the criminal case against the Leninska Kuznya
shipyard director and the possible case against Tyahnybok. On the same
evening, One Plus One reported only the opening of Yanukovych's press
centre.
ICTV, Novyy TV
These channels continued to pay less attention to the election campaign than
UT1, Inter and One Plus One. Apart from Yanukovych's activity as premier,
ICTV's early evening news programme sometimes did not contain any
election coverage whatsoever.

The channels' election coverage consisted mainly of factual reports about
registration of candidates and publicity stunts like Mykhaylo Brodskyy's
arrival at the Central Electoral Commission in a street-sprinkling vehicle.
They did not report on NGOs and minor parties endorsing Yanukovych or
give regular updates on the collection of signatures. Nor did they devote
significant attention to the negative stories about Yushchenko that appeared
on the administration-influenced channels.

Unlike the administration-linked channels, they sometimes mentioned
Yushchenko in a neutral context. For example, on 26 July, Novyy Kanal
reported that Yushchenko and Socialist Party leader Oleksandr Moroz had
agreed to cooperate to ensure that the election is fair.

(On 4 August, ICTV's evening news programme devoted a lengthy and
sympathetic correspondent report to a press conference by Yushchenko's
campaign manager, Oleksandr Zinchenko, in Moscow.)

5 KANAL TV
Poroshenko's channel continued to provide relatively balanced and neutral
reports on the activity of most candidates. It also provided alternative
interpretations of some of the stories that the administration-linked
channels used to attack Our Ukraine, such as the attack on Yanukovych's
headquarters in Pryluky.

However, 5 Kanal is showing reports directly aimed at Yanukovych. On 29
July, for example, it showed a 3-minute report in which Socialist MP
Valentyna Semenyuk speculated that the state telecommunications operator
Ukrtelekom would be sold before the election to an investor who would
support Yanukovych. Also on 29 July, it devoted a 2-minute 30-second
report devoted to Yanukovych's spelling problems.

The channel continued to invite presidential candidates into the studio to
discuss their campaign platforms on its 1800 gmt news and comment
programme. Guests this week included Roman Kozak of the Organization
of Ukrainian Nationalists in Ukraine and Progressive Socialist Party leader
Nataliya Vitrenko.

DONETSK-BASED UKRAYINA TV
This Donetsk-based private channel gave uniformly positive coverage of
Yanukovych, who is a former governor of Donetsk Region. Its evening news
bulletins generally led with reports about his activity as prime minister -
raising pensions, inspecting regional infrastructure, contributing to the
restoration of churches. They also featured regular updates on the signature
collection campaign, reports on parties and NGOs supporting Yanukovych,
and vox pops in which respondents praise Yanukovych.

Meanwhile, its coverage of Yushchenko was entirely negative. On 26 July,
for example, it reported that the governor of Ivano-Frankivsk region had
complained to prosecutors that Yushchenko's supporters had caused
environmental damage during an ascent of Hoverla, Ukraine's highest
mountain, on 18 July. (END) (ARTUIS)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.133: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
Please send us names from Poland for the Report's distribution list
=======================================================
10. RUSSIAN TV: UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS ABOUT
CHOOSING BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE WEST
CIS will be dealt deadly blow and Ukraine will be distancing
itself from Russia if Yushchenko wins

Centre TV, Moscow, Russia, in Russian, Aug 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

MOSCOW - [Presenter] In the near future Russia may gain another angry
neighbour, and much-better equipped than Georgia, too. I mean Ukraine
where a new president will be elected in October this year. The future
relations between Moscow and Kiev will depend on this. Our
correspondent Grigoriy Dolukhanov reports on the progress of the election
race in Ukraine.

[Correspondent] Ratings of presidential candidates convince us that there
are only two real runners in the race: former prime minister [and Ukrainian
opposition leader] Viktor Yushchenko and the incumbent prime minister,
Viktor Yanukovych.

Interestingly, after Yanukovych was officially declared [Ukrainian President
Leonid] Kuchma's successor, his popularity took a sharp rise, and not only
in the east of the country, but also in western regions which are
traditionally considered the inherited land of nashists - this is the way
the followers of Yushchenko's party, Our Ukraine, are described
[derogatory term, used by pro-Kuchma party].

The majority of voters are confident that Yanukovych will win, the experts
are saying. Even among Yushchenko's supporters there are quite a few
people who doubt he will win the election. The reason for this is not only
the administrative resource which the authorities possess. Many view
Yanukovych as a guarantor of economic and political stability. He has
repeatedly shown his readiness for a compromise, including one with
Russia.

Yushchenko's line is different in principle: it is that of a revolutionary
and this scares people. Many potential voters are concerned that if he
comes to power, the situation in Ukraine will resemble that in Georgia
after [president Mikheil] Saakashvili won.

[Yushchenko, speaking in Ukrainian parliament in Ukrainian, Russian
translation superimposed] The reason for the crisis is Russia's strategy, on
the one hand, whereby Ukraine's interests and state honour are openly
ignored. On the other hand, the Ukrainian authorities lack a clear-cut and
consistent policy regarding Russia.

[Correspondent] Ukraine's might, and its political and economic importance
cannot be compared with those of Georgia. It is clear that, if there is
regime change in Ukraine, then - given Yushchenko's statements - the CIS
will be dealt a deadly blow. No less importantly, Ukraine will be distancing
itself from Russia. This is something that millions of Ukrainian citizens,
especially in central and eastern Ukraine, are by no means ready to vote
for, never mind those who are working in Russia, whose number amounts to
approximately 3.5m.

It is possible that Yushchenko's presidential campaign manager, Oleksandr
Zinchenko, has come to Moscow to win the latter's votes. He did not even
try to conceal this.

[Zinchenko, shown speaking at a Moscow news conference] The formal
reason for today's news conference is the completion of the presidential
candidates' nomination period. The main thing is not who will become
Ukraine's president, but which path will be chosen by the next president.
If Russia intends to bet on the clan of oligarchs, if it wants to bet on
yesteryear in its external or regional policy, we cannot ban it from doing
so. It is your choice. Likewise, Ukraine will make its own choice, and it
will be hard for Russia to prevent us from making it.

[Correspondent] We shall know what the Ukrainians choose on 31
October, whether it will be rapprochement with Russia or a western option,
which Washington is currently playing for. What is important, though, is
the money which each side will attract. According to media reports, the
salary of a junior member of staff in the opposition headquarters is not
less than 1m US dollars.

It is not clear where the money is coming from. Nevertheless, it is known
that the west has allocated some 200m dollars to support so-called NGOs.
Naturally, opposition structures have received the bulk of this money.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOOTNOTE: Several neutral election observers who read this article
said it is very obvious the Russian political spin doctors in Moscow,
reportedly employed by friends of the Kremlin, have certainly been at
work regarding the spin on the story above which the observers said
is obviously very distorted from reality. (Editor)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 133 ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
Help Send The Action Ukraine Report Around The World
=======================================================
11.RUSSIAN SPIN DOCTOR SAYS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR
PUTIN STRONGLY SUPPORTS VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH OVER
VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO IN UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL RACE

ANALYSIS: by Andriy Myselyuk, "Yushchenko Is Not Our Candidate"
Halytski Kontrakty, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian 26 Jul 04, p.21, 22
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

KIEV - Russian spin doctor Gleb Pavlovskiy has said Vladimir Putin backed
Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's government in the upcoming
presidential elections because it was difficult to forecast what the
Ukrainian opposition would do. Unlike Yanukovych, whose views were clear
and understandable, opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko seemed unable to
formulate his stance on various issues, Pavlovskiy said.

He said that an economic union with Russia would strengthen Ukraine's
position in negotiations with the EU and criticized the Ukrainian opposition
for not acting as a national force.

The following is the text of Pavlovskiy's interview with Andriy Myselyuk,
published in the Ukrainian newspaper Halytski Kontrakty on 26 July under
the title "Yushchenko is not our candidate"; subheadings have been inserted
editorially:

Probably "the most demonized" Russian spin doctor, head of the Effective
Policy Fund [EPF] Gleb Pavlovskiy confessed to Halytski Kontrakty what
exactly Vladimir Putin did not like about [leading Ukrainian opposition
candidate] Viktor Yushchenko. There are so many Russian spin doctors
coming to the forthcoming Ukrainian elections that their competition for
obtaining funds is beginning to be reported in the media.

Unlike many of his Russian colleagues, EPF head Pavlovskiy has been a
frequent guest in Ukraine for several years in a row. In the 2002
parliamentary elections the EPF helped the Ukrainians to "show their
character and elect [chief of the Ukrainian presidential administration and
leader of the United Social Democratic Party Viktor] Medvedchuk". As to
how effectively Pavlovskiy and Co delved into the peculiarities of the
Ukrainian national character (given the ratio of the money the United Social
Democratic Party spent on the elections to the party's last result, 6 per
cent), experts have different opinions.

However, Ukrainian clients did not turn down the services of the Russians.
When at the beginning of the election campaign Pavlovskiy appeared in Kiev,
having a vague status (he introduced himself as an adviser to the chief of
the Russian presidential administration) and intending to set up a Russian
club of experts here, journalists regarded this as an attempt of the EPF
head to legalize his stay in Ukraine during the elections.

Many Ukrainian political experts opine that a gallery of Pavlovskiy's
friend, [Russian spin doctor] Marat Gelman, performs this function. However,
at a press conference called on the occasion of the Russian Club's opening,
Pavlovskiy kept convincing journalists that he had not been a spin doctor
for a long time.

He said, "I am working in the development of policies and political
decisions which can be ordered by the authorities, any party or a business."
He also kept persuading journalists that the opened club was a serious and
lasting thing and had nothing to do with the elections. "So what if just one
Russian organization joins a few dozen American and European NGOs in
Kiev. This is not dangerous, believe me. This will not hurt.

We will be doing about the same, but on a much more modest scale: we will
express our opinion and try to make it heard," the guest from Russia argued.
Not all of those present believed him. After the press conference the EPF
head agreed to answer the questions of Halytski Kontrakty about the
Ukrainian elections and Moscow's role in them in general, and Putin's role
in particular.

RUSSIA VIEWS YUSHCHENKO AS "DARK HORSE"
[Myselyuk] Mr Pavlovskiy, how much do you think an attempt to use
President Putin's popularity in Ukraine would help [Ukrainian Prime Minister
and presidential contender] Viktor Yanukovych?
[Pavlovskiy] There are several aspects here. First, Russia cannot directly
interfere in other countries' elections. At the same time, Moscow can
consider one or the other candidate as more suitable for it. When one talks
about the use of President Putin's popularity in the Ukrainian elections so
as to strengthen the position of your candidate from the government, one
should consider that Putin always backs the current authorities. We are
legitimists. We know what the current authorities can do. Yet it is quite
hard to forecast the actions of the opposition. For this reason, Putin backs
[Ukrainian President Leonid] Kuchma, the Ukrainian government and its head,
Yanukovych, in Ukraine. As regards a similarity between Yanukovych and
Putin, it really exists. In particular, Putin began his path to the top as
prime minister. Yet there is a model of leaders like Putin, on the other
hand. So Putin is, above all, a leader rather than a manager.
[Myselyuk] What exactly confuses Russia about Yushchenko if it has put
its bet on Yanukovych?
[Pavlovskiy] Moscow has a certain distrust of politicians who vaguely
formulate their stances on practically any issue. Let us recall, for
example, Mikhail Gorbachev: he could answer any of your questions, but you
could not understand what exactly he wanted to say and what his stance was.
Although he spoke right and pleasant things, at the same time, you could not
understand with whom you were dealing with. And this is alerting because the
issue of subjects is very important. As [Henry] Kissinger put it, "A united
Europe? And what is its telephone number?" That is, it is very important to
understand to whom one should talk. If you are talking to a person and, at
the same time, you realize and sense that you should be actually talking to
somebody else who is really behind this person, this already inspires
certain distrust. Maybe, you should speak to both?
[Myselyuk] Do you believe Yushchenko is not worthy of negotiations with
Moscow?
[Pavlovskiy] I did not say this. I said that in his speeches he normally
does not formulate stances which require any negotiations to be conducted.
One gets an impression that he always lives in election campaign mode and
that he had begun to live like this long before the campaign actually kicked
off. For we do not understand what this politician's stance on any single
issue is. In particular, it is believed that Yushchenko is an advocate of
Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic choice. But it is impossible to understand what
exactly Yushchenko means by his "Euro-Atlantic choice". And this is a
problem: we like people who clearly formulate their positions.
Russia finds Yanukovych acceptable as presidential contender
[Myselyuk] Is Yanukovych such a person?
[Pavlovskiy] Beyond any doubt, he belongs to a group of Ukrainian
politicians whose positions we understand.
[Myselyuk] No large Russian investment in Donetsk Region when
Yanukovych was its governor is indeed more than an understandable
position. As they say, Russia "has something to play with".
[Pavlovskiy] Friendship is friendship, but everyone keeps his money apart.
This position of Yanukovych is clear to us: both your governors and our
governors are protectionists. It is their intrinsic feature which can be
called "provincialism". Why should they let strangers enter their fiefdoms?
Any governor as a local is supposed to be suspicious of people coming from
outside. The attitude to such problems as Russian capital's flow to the
Ukrainian economy is a matter of a regional politician's development into a
politician of the national level. As regards foreign investment, I am in the
minority in Russia because I believe that both Ukraine and Russia show
excessive fear of foreign investments. In reality, these investments mainly
come from weak groups which perpetuate our weakness and do not allow our
countries to make a surge which Ukraine and Russia badly need. For example,
I know that the money from Kazakhstan flows to Ukraine, but you are
apprehensive of its flow. Kazakhstan is bursting with money, but the flow of
this money to Ukraine is being slowed down. Incidentally, this is also the
case in my country.
[Myselyuk] Do you know which Ukrainian region receives the most foreign
investment?
[Pavlovskiy] The western part of Ukraine is friendlier to the Russian
capital.
[Myselyuk] Being more precise, it is Ivano-Frankivsk Region. How would
you explain that the protectionist governor of Ivano-Frankivsk Region lets
Russian investments flow in great numbers while the protectionist governor
of Donetsk Region erects insurmountable obstacles in their way?
[Pavlovskiy] The western regions of Ukraine are more dependent on external
finances. The problem of western Ukraine's dependence and development will
be there for a long time. Your country has terrible politicization of its
west and east. There is a chance that it will end after the elections.
Russia divided on Ukraine's future
[Myselyuk] How would you assess the prospects of Russia's cooperation with
Ukraine if Yanukovych wins the presidential elections?
[Pavlovskiy] As regards this issue, Russia has two lines. The advocates of
the first line (in my opinion, these are the politicians of the past day)
think: let Ukraine always have problems with the confrontation between its
east and west, let its president have problems attempting to pursue a single
line, and let its parliament have a permanent conflict between different
groups of influence. They believe that an amorphous and weak Ukraine, which
is divided on various issues, will benefit Russia.
I do not think so. Putin does not think so either. He unambiguously bets on
strong sovereign neighbours. Incidentally, it is not only Ukraine. In spite
of the occasionally repulsive actions of Georgian President [Mikheil]
Saakashvili and our negative response to these actions, we bet on a single
sovereign Georgia. I have taken an extreme example Ukraine is more pleasant.
[Myselyuk] What do you think will happen to the Single Economic Space
after the Ukrainian elections?
[Pavlovskiy] If there is the leading troika of the former Soviet Union
republics, or "Euro-east", consisting of Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan,
exists then the European Union will no longer dictate its terms to us until
about 2010. Now it speaks to us like this, "Why didn't you implement
Brussels decree No 735? Implement it urgently!" It will then have to
negotiate with us about genuine integration, in a certain sense, on more
liberal terms. Because it will be negotiations of the strong. We will always
lose in the negotiations of the weak.
I liked what Ukrainian political scientist Dmytro Vydrin had said. When one
discussed whether Kuchma would be invited to [NATO's 28-30 June summit
in] Istanbul, Vydrin said, "The situation with the way Ukraine is regarded
in the world is changing. If the Ukrainian president wants, he will sit on
the
lap of the summit chairman." I believe that the situation should develop
exactly in this way: the world will not listen to us until we become strong
and until they do not agree we develop democratically. Our path probably
differs from classical European democracy, but it is still democratic.
If we had wanted to develop differently, we would have already gone nobody
knows where. Besides, our economic growth is higher than that in Europe.
And Europe would restrict this growth and make our countries conform to
different standards, not even general European requirements, but the
requirements to the new less developed EU members. That is, we would be
oriented to Poland. And it would set the rules for our accession to the EU.

MOSCOW'S GRAVITATION TO MEDVEDCHUK DENIED
[Myselyuk] Is it true that the Russian presidential administration's policy
on Ukraine is directed exclusively at a single group linked to the leader of
the United Social Democratic Party, [Viktor] Medvedchuk, and that, as a
result, it is impossible to diversify sources of information and to
objectively assess the chances of main candidates in the elections, etc.?
[Pavlovskiy] No, we have diversified sources of information on the situation
in Ukraine. As to me, I always prefer open sources of information because
they are the most reliable. There are people who just worship closed systems
for gathering information. However, such data are usually not verified and
are half-rumours. It is necessary to monitor all mass media, not only some
selected media sources. And it is necessary to process the full volume of
information. Then you will have a reliable and objective image of reality.
[Myselyuk] When Aleksandr Voloshin was the chief of the Russian
presidential administration, experts said that Voloshin and Medvedchuk
had close bonds and that Medvedchuk influenced decision-making in
Ukraine due to these bonds. What changed with regard to Ukraine after
Voloshin had been succeeded by [current head of Russia's presidential
administration] Dmitriy Medvedyev?
[Pavlovskiy] I don't know what special bonds between Voloshin and
Medvedchuk are.
[Myselyuk] I have in mind established contacts and a high level of
understanding.
[Pavlovskiy] Any head of the Ukrainian presidential administration has ties
with the head of the Russian presidential administration because our
countries are in partnership and there is a need to tackle current tasks of
this partnership. Do not forget that both you and we still have current
presidents in power. The elections will take place only in late October.

UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION NOT A NATIONAL FORCE
[Myselyuk] How difficult will the problem of legitimizing the election
results for Ukraine be?
[Pavlovskiy] In my opinion, it is the actors of the political process, not
foreign observers, who should be most interested in conducting an election
which will be recognized as legitimate.
[Myselyuk] Who should be more interested: the authorities or the opposition?
[Pavlovskiy] Unfortunately, the Ukrainian opposition do not fully behave as
a national force. They shift the resolution of such problems as, for
example, the conduct of legitimate elections onto the authorities. This
always makes the authorities be in the lead in resolving them. In fact, the
opposition are supposed to be interested in legitimate elections even more
than the current authorities are. Because this makes the opposition a force
that does lay claim to power.
As to any external forces, the result of the elections is not a matter of
life and death to them. If the elections are not recognized as legitimate,
this will be very bad for the Ukrainian participants. I think no branch of
the opposition should follow this scenario. In this sense it is not
politically correct even to discuss the Georgian scenario in Ukraine. (END)
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 133 ARTICLE NUMBER TWELVE
Now a major source of Ukrainian news for thousands around the world
=======================================================
12.SOCIALIST LEADER MOROZ OPPOSES GRANTING IMPUNITY
TO UKRAINE PRESIDENT LEONID KUCHMA

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Russian, 5 Aug 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

KHARKIV, Ukraine - Presidential candidate and Socialist Party leader
Oleksandr Moroz believes that Ukraine needs a law providing guarantees
to a former president but deems it unacceptable to relieve a former head
of state of responsibility for abuse of office. Moroz said this when asked
by an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent at a news conference in Kharkiv
on Thursday [5 August].

"The law is needed as a matter of principle," the Socialist leader said,
adding that all countries with the presidential post have the law of that
kind. Moroz views it necessary for the president to account for his work to
the incoming head of state, when powers are transferred. The accounting
report should cover a wide range of economic and social parameters - from
the state of the country's gold and currency reserves to employment levels.

Granting privileges to a former president should be linked to the
socioeconomic situation in the state and to the fulfilment of election
promises, Moroz said.

He also described as unacceptable the provision of the law proposed by
Working Ukraine [propresidential parliamentary] faction leader Ihor Sharov
about the necessity to guarantee a former president impunity from criminal
acts committed as head of state. "I think the opposition will not allow the
law provision to be approved," Moroz concluded.

[Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma was accused by the opposition of
complicity in the murder of independent journalist Heorhiy Gongadze and a
host of other serious crimes.] (END) (ARTUIS)
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 133 ARTICLE NUMBER THIRTEEN
========================================================
13. "THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"
A Publication Financially Supported By Its Readers

The Action Ukraine Program, Washington, D.C., August 3, 2004

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"-04, is an in-depth news and
analysis international newsletter, produced by the www.ArtUkraine.com
Information Service (ARTUIS). The report is now distributed to several
thousand persons worldwide FREE of charge using the e-mail address:
ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net. This is the 133rd Action Ukraine
Report issued so far in year 2004. Over 1,500 articles have been
featured.

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" is supported by The Action
Ukraine Coalition through The Action Ukraine Program Fund. Financial
support from readers is essential to the future of this Report. You can
become a financial sponsor of The Action Ukraine Program Fund.
Individuals, corporations, non-profit organizations and other groups
can provide support for the expanding Action Ukraine Program by
sending in contributions.

Checks should be made out to the Ukrainian Federation of America,
(UFA), a private, not-for-profit, voluntary organization. The funds
should be designated for the Action Ukraine Program Fund (AUPF),
and mailed to Zenia Chernyk, Chairperson, Ukrainian Federation of
America (UAF), 930 Henrietta Avenue, Huntingdon Valley, PA
19006-8502.

For individuals a contribution of $45-$100 is suggested. Your
contribution to help build The Action Ukraine Program, "To Ensure
Ukraine's Future," is very much appreciated. (END)(ARTUIS)
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 133 ARTICLE NUMBER FOURTEEN
========================================================
14. UKRAINIAN NGO'S AND THINK-TANKS' OSCE STATEMENT
Statement is in Response to the
'Statement by the CIS Countries on the Situation within the OSCE'

UKRAINIAN MONITOR
Center for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine (CPCFPU)
Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 22, 2004

KYIV - On the 8th of July the Russian Federation in Vienna has announced
'Statement by the CIS Countries on the situation within the OSCE' signed in
Moscow on 3rd July 2004. By this document the CIS countries [including
Ukraine] have disputed fundamental values of the Euro-Atlantic space such
as democracy and human rights. The initiators of the document are actually
disputing the move towards humanitarian activity of OSCE by the military
and political issues.

By its language the document does very much reminds of the worst samples
from the Soviet times and is an attempt to get back to the Cold War kind of
communication within the Euro-Atlantic space. 'Interfering into the internal
affairs' - seems to be a favorite phrase of all anti-democratic regimes
usually followed with taking about 'national specifics' which is apparently
not taken into consideration by OSCE. Extremely negative reaction came up
on the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
activity, which is an institution holding an official OSCE mandate for
monitoring the democracy processes including elections.

Let's pay our attention to an obvious facts distort reflected in the
'Statement'. Apparently, by accusing OSCE and ODIHR of 'double
standards', 'selective approaches' and 'political concerns' the authors
insist on offering to produce 'singular objective criteria of OSCE and
ODIHR estimating the election process within the whole Organization
space'. However, this is what has already been produced, moreover
in a certain time it was initiated by Russia.

In 1990 the Copenhagen council for human issues of the Conference on
Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE, now - OSCE) has founded the
principals of 'fair elections'. The Copenhagen council issued a 'Copenhagen
Document' which is known for being one of the fundamental international
documents for the democratic elections in the OSCE country members and
also worldwide regulations. With regards to this document ODIHR was
found and followed with the approved mandate in 1991.

In 2001 a decision for further concretization of the 'Copenhagen Document'
fundamentals based on a new experience and with a purpose of following
democratic elections improvement was initiated by Russia on the Minister
Council meeting in Bucharest.

Respectively, the work group of ODIHR systemizing the actual experience
and international standards has adopted a complex and comprehensive
document (100 pages) under a name of 'Existing commitments for democratic
elections in OSCE participating states' presenting the detailed democratic
elections criteria within the OSCE space. This document was submitted in
October 2003 and can be viewed on the OCSE website in either English
or Russian. This document refers not to only OCSE and Council of Europe
but to 'CIS Convention on Standards of Free and Democratic Elections'
signed by the majority of the new independent countries' leaders, including
Russia in 2002.

It was an indicative that since Existing commitments for democratic
elections in OSCE participating states' announcement neither Russia nor
Ukraine or any other country have at least once criticized the document or
any of its part.

Probably it was this absolutely concrete document which has severely
disappointed the post-Soviet nomenclature leaders foreseeing reaching a
political establishment with 'ruled democracy'. Neutralization the OSCE
activity in respect to the issues of democracy and human rights previously
attempted by imposing an artificial discussion concerning 'singular
standards' was not successfully implemented. This let some of the CIS
leaders inclined to totally outline the 'human issue' from the OSCE
activity, in which respect the 'Statement' is an evident of.

The negative trends of the recent years just speak of the lack of
democracy - one of the biggest threats for security in the post-Soviet
space. And this is only collaborating OSCE defining the priorities in this
part of the world.

We declare the disagreement with the contents and spirit of 'Statement by
the CIS Countries on the Situation within the OSCE'. We consider this
kind of document to direct into building a wall of misunderstandings
between CIS countries and the rest of Europe as also stretching a distance
in terms of law, politics and culture between the enlarged EU, NATO and
their Eastern neighbors.

This is to authenticate fidelity and precision of OSCE key points directed
in order to strengthen the democratic institutions and human rights for
young and non-stable democracies. We speak out for further optimization
and efficiency improvement in this respect.

(1) Center for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine;
(2) The Ukrainian Center for Economic and Political Studies named
after Olexander Razumkov
(3) Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation
(4) Ukrainian Center for Policy Studies
(5) Center 'Ukraine - European Choice'
(6) School of Political Analytics, National University 'Kyiv Mogylyan
Academy'
(7) Magazine "Ji" (Lviv)
(8) Institute for Democracy named after P. Orlyk
(9) All-Ukrainian NGO "Democratic Action"; Ukrainian Independent
Centre for Political Studies
(10) All-Ukrainian Civic League "Ukraine-NATO"
(11) Center for International and European Studies
(12) Atlantic Council of Ukraine
(13) Democratic Initiative Foundation
(14) Center for Social Studies 'Sofia'
(15) Center for Private Initiatives (Lviv)
LINK: Ukrainian Monitor, http://foreignpolicy.org.ua/eng/
========================================================
ARTICLES ARE FOR PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC USE ONLY
Articles are Distributed For Information, Research, Education
Discussion and Personal Purposes Only
========================================================
"To Join" The Free Distribution List
If you know of one or more persons you think would like to "Join"
the distribution list for "THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"-04 please
send us their names, country of residence, and e-mail contact information.
We welcome additional names. To receive the Report please send a
request e-mail to Morgan Williams, morganw@patriot.net. Past issues of
"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"-03 (125 reports) and UR-04 will
be sent upon request. Let us know if you want the Report sent to a different
e-mail address. Please let us know if you are receiving more than one copy
of the Report. LINK: http://www.artukraine.com/aur/aur1.htm
"To Be Removed" From The Distribution List
If you do not wish to receive future editions of "THE ACTION UKRAINE
REPORT"-04, up to five times per week, please be sure and notify us by
return e-mail to morganw@patriot.net.
========================================================
"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"-2004 SPONSORS:
"Working to Secure Ukraine's Future"
.1. THE ACTION UKRAINE COALITION (AUC): Washington, D.C.,
http://www.artukraine.com/auc/index.htm; MEMBERS:
A. UKRAINIAN AMERICAN COORDINATING COUNCIL,
(UACC), Ihor Gawdiak, President, Washington, D.C., New York, NY
B. UKRAINIAN FEDERATION OF AMERICA (UFA),
Zenia Chernyk, Chairperson; Vera M. Andryczyk, President; E.
Morgan Williams, Executive Director, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.
http://www.artukraine.com/ufa/index.htm
C. U.S.-UKRAINE FOUNDATION (USUF), Nadia Komarnyckyj
McConnell, President; John A. Kun, VP/COO; Markian Bilynskyj, VP,
Dir. of Field Operations; Kyiv, Ukraine and Washington, D.C., website:
http://www.usukraine.org .
2. UKRAINE-U.S. BUSINESS COUNCIL, Kempton Jenkins,
President, Washington, D.C.
3. KIEV-ATLANTIC GROUP, David and Tamara Sweere, Daniel
Sweere, Kyiv and Myronivka, Ukraine, 380 44 295 7275 in Kyiv.
4. POTENTIAL, launching a new business journal for Ukraine.
http://www.usukraine.org/potential.shtml
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kyiv vs. Kiev----SPELLING POLICY--Chornobyl vs.Chernobyl
THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" uses the spelling KYIV (Ukrainian)
rather than KIEV (Russian), whenever the spelling decision is under our
control. We do not change the way journalists, authors, reporters, the
news media spell these words or the other words they use in their stories.
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
========================================================
"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.
========================================================
THE ACTION UKRAINE COALITION
"Working to Ensure Ukraine's Future"
========================================================