Politicians Comment on Ukraine's Achievements Over the Past Decade

INSIDE:• Ukraine’s steps“TEN to independence: YEARS OFa timeline INDEPENDENT — page 7 UKRAINE” • Academic and professional perspective: an interview — page 8 • Kyiv students perspective — page 6 Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXIX HE KRAINIANNo. 34 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2001 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine PoliticiansT commentU on Ukraine’s Third UkrainianW World Forum held in Kyiv achievements over the past decade Criticizes Kuchma, produces little progress by Roman Woronowycz obvious one. We believed the question by Roman Woronowycz Ukrainian government to develop a policy Kyiv Press Bureau was still worth asking because it gave us Kyiv Press Bureau of immigration and reintegration of the an insight into how the political leaders diaspora into Ukrainian society and the KYIV – If you asked well over a view that which has transpired over the KYIV – The Third World Forum of lack of cohesiveness and cooperation dozen politicians what they think is the last decade in this country. Ukrainians opened on August 18 with among the legislative and executive greatest achievement of 10 years of The Ukrainian politicians that The much pomp, high expectations and calls branches of power in Ukraine. Ukrainian independence, you would Weekly questioned come from various for consolidation of the Ukrainian nation The resolution blames the failure to think the replies would be varied, accent- points on the Ukrainian political horizon on the eve of the 10th anniversary celebra- complete democratic and economic ing various nuances in the political, eco- and have either been near the top of the tion of the country’s independence. reforms on old apparatchiks, remnants of nomic and cultural revival of the nation political echelon in Kyiv in the last Protests in the session hall quickly the old Soviet system who have clung to and the state over the last decade. decade or were closely involved with the changed the atmosphere, however, and at power and continue to block changes, and But the politicians that were dramatic changes that took place as the one point the first day threatened to turn expresses the need for “patriotic demo- approached gave answers that were Soviet Union collapsed onto itself in the into a high profile demonstration against cratic forces” to remain united if the coun- uncannily similar, giving us pause to dog days of August 1991. the administration of President Leonid wonder at times during our interviews try is to complete its move towards politi- The answer provided by Ivan Drach, a Kuchma. cal modernization. It also warns of the whether some giant prank was not being leader of the Popular Rukh organization But in the end the international gather- played and whether we were not the butt undue power and influence of the “finan- in the years just before and after inde- ing of representatives of Ukrainian civic cial oligarchic clans” that have assumed of the joke. We persisted, however, pendence, who today is head of the State groups from around the globe, the third although we realized the answer was an important positions within state structures. Committee on Radio and Television, typ- since Ukraine declared independence in Finally, it calls for the formation of a sin- ified what the others said. 1991, ended quietly with many of the del- gle “All-Ukrainian Church,” as well as the “The biggest accomplishment? That egates merely grumbling about the lack of rehabilitation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Former UNA vice-president the country has survived these 10 years. planning and organization, and their Army (UPA) and the extension of veter- That is it. What else can there be?” inability to develop a specific outline for an’s benefits to its members. explained Mr. Drach. the direction of their relations with Even with an extensive, if unapproved, Stephen Kuropas dies The response, although less than Ukraine, as they had after the first two list of action items and resolutions, dele- enthusiastic and optimistic, nonetheless forums. gates and guests expressed uneasiness that succinctly explains an incontrovertible PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Stephen The key points made in the final resolu- this forum had been the least productive fact: State independence is in and of Kuropas, the oldest honorary mem- tions, which have yet to be approved by yet. itself by far the most important achieve- ber of the UNA and former supreme the 600 or so delegates – three hundred “We expected that this forum would be vice-president, died on Saturday, ment for a Ukrainian nation that suffered from the diaspora and 300 from Ukraine – over 300 years of imperial hegemony, the grandest after 10 years of independ- August 11, at the age of 100. primarily address concerns and points of ence. It was going to bring Ukraine Born in October of 1900, Mr. according to the politicians we queried. disagreement with perceived Ukrainian together with the diaspora of the East and Kuropas fought in the Austrian army Everything else is secondary and simply policy. In the three and a half page docu- the West to decide how to build the coun- during World War I and with the follows logically from that which hap- ment the delegates expressed discomfort try and maintain the diaspora,” explained Ukrainian Galician division against pened first. with the poor development of the Michael Sawkiw Jr., president of the Poland. After his miltary obligations Mr. Drach’s response did, however, Ukrainian language in the country, the brought him to Czechoslovakia, he add a certain nuance as well: that there Ukrainian Congress Committee of undeveloped state of information systems, America. earned a degree in agronomy from has been very little that has happened in the lack of Ukrainian language print and Charles University in Prague. Mr. the last 10 years that is worth celebrat- broadcast media, the failure of the (Continued on page 18) Kuropas later moved back to ing. That, however, is simply one man’s Ukraine, but immigrated to America opinion, although in our survey others in 1927 in order to avoid service in would have agreed, and did. the Polish military, for which he had In many of the answers, the politicians attempted to mention at least some posi- Thirty-seven Donbass miners (Continued on page 17) tive event in the last ten years. National Deputy Les Taniuk, the former stage killed in Zasiadko explosion director who was part of the Rukh move- by Roman Woronowycz was caused by spontaneous ignition after a ment from the start, did just that and Kyiv Press Bereau buildup of methane underground. unwittingly also expounded a bit on Mr. “We don’t need the coal if it carries that Drach’s terse reply a day later at a press KYIV – Thirty-seven miners are already kind of price,” said President Kuchma, conference of both Rukh Parties: dead, and the number is very likely to climb commenting on the tragedy after arriving in “The main achievement was the end considerably two days after a methane gas of the empire – the end of the Soviet Donetsk on August 20. explosion rocked another Ukrainian coal The president said he would heed recom- Union. It was an achievement propelled mine, this one in Donetsk. by a desire for independence primarily mendations that the mining industry limit The explosion, which injured 38 addi- mine depths to 1,000 meters. He explained on the part of Ukraine, the Baltic States tional miners, 19 of them critically, occurred and Georgia. It was a monumental his- that experts had told him it was very diffi- the morning of August 19 at a level of 1,300 cult to control conditions in the mines that torical moment.” meters, or nearly a mile below ground. Ten “The second one is that Ukraine far below the ground. miners were still missing as rescue workers The affected mine, the Zasiadko, is con- appeared on the European map not continued attempts to extinguish intense through violent overthrow but by a vote, sidered the most productive in the region, fires below the surface that had reached but some experts are questioning whether a national referendum. And when we temperatures of 1,000 degrees centigrade. began to analyze that vote we saw that the output has not been at too high a price. Thirty-five of the 37 dead were killed in the while more than 90 percent of ethnic In May 1999, 50 miners died when another blast, while the other two succumbed to Ukrainians voted for independence, 80 methane explosion shook the Zasiadko severe burns a day later. percent of ethnic Russians living in mine. Ukraine did as well. And Jews were at Government officials, including Meanwhile President Kuchma said in about 90 percent in support, while Tatar Ukraine’s President Leonid Kuchma and Donetsk that he had asked the United States Stephen Kuropas First Vice Prime Minister Oleh Dubyna, (Continued on page 3) were told at the scene that the explosion (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2001 No. 34 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Ukrainians search for their national identity NEWSBRIEFS Lawmaker tried for embezzlement Donetsk on August 19, Ukrainian and by Taras Kuzio and concerts organized. world media reported. At least 10 min- RFE/RL Newsline Some Russian-language media outlets Ukrainian legislator Viktor ers are still missing, and 39 were hospi- are being transformed into Ukrainian- Zherdytskyi, the former head of Kyiv’s talized with severe burns. Rescue teams After Italy’s unification in 1860, Russian media. Zerkalo Nedeli, the lead- Gradobank, went on trial in Hildesheim halted their search for survivors due to Italian leader Massimo d’Azeglio ing weekly Russian-language newspaper (Germany) on August 16 for embezzling a fierce fire at the accident site, 1,300 remarked that “We have made Italy, we since 1994, which is read by Ukraine’s German compensation money intended meters underground.

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