www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Divisions escalate within democratic coalition — page 3. • Zbigniew Brzezinki speaks about Ukraine — page 6. • Ukrainian roster grows at Lincoln Center — page 15. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXV No. 44 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2007 $1/$2 in Ukraine Washington roundtable discusses Monument to Russian empress Ukraine and the European Union in Odesa ignites conflict over past by Zenon Zawada by Matthew Dubas ing the world-renowned port city. Kyiv Press Bureau To celebrate, more than 25,000 WASHINGTON – Intellectuals and pol- Odesites gathered to watch a golden icy-makers of Ukraine, the European ODESA – They stood on either side of shroud fly off the 36-foot statue at about Union (EU) and the United States gathered the barricade. 6 p.m., followed by a dazzling panorama here in the nation’s capital on October 16- Defending the honor of Empress of fireworks and live outdoor concert 17 at the eighth of a series of roundtables Catherine II of Russia were the 70 or so performed by the Odesa Philharmonic dedicated to “Ukraine’s Quest for Mature members of the Khmelnytsky Union of Symphony, led by American maestro Nation Statehood.” The purpose of this Faithful Black Sea Kozaks. Hobart Earle. roundtable, “Ukraine-EU Relations,” With the help of about 200 Odesa In recent weeks, battles over renaming according to the program, was “to explore police officers, they successfully blocked streets and erecting monuments have Ukraine’s capacity to ‘thrive alongside’ its off their rivals from the Black Sea flared throughout Ukraine, reflecting the great Western neighbor as well as its readi- Haidamak Union, sworn enemies of the chasm between those who are proud of ness, if asked to join, to eventually ‘thrive Russian empress who came to protest the the Russian and Soviet heritage, and oth- inside’ the European Union.” monument. ers who want all remnants of imperialism Generally, the speakers agreed that “Imagine if someone came to your removed from Ukraine’s public sphere. Ukraine needs to take necessary reforms in home and told you how you’re supposed The Kyiv City Council voted on order to promote the process of EU mem- to live, and whether to build a monument October 25 to rename January Uprising bership for Ukraine. Areas of reform or not,” said Oleksander Lutsenko of the Street in honor of the legendary Kozak include the judicial system, the energy sec- Khmelnytsky Union. “I think Odesites leader Ivan Mazepa, drawing protest and tor, government accountability, constitu- are wise people and can decide for them- disgust from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate and its tional reform and economic planning. Matthew Dubas selves which monuments are needed.” “Ukraine is not close to membership in Centuries-old conflicts in Ukrainian faithful. (The Russian Orthodox Church Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski addresses the excommunicated Hetman Mazepa in the European Union,” said Hryhoriy history reignited in central Odesa on the conference on Ukraine-EU relations. November 1708 for his military alliance Nemyria, a member of the Yulia evening of October 27, when the city against Russia with Swedish King Tymoshenko Bloc (YTB), as he discussed compromised judicial independence, the unveiled its towering Founders of Odesa democratic governance in Ukraine. This Charles XII.) unconstitutional political reform of 2004 monument dedicated to Empress Nowhere did the historical conflicts was evident during the recent elections and and the prohibition of the Constitutional Catherine II and her four disciples who the from the observers who came to Court to rule on these reforms. In effect, are credited with founding and develop- (Continued on page 10) Ukraine to ensure free and fair elections, the entire legal system in Ukraine was added Mr. Nemyria. being destroyed, Judge Futey said. The The elections proved Ukraine’s lack of 300 votes for the majority coalition European “vocation” and its place in means that effective change will prove to Helsinki Commission briefing focuses Europe. Claims of an east-west divide in be difficult, he continued. Ukraine are false as seen in the election During the second panel discussion, results of the YTB, which won 15 out of 24 which focused on Ukraine’s common on implications of Ukraine’s elections oblasts across Ukraine. This was in con- vision with the EU, Borys Tarasyuk, WASHINGTON – “The Ukrainian elections.” trast to the Party of the Regions (PRU), Ukraine’s former minister of foreign Elections: Implications for Ukraine’s “The OSCE observers, including which according to election results repre- affairs, said that Ukraine has a legacy of Future Direction” was the title of a brief- many OSCE parliamentarians, as well as sents the interests primarily of the eastern shared “European-ness” with the EU, ing held by the U.S. Commission on Helsinki Commission staff, assessed both oblasts of Ukraine, Mr. Nemyria explained. including the defense of democracy, inter- Security and Cooperation in Europe the voting and counting process as good Ellen Bos, professor of political science ethnic tolerance, the protection of national (Helsinki Commission) on Thursday, or very good in nearly all of the 3,000 at Andrassy University in Budapest, minorities and its “good neighbor” status October 25. polling stations that were visited,” he Hungary, cited other examples of with Western Europe. The witnesses and panelists at the added. Ukraine’s lack of readiness to join the EU, David Kramer, deputy assistant secre- briefing were: Oleh Shamshur, ambassa- “The conduct of these elections is a which include Ukraine’s internal instabili- tary of state for European and Eurasian dor of Ukraine to the United States; testament to the Ukrainian people’s ty, disputes surrounding the Constitution affairs, said, “The United States wants to William Miller, former U.S. ambassador determined path toward the consolidation and the Constitutional Court, the lack of see Ukraine take its place in Europe and be to Ukraine; and Stephen Nix, director of of democracy as Ukraine advances its enforcement of the rule of law, and the lack a model for other countries in the region, to the Eurasian Division, International integration with the Euroatlantic commu- of a true party system, as, according to spread democracy throughout the region.” Republican Institute (IRI); with Orest nity,” Mr. Deychakiwsky continued. “As Prof. Bos, today’s parties are no more than But, he continued, with the recent elec- Deychakiwsky, senior staffer of the such, Ukraine serves as the model for the business affiliations. As a result, public tions, it’s time to get down to business. The Helsinki Commission, moderating. post-Soviet countries, too many of which confidence in the political process has threat of a boycott of the new Parliament is Messrs. Miller and Nix both were in have, sadly, retreated to heavy-handed dropped to 45 percent of the population, most disturbing, added Mr. Kramer. Ukraine for the parliamentary elections, authoritarianism.” she added. Many at the conference agreed that as was Mr. Deychakiwsky. Ambassador Shamshur began his Judge Bohdan Futey, who serves on the Ukraine’s energy policy needs reform and Mr. Deychakiwsky offered opening remarks by thanking “those Americans bench of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, transparency that would cut out the mid- remarks, noting that a few weeks ago who were part of the international moni- explored the development of the rule of dleman and ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), chairman toring effort.” He also thanked the co- law in Ukraine. According to Judge Futey, A sovereign Ukraine is in Russia’s inter- of the Helsinki Commission, had intro- chairs of the Helsinki Commission, Rep. the pros include the president’s proposal on ests as well. The question remains duced a bipartisan resolution congratulat- Alcee Hastings and Sen. Ben Cardin, as abolishing political immunity, the increase whether Ukraine will take the necessary ing the Ukrainian people for holding free, well as the the staff of the commission, reforms to bring Ukraine into the EU, Mr. in the freedom of the press, free and fair fair and transparent parliamentary elec- for organizing the briefing. He then Kramer added. elections, the fact that members of political tions on September 30. That resolution, added: “And I would like to underscore Igor Chalupec, a media mogul and cur- parties performed as election observers and Mr. Deychakiwsky explained, was based that the commission [has] earned a solid rent head of Icentis Partners, presented judicial reform. on the findings of the OSCE-led interna- reputation as the champion of liberty and Ukraine’s EU accession from the Polish On the con side, there still is widespread tional observation mission, which con- human rights on the international stage.” perspective, adding that Poland needs to corruption in maintaining the status quo, cluded that the elections were “mostly in Turning to the elections themselves, the propagation of political immunity, the line with OSCE commitments and other potential for another constitutional crisis, (Continued on page 12) international standards for democratic (Continued on page 13) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2007 No. 44 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Tymoshenko the real winner OU-PSD to become single party dor, and former SBU deputy head Volodymyr Satsiuk of his military rank of of Ukraine’s 2007 election KYIV – Viacheslav Kyrylenko, the major general, RFE/RL’s Ukrainian head of the political council of the Our Service reported. The honors were grant- by Taras Kuzio • First, YTB is by far Ukraine’s best- Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense bloc ed to the two security officials by Mr. organized election campaign machine. As (OU-PSD), said on October 30 that a sin- Yushchenko’s predecessor, Leonid Eurasia Daily Monitor gle political party will be created on the October 23 the BBC wrote, YTB is “one of the slick- Kuchma.