INSIDE:• President Leonid Kuchma heads for the Mideast — page 3. • Independent journalist/dissident Serhii Naboka dies — page 4. • Children’s video series now on the Internet — page 9. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXI HE KRAINIANNo. 4 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2003 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine NationwideT surveyU reveals Verkhovna RadaW approves draft bills culture of corruption in Ukraine on the rights of diaspora Ukrainians by Roman Woronowycz service was tolerable. About 44 percent by Roman Woronowycz better chance for approval when time Kyiv Press Bureau indicated they paid bribes or made gifts in Kyiv Press Bureau comes time to vote on one of the two one form or another at least once in the proposals. KYIV – A culture of corruption is set- last year. KYIV – The Verkhovna Rada passed Speaking on Ukrainian television after tling upon Ukraine, according to a nation- “Today bribes have become the norm initial versions of two bills on January 17 passage of the first reading of the draft al survey released on January 15. for society,” explained Olha Balakirieva, that would give ethnic Ukrainians who bill, Our Ukraine National Deputy Taras The poll, developed by the Ukrainian director of the Social Monitoring Center. do not have Ukrainian citizenship special Chornovil said simplified entry proce- Institute for Social Research and the “This is one of the phenomenon of con- status and simplified entry procedures dures for diaspora Ukrainians would Social Monitoring Center in conjunction temporary Ukrainian society that we need into Ukraine. open new avenues for interaction with with the United Nations Development to research. We cannot ignore it.” The bills, which would give diaspora Ukrainians around the world. He added Program, showed that 78 percent of the Ms. Balakirieva said that a majority of Ukrainians official status and their own that it would also allow Ukraine to better respondents believed that all or most all the respondents accept the situation identification cards, are nearly identical government officials have accepted defend those ethnic Ukrainians who are because they believed their government except for almost negligible differences mistreated or denied human rights in bribes. More than 80 percent stated that was incapable of change. Nearly two- in the interpretation of the word ”foreign- corruption was prevalent within the judi- some countries across the globe. thirds responded that in their estimation based Ukrainians,” the term used in both Ukrainian American and Ukrainian cial branch of government, as well, while government actively resists popular con- documents to identify the group that falls 71 percent responded in the affirmative to Canadian community leaders have lob- trol and refuses to listen to its citizens. under the bills’ provisions. bied for some time for a law to delineate a query about whether they believed that Most citizens believe the government The version presented by National most government officials were tied to the the status of those former citizens of lacks democratic values, has little trans- Deputies Yevhen Hirnyk and Yevhen Ukraine who were forced to leave their mafia or private family business relations. parency in day-to-day activities and is all Zhovtiak of the anti-presidential Our The survey, conducted in late homeland over the last several decades but bereft of professionalism. Ukraine parliamentary faction also uti- for political or economic reasons and November and early December, included She noted that about 44 percent of lizes the term ”diaspora Ukrainians,” 3,063 respondents from 83 cities and 69 now would like a chance to be able to respondents replied that central govern- which the bill submitted by National visit freely and even do business in the villages across Ukraine. The margin of ment authorities were incapable of resolv- Deputy Andrii Derkach of the pro-presi- error was between 1.1 percent and 1.83 country. ing individual and societal problems, and dential Labor Ukraine faction and percent. Both proposed laws would allow those a like number, 45 percent, could not do so National Deputy Ihor Ostash of Our who can show a link to their ancestral The most telling finding, however, was at the oblast and local level. Ukraine does not. homeland and who apply for the special that a good portion of Ukraine’s populace Oleksander Yaremenko of the However, perhaps the biggest differ- status the ability to enter and live in seems inclined to accept bribery and cor- Ukrainian Institute of Social Research ence between the two proposals is that Ukraine for up to 120 days annually ruption as a normal part of everyday life. explained that many people tied higher one was developed by the anti-presiden- without a visa. It also would allow quali- Some 23 percent of the respondents indi- levels of government to higher rates of cated that making additional payments tial forces of Our Ukraine, while the fied foreigners to live in the country for beyond the assigned cost of a government (Continued on page 12) other bill was prepared and presented up to three years without requiring an jointly by representatives from both sides invitation from either a Ukrainian indi- of the aisle in the politically divided Financial transactions with Ukraine Ukrainian Parliament, which gives it a (Continued on page 12) now subject to stricter monitoring Kyiv marks January 22 anniversary by Roman Woronowycz (FATF), an international agency made up of Kyiv Press Bureau 29 member-countries that monitors finan- cial transactions and money-laundering KYIV – Even as Ukraine made a belated schemes, decided that Ukraine had failed to effort on January 16 to avoid implementa- pass legislation that assures it adheres to tion of a stringent regime of compliance by new Western banking standards on fighting Western countries by passing additional international money laundering. anti-money laundering measures, Germany The FATF officially blacklisted Ukraine announced it would begin strict monitoring and recommended that members closely of all financial transactions with Ukrainian scrutinize financial transactions with the commercial banks that exceeded 15,000 country. It suggested that members proceed euros ($16,000). Four days later Great from a presumption that all movement of Britain announced it had ordered all corre- money from Ukrainian banks is suspect. spondent banks to temporarily halt opera- The FATF had previously warned the coun- tions with Ukrainian partners. try about the need to pass anti-money laun- The action by FATF member-countries dering legislation and had set a deadline of comes amid claims by Ukrainian govern- December 19, 2002, some months ago. ment officials that oversight procedures, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada had passed which are effectively economic sanctions an initial law “on prevention and counterac- because they damper financial transactions, tion of the legalization of proceeds from are not warranted. crime” on November 28, 2002, which it “There are no large-scale money laun- based on the internationally recognized dering operations in Ukraine,” said Viktor Strasbourg Convention, incorporating 40 Suslov, chairman of the State Committee on AP/Viktor Pobedinsky recommendations to prevent money laun- KYIV – Some 500 people attended a commemoration in St. Sophia Square of the Financial Market Regulation. “In the last dering. President Leonid Kuchma signed 85th anniversary of the independence of Ukraine proclaimed by the Ukrainian years there has been a drain of large the bill into law on December 7. Central Rada on January 22, 1918. Above, participants in folk dress are seen amounts of finances from Ukraine, which Western financiers, however, found the have been laundered outside the country.” legislation deficient because it failed to under the flags of various Ukrainian political parties, including the Batkivschyna The monitoring procedures come a Party and the Ukrainian Republican-Sobor Party. Also present were members and month after the Financial Action Task Force (Continued on page 15) supporters of both Rukh parties. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2003 No. 4 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Group fights public apathy over corruption Anti-monopoly body OKs gas consortium part Igor Ivanov in a telephone conversa- by Askold Krushelnycky said the organization, which has been tion on January 15 that Ukraine wants to RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report working in the country for two years, KYIV – The Anti-Monopoly postpone the introduction of new require- wants to inform ordinary Ukrainians Committee on January 21 granted Russia’s ments for crossing the countries’ mutual The public perception that Ukraine is about the rights they possess and to help Gazprom and Naftohaz Ukrainy permis- border, the UNIAN news service reported. rotten with corruption is not new. But the organize groups to fight corruption. sion to pursue the establishment of the The planned changes include requiring latest opinion poll released on January 15 Ms. Kolomayets said the PTS is not International Consortium on Management Ukrainians and Russians to present for- by Ukraine’s Social Monitoring Center aimed at eradicating corruption among and Development of Ukraine’s Gas eign-travel passports when crossing the and the Institute of Social Studies is star- the top echelons of government but rather Transport System during the pre-invest- border. The Russian side had proposed that tling because of the high numbers of peo- at the levels that affect ordinary people: ment stage of the consortium’s operations, such a regulation be introduced on July 1. ple who believe that most or all govern- bribes paid to medical personnel for treat- Interfax reported. The consortium is being Quoting the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs ment officials are on the take – 78 percent ment, to staff to admit children into high- set up on a parity basis under last year’s Ministry’s press service, the news agency of respondents – and the admission that er education, or to minor bureaucrats to agreement between the Ukrainian and reported that Mr.