www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: “A Ukrainian Summer” – a special 16-page pullout section. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXVI No. 18 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2008 $1/$2 in Ukraine President and prime minister International Torch Relay strives clash over State Property Fund to raise awareness of Holodomor by Illya M. Labunka terms of sale of 99.52 percent of shares of PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The Kyiv Press Bureau the OPP, a major producer and exporter of International Torch Relay – whose goal ammonia. The president’s latest decree is to raise awareness around the globe KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko on attempting to halt the privatization of the about the Holodomor of 1932-1933 – April 25 issued a decree suspending a OPP was issued on April 15, but Prime began its journey in Australia and is now Cabinet of Ministers resolution of February Minister Tymoshenko has openly chal- in Canada. 6 on the temporary dismissal of State lenged the president and declared that the The relay – an official initiative of the Property Fund (SPF) head Valentyna sell-off of the OPP would take place as government of Ukraine and the Semeniuk-Samsonenko and the appoint- early as May 20. Ukrainian World Congress – will travel ment of SPF acting head Andrii Portnov, a The government has slammed SPF Chair to 33 countries. member of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc Semeniuk-Samsonenko for allowing shad- The torch will be in the United States (YTB). ow privatization in the past and disrupting on May 4-31, visiting cities that are In turn, Prime Minister Yulia the implementation of this year’s privatiza- home to major Ukrainian American com- Tymoshenko instructed the acting head of tion plan, thus embarking on a crusade to munities, beginning with Seattle on May the SPF, Mr. Portnov, not to fulfill the presi- clean house at the fund. 4 and then proceeding to San Francisco, dential decree of April 25 concerning the On April 25 Ms. Tymoshenko Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Chicago, SPF leadership and the suspension of the announced that on April 17 the Detroit and Cleveland, followed by privatization of the Odesa Portside Plant Constitutional Court of Ukraine had reject- Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Rochester and (OPP). The controversial order given by ed the president’s request to consider the Syracuse, N.Y., Hartford, Conn., Boston, the prime minister to one of her subordi- case surrounding Ms. Semeniuk- Yonkers, Binghamton and Albany, N.Y., nates in contravention of the president’s Samsonenko’s dismissal by the Cabinet of South Bound Brook, N.J., New York, The torch that is traveling via the directives was the first such instruction Ministers. In addition, on April 24 the Kyiv Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. International Torch Relay from Austria since Ms. Tymoshenko took office as head District Administrative Court cancelled Along the way, the relay will make its to North and South America, Europe, of Ukraine’s government in December President Yushchenko’s decrees that had way to three Ukrainian centers of activi- Eurasia and Ukraine. The relay aims to 2007. suspended the reshuffling of the SPF’s lead- ty over the Memorial Day holiday week- raise global awareness of the Holodomor ership. The presidential decree was Mr. end: the “Pysanyi Kamin” camp of Plast of 1932-1933. “With its ruling of April 24, the District Yushchenko’s third official attempt since Ukrainian Scouting Organization in Administrative Court of Kyiv has ceased February 7 to quash Ms. Tymoshenko’s Middlefield, Ohio (May 24), where the the presidential decrees regarding both Ms. Stefan Romaniw, chair of the Ukrainian efforts to oust Ms. Semeniuk-Samsonenko annual “Sviato Yuriya” camporee will be Semeniuk[-Samsonenko], and the appoint- World Congress International (until her recent marriage known as Ms. taking place; the Ukrainian American ment of new heads and deputy heads of the Coordinating Committee of the 75th Semeniuk) as head of the country’s privati- Youth Association “Oselia” in Ellenville, State Property Fund,” said Ms. Anniversary of the Holodomor, and N.Y. (May 25), where the “Zlet” gather- zation agency. Tymoshenko. The prime minister said the Ambassador of Ukraine Valentyn Similarly, the president has repeatedly court ruling was absolutely correct. ing will be; and Soyuzivka, the Adomaytis. The torch was then passed to attempted to suspend the government’s res- Ukrainian heritage center in Kerhonkson, survivors of the Famine-Genocide, and olution of February 11, which approved the (Continued on page 5) N.Y., owned by the Ukrainian National then on to youth representatives of the Association (May 25). Ukrainian community and Sen. Gary The International Torch Relay began Humphries of the Australian Parliament. WHO sees public health crisis last month in Australia. Among the Australian cities visited by The relay was initiated on April 6 in the International Torch Relay was Canberra, where the torch was blessed in alcohol consumption in Ukraine by local clergy and officially lit by (Continued on page 4) by Illya M. Labunka and WHO, showed that approximately Kyiv Press Bureau 25 percent of teens age 15-16 admitted drinking alcohol before the age of 13. KYIV – On average, Ukrainians Approximately 40 percent of children consume approximately 3.25 gallons of age 11-12 also drank alcohol. alcohol per year per person and the A disturbing trend revealed by the number of individuals with a depend- survey suggests that the age at which ency on beer has increased 10 to 12 children start to consume alcohol and times over the course of the last to smoke cigarettes is decreasing, decade. In light of such figures, the while the number of females involved World Health Organization (WHO) has is increasing. called alcoholism “the single greatest In addition, among those surveyed public health crisis in modern approximately 20 percent of sixth- Ukrainian history.” grade school children and 70 percent of On April 10 the Ukrainian Institute first-year students of vocational col- of Social Research (UISR) issued the leges and trade schools reported that results of a survey on the health and they have been drunk at least once. behavioral trends among school-aged Similarly, 35 percent of eighth graders children in Ukraine. The survey, pub- admitted that they were drunk at least lished in the form of a report, covered once, while 53 percent of 10th graders over 6,000 children (age 11-16) in 335 admitted the same fact. schools, vocational colleges and uni- According to Dr. Serhii Shevchuk, versities in 124 cities and 103 villages head of the Health for Everyone in all regions of Ukraine. Foundation in Kyiv, approximately The study, sponsored by the United Ten Members of the Victorian Parliament in Melbourne, Australia, on April 15 Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (Continued on page 11) joined Ukrainians of Australia in the International Torch Relay event on the steps of the Parliament. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2008 No. 18 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Future of Orange coalition Helicopter crashes in Black Sea tional process. The YTB pledged to initi- ate the formation of an ad hoc parliamen- KYIV – A Ukrainian helicopter on tary commission to introduce changes to expected to be decided in May April 28 crashed into an offshore drilling the constitution. Mr. Yushchenko created platform in the Black Sea, killing all 20 by Taras Kuzio was head of the 2004 Yushchenko cam- the Constitutional Council in late people on board, RFE/RL’s Ukrainian paign and Mr. Rybachuk is an old banking December 2007. According to Heorhii Eurasia Daily Monitor Service reported. One man initially sur- associate of Mr. Yushchenko. Both were Kriuchkov, a member of the council’s vived, but later died from his injuries. The Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s removed as presidential advisers in March- working group, the new version of the April 14 speech to the Parliamentary April as part of Mr. Baloha’s growing con- helicopter clipped the platform with its tail rotor, plummeted and burst into Constitution provides for a mixed form of Council of Europe (PACE), in which she trol over Mr. Yushchenko. government and some limitations on the outlined her support for constitutional Mr. Yushchenko and, in particular, Mr. flames. Transportation Minister Yosyp Vinskyi said that the accident is under president’s authority, which, in particular, reforms that would transform Ukraine into Baloha have developed a double strategy deprive the president of the power to a parliamentary republic modeled on against Ms. Tymoshenko that has back- investigation, but the most likely reason for the crash is the “human factor.” A nominate the ministers of foreign affairs Germany, is both a sign of the growing fired and led to the May showdown. and defense. (RFE/RL Newsline) frustration inside the Orange coalition and First, beginning four days after Ms. similar accident happened a month ago, a warning shot at President Viktor Tymoshenko’s ratification as prime minis- when a helicopter belonging to the bor- President criticizes Constitutional Commission Yushchenko. ter by Parliament on December 18, 2007, der-guard service crashed into the Black The month of May will see mayoral the National Security and Defense Council Sea, killing 13 people. (RFE/RL KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko elections in Kyiv and Kharkiv that the (NSDC) was being transformed into a Newsline) told a press conference on April 24 that the intention to change the Constitution Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (YTB) is likely to “grand coalition in waiting.” The NSDC is President declares day of mourning win. In Kharkiv and Kyiv, respectively, the headed by PRU faction leader Raisa of Ukraine through the ad hoc parliamen- Party of the Regions (PRU) and pro- Bohatyriova with deputies from the KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko tary commission is a “rowdy attempt that Yushchenko mayors were removed from Kuchma camp, Stepan Havrysh, and the declared April 30 a day of national has no prospect,” RFE/RL’s Ukrainian power on charges of corruption.