The Ukrainian Weekly 2002, No.25

www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Ukraine’s “Little Russian” foreign policy — page 2. • Ukrainian Institute marks Oleh Krysa’s 60th birthday — page 13. • Volodymyr Klychko to defend boxing title in Atlantic City — page 17. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXX No. 25 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2002 $1/$2 in Ukraine HE KRAINIANPresident deliversEEKLY annual address KuchmaT names MedvedchukU chief of administration W by Roman Woronowycz to give his successor as the president’s chief to Rada, delineates policy priorities Kyiv Press Bureau of staff a ringing endorsement. “If it was the appointment of the head of KYIV – President Leonid Kuchma government or the chairman of the named Viktor Medvedchuk, formerly a law- Parliament, I might have a comment, but maker and head of the Social Democratic the appointment of the head of the presiden- Party (United), to head his administration tial administration is a decision that is on June 12. entirely the right of the president,” stated In his first comments on the matter, Mr. Lytvyn, who added that Mr. Kuchma President Kuchma said that he wanted clos- deeply weighs all such appointments. er cooperation with the Verkhovna Rada. Mr. Lytvyn noted that the profile and the “One of the reasons I appointed Mr. responsibilities of the office had increased Medvedchuk is to find a way to work more since he took office, which he gave as a rea- closely with the Parliament,” said Mr. son that Mr. Medvedchuk’s appointment Kuchma while in Vinnytsia on June 17. has been looked at with such a critical eye Mr. Medvedchuk replaced Volodymyr by the media. Lytvyn, head of the For a United Ukraine The appointment surprised some politi- political bloc during the recent elections to cal experts because it puts much authority in Parliament, who resigned after he won a the hands of a person who is outside Mr. seat on March 31. Mr. Lytvyn was elected Kuchma’s inner circle. The chief of staff chairman of the Verkhovna Rada on May organizes the president’s agenda and has 28. much input on whom he meets with and has Speaking at his first regular briefing as the new Rada chairman, Mr. Lytvyn failed (Continued on page 3) Kyiv and Moscow bureaucrats agree to joint review of textbooks by Roman Woronowycz “a group of experts on the question of Kyiv Press Bureau school textbooks with the aim of objec- tively presenting Ukrainian history and KYIV – An agreement between Ukrainian-Russian relations in Russian mid-level bureaucrats from Kyiv and textbooks and the history of Russia and Moscow to look into the formation of a Russian-Ukrainian relations in Ukrainian committee to review Ukrainian and textbooks and to quicken the develop- Russian school textbooks and agree on ment of constructive cooperation.” an acceptable version of their individ- The resolution resulted in a demon- ual histories brought a deluge of criti- stration by the Molodyi Rukh youth cism after a news item appeared on organization before the Cabinet of several Ukrainian news websites Ministers Building on June 11 to protest AP/Viktor Pobedinsky beginning June 8. the accord. Leaders of the youth group Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma agrily tosses back a pair of bast sandals The agreement to reach a consensus expressed concern that the committee that he received from Socialist Party member Yuriiy Lutsenko (foreground), as came as a result of the formation of a would allow Russophiles to further skew he delivered his annual address to the Parliament. According to tradition, hand- subcommittee on humanitarian coopera- Ukrainian-Russian history if given the tion from a more general Ukrainian- ing over a pair of bast sandals is a symbolic act of intent to dismiss that Mr. opportunity to approve school textbooks. Lutsenko used to hint of presidential impeachment. Russian committee on cooperation that “If Semynozhenko loves the Russian was organized in conjunction with the version of Ukrainian history so much, let by Roman Woronowycz should retain the authority to dismiss the “Year of Ukraine in Russia” celebrations him read those books, but spare us from Parliament if it cannot form a sustainable that President Vladimir Putin last year Kyiv Press Bureau reading them,” explained Taras majority coalition within a defined period. declared for 2002. The larger committee Shamaida, a leader of Molodyi Rukh, KYIV – President Leonid Kuchma gave He added that until the Verkhovna Rada is co-chaired by Ukraine’s Vice Minister according to the Kyiv Post. his annual state of the state address to showed an ability to form such a majority, of Humanitarian Affairs Volodymyr On June 18 Uriadovyi Kurier, the gov- Parliament on June 11, but only after a lead- he was not ready to look at other elements Semynozhenko and Russia’s Assistant ernment’s official press organ, issued a ing political opponent tossed a pair of slip- Chief of the Presidential Administration of administrative reform. President Kuchma statement in which it said that the inter- pers on the podium from which the presi- also restated his willingness to give a parlia- Valentina Matvienko. pretations in certain media reports as well dent was speaking, symbolizing a probable The controversy arose after the sub- mentary majority coalition the right to form as by Molodyi Rukh were misleading forthcoming effort to remove Mr. Kuchma, committee issued a statement on its pur- a government and appoint a prime minister. and politically motivated attacks against and two parliamentary factions that have The speech was the first address by the pose, which many Ukrainians, including the Ukrainian government. some members of the mass media, have opposed his leadership walked out. president to the recently elected Parliament The report stated that: “Vice Prime Ironically, the president expressed sup- which got down to the business of passing interpreted as giving Moscow undue Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr influence over the writing of Ukraine’s port for an impeachment law in his 45- legislation after taking a month to settle on a Semynozhenko emphasizes once again minute presentation, stating that it was presidium and committee chairs. history. Ukraine has made its first that the Ukrainian side will only accept needed to balance power between the exec- The parliamentary session began quite attempts to bring accuracy and legitima- any decisions made in the framework of utive and the legislative branches. However, unexpectedly when newly elected National cy to its version of hundreds of years of the work of the subcommittee as they Russian-Ukrainian history after centuries in alluding to the need for the Verkhovna Deputy Yurii Lutsenko, a leader of the relate to the national interests of Ukraine, Ukraine Without Kuchma protest move- of redesign by Moscow while it con- including their accuracy and expedience Rada legislature to approve changes to the trolled Ukrainian lands. Constitution of Ukraine as approved in a ment that had organized large demonstra- The subcommittee resolution tasked: (Continued on page 19) national referendum held in 2000, he added tions against the president last year and a that in the division of powers among the member of the Socialist faction, came for- branches of government, the executive (Continued on page 10) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2002 No. 25 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Ukraine’s “Little Russian” foreign policy Yushchenko comments on Medvedchuk into six groups. Five of them – Labor Ukraine, the National Democratic Party, KYIV – Our Ukraine leader Viktor Ukraine’s Regions, Ukraine’s Agrarians, proclaims “To Europe with Russia!” Yushchenko told journalists on June 13 and Industrialists and Entrepreneurs – by Taras Kuzio Ukraine’s never clearly defined “multi- that the recent appointment of Social will reflect the party composition of Our RFE/RL Newsline vector” foreign policy was confusing Democratic Party United leader Viktor Ukraine. The sixth group, called Power enough. The addition of the idea of “To Medvedchuk as head of the presidential of the People (Narodovladdia), is to Since President Leonid Kuchma’s re- Europe with Russia” indicated that not only administration is a step toward strength- include Our Ukraine deputies with no election in November 1999, the election of was Ukrainian foreign policy merely a tool ening “outsiders” from the parliamentary party affiliation. (RFE/RL Newsline) Russian President Vladimir Putin and the to react to short-term changes (i.e., “multi- elections and “revising the results of removal of Borys Tarasyuk as Ukraine’s vectorism”) but worse still, Ukraine was these elections,” UNIAN reported. Such Miners protest wage arrears foreign affairs minister in 2000, oligarchic meant to operate only under Russia’s wing actions on the part of the authorities groups in eastern Ukraine have unofficially in the same manner as when it was a “separate us from democracy and politi- KYIV – Some 90 coal miners from the Luhansk Oblast launched a hunger strike replaced Ukraine’s 1993 foreign policy “younger brother” in the Soviet era. To this cal agreement,” Mr. Yushchenko added. on Independence Square in Kyiv on June concept with a now one: “To Europe With is added a lack of self-confidence and Political scientist and Our Ukraine law- 18, demanding payment of overdue Russia!” national pride when President Kuchma maker Mykola Tomenko echoed Mr. wages. “We are determined to stay here Andrii Derkach, son of the disgraced says, “Ukraine cannot make any progress Yushchenko, saying that Mr. former chairman of the Security Service of until the government pays our money. In without Russia.” Medvedchuk’s appointment means a vic- Ukraine and a leading member of the some months, we get only one-third of “To Europe with Russia” deepened the tory for the “party of war” in President Dnipropetrovsk-based Labor Ukraine oli- our salaries – and sometimes nothing.

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