The Ukrainian Weekly 2009, No.48
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Conference on 20th anniversary of Berlin Wall’s fall – page 3. • Op-ed: Treat Ukraine as a European democracy – page 7. • Virsky dance company wows audiences – page 11. HEPublished by theKRA Ukrainian NationalIN AssociationIAN Inc., a fraternal non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVIIT UNo.48 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER W 29, 2009 $1/$2 in Ukraine ELECTION NOTEBOOK: This time, Fifth anniversary of Orange Revolution Yanukovych supporters prepare protests marks launch of Yushchenko campaign by Zenon Zawada dent in 2004: “That’s a fact.” Kyiv Press Bureau Furthermore, the Supreme Court rul- ings declaring the second round was falsi- KYIV – Leaders of the Party of fied and creating the third round of voting Regions of Ukraine, the country’s most were illegal, said Mr. Kliuyev, who is popular political force, have begun telling widely reported to have led the their supporters to prepare to engage in Yanukovych campaign’s shadow staff in mass demonstrations to ensure the elec- 2004 that directed alleged vote fraud. tion of their leader, Viktor Yanukovych, “You can’t fool the Ukrainian people a as president. second time,” he said. “The Ukrainian “In these elections, we won’t allow people are very wise, and if there is a new lawlessness and, if need be, we’ll go out attempt to take away victory from Viktor on the streets to defend our right to a Fedorovych Yanukovych this time choice, our right for our voice to be heard around, then I think all Ukrainians will and counted,” PRU Vice-Chair Vasyl rise up and not allow this lawlessness to Dzharty told the Crimean organization on be executed,” he said. November 21, the party’s website report- ed. *** Mr. Yanukovych is expected to be Screening reporters’ questions has Offi cial Website of Ukraine’s President among the two candidates who square off kicked into effect during the presidential A view of the Freedom Day event at Kyiv’s Ukrainian Home that served as the in the second round run-off of the presi- election campaign. unofficial launch of President Viktor Yushchenko’s re-election campaign. dential election scheduled for February 7. A campaign staffer for Mr. Yanukovych Mr. Dzarty’s comments echoed what accidentally left a list of pre-screened by Zenon Zawada President Viktor Yushchenko’s presidential Andrii Kliuyev, the deputy campaign questions following a November 19 tea- Kyiv Press Bureau campaign – marketed as the Freedom Day chair for Mr. Yanukovych, told television and-coffee session the presidential candi- commemoration – was about to begin on viewers on the “Freedom on Inter” talk date held with Zhytomyr and Chernihiv KYIV – Baba Paraska scrambled out- the fifth anniversary of the Orange show on June 12. He insisted that Mr. side Kyiv’s Ukrainian Home (Ukrayinskyi Revolution. Yaukovych was lawfully elected as presi- (Continued on page 8) Dim), where the unofficial launch of “Do you have a ticket to spare?” she asked The Ukrainian Weekly’s reporter, only to be eventually denied by everyone, including the event organizers. Patriarch Filaret blesses “All Saints of Ukraine” mosaic Weeks earlier, the Orange Revolution’s legendary “babusia” refused to answer reporters’ questions on whom she would endorse. Now the Yushchenko campaign showed it would no longer be tolerating her straddling the fence, nor any indeci- siveness from Orange veterans. “She stood there, her path blocked by several militiamen, and cried openly at the rejection,” said Peter Borisow, president of the Hollywood Trident Foundation. The limited gathering of more than 1,500 Yushchenko supporters on November 22 was open to only the most loyal – others either abandoned the Ukrainian president at this point, such as former Justice Minister Roman Zvarych, or were pushed away, such as former Presidential Secretariat Chair Viktor Baloha. While the commemoration was broad- cast on the plasma screen just down the street at the maidan (Independence Square), the unusually warm weather could entice no more than 50 people to gather and watch it. Most of them were Orange veterans, activists of the Coalition of Orange Revolution Participants (KUPR) and neo- Kozaks, thin on intelligible political views but eager to party. A random passer-by would not have Pamela Jaresko known that hundreds of thousands of BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. – During his 10th archpastoral visit to Ukrainian Orthodox Parishes of the Kyiv Patriarchate in the Ukrainians had braved frigid weather just United States, Patriarch Filaret blessed the new mosaic, “All Saints of Ukraine,” on the facade of St. Andrew Ukrainian five years earlier to defend against the Orthodox Church in Bloomingdale, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. For the complete story on the patriarch’s visit, turn to page 17. (Continued on page 10) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2009 No. 48 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Ukraine relies on IMF payments Death toll from flu rises to 381 expressed hope that the Embassy would become not only a dear place for all for Russian gas purchase KYIV – The number of those who have Georgians, but also a symbol of Ukrainian- died of flu and acute respiratory viral infec- Georgian friendship. “Kyiv is a city of my by Pavel Korduban to pay for November deliveries, but he tions in Ukraine has increased to 381 as of youth, hope and dreams. But I couldn’t November 22, the Ukrainian Health Eurasia Daily Monitor admitted that it is uncertain how Ukraine imagine that Georgia and Ukraine would would pay in January. Ministry has reported. Over 1.6 million peo- become independent and that a Georgian Ukraine finds it increasingly difficult President Yushchenko’s aide Oleksandr ple have caught flu and respiratory illnesses Embassy would be built here,” he com- to survive without money from the Shlapak shared Mr. Nemyryia’s view- in the country, and 95,361 have been hospi- mented. (Ukrinform) International Monetary Fund (IMF). The point. Also speaking to Channel 5, he said talized. (Ukrinform) country paid Russia for October’s gas President speaks on Freedom Day that Ukraine cannot pay for gas in Georgia’s president in Ukraine deliveries with IMF funds and the same December and January without the IMF’s KYIV – Only a democratic Ukraine can means will be used for November’s gas assistance. KYIV – Georgian President Mikheil maintain territorial integrity and indepen- deliveries. However, the IMF did not dis- While admitting that the payment to Saakashvili arrived on a two-day visit to dence, President Viktor Yushchenko said in burse the fourth $3.8-billion tranche of its Gazprom due in early January may be Ukraine. During the visit Mr. Saakashvili an address at celebrations in Kyiv dedicated $16.4-billion loan to Ukraine in mid- delayed, the Yushchenko administration met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor to Freedom Day on Sunday, November 22. November because of the government’s pretends that it does not see any link Yushchenko, and a Ukraine-Georgia busi- He emphasized that Ukraine today has free- populist policies (Eurasia Daily Monitor, between this and transit to Europe. This ness forum was held. Speaking at a joint dom of speech. “August 24, 1991, and the November 4). means that Ukraine will blame Russia for press conference on November 19, President maidan [Maidan Nezalezhnosty, or This means that Ukraine may not any transit disruptions again, like in Yushchenko said Ukraine supports Georgia’s Independence Square, the focal point of the receive more IMF money until after the January when gas bound for transit was sovereignty and territorial integrity and does Orange Revolution] in autumn 2004 is a presidential elections in January and used by Ukrainian consumers after Russian not recognize the breakaway republics of February, and consequently it is unclear great movement of the nation and people deliveries were halted. Mr. Yushchenko’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “This is a fun- toward freedom. This movement is made up where it will find the money to pay for energy aide Bohdan Sokolovsky dismissed damental position of the Ukrainian state,” he Russian gas in early 2010. The debt-rid- of millions of Ukrainian fates, views, hopes. Moscow’s warnings that transit to the EU said. Mr. Yushchenko said Ukraine supports For us its essence is Ukrainian, and its nature den Naftohaz Ukrainy state-run oil and may be disrupted because Ukraine has no the clear observance of international law and gas behemoth ran out of money long ago. is common to all mankind,” the head of state funds to pay for gas. He said Ukraine had the peaceful settlement of conflicts, in line said. Mr. Yushchenko said that “over the There are fears that the situation in early accumulated enough gas in underground with the United Nations Charter, the 2009, when gas deliveries to Europe via past five years our economic movement, storage facilities to last over winter and its Helsinki Final Act and the Council of despite the crisis, has traveled a tremendous Ukraine were stopped for two weeks over gas transit network is fully operational. He Europe’s documents regulating security pol- a pricing dispute between Russia and distance.” He added, “At the beginning of also warned that Naftohaz Ukrainy faces icy. “Our relations with Georgia are relations my presidency our budget was $80 billion Ukraine, may be repeated. fines of up to $8 billion for buying less gas with deep traditions and mutual respect. We It was feared that Ukraine would be (U.S.). This was four years ago... Today in 2009 than stipulated by contracts with have repeatedly said that our positions in the Ukraine’s budget is $300 billion.” He unable to pay even for October and the Gazprom (Interfax-Ukraine, November 9). past and in the present are similar, and this head of the European Commission (EC) – recalled that “In 2004 Ukraine had $8 bil- The fines, added to a $4 billion hole in guarantees support for the dynamic develop- lion of foreign investments.