Ukraine Successfully Hosts the EBRD

INSIDE:• Rep. Jon Fox meets with members of Philadelphia community — page 5. • Results of Diversity Visa lottery announced — page 6. • USAID reaches out to Ukrainian American organizations — page 8. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVI HE KRAINIANNo. 20 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 17, 1998 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine Ukraine successfully hosts the EBRD Ukraine’sT ParliamentU W begins new session by Roman Woronowycz Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV – The first meeting of Ukraine’s newly-elected parliament quickly took on a circus-like atmosphere as Communists walked out even before the 14th session was declared officially open. Ukraine’s second democratically-elected Verkhovna Rada met for the first time on May 12 for a plenary session dealing with organizational matters and was high- lighted by the annual state of the nation address delivered before the body by Ukraine’s president, Leonid Kuchma. Chaos erupted on the floor of the parliament, however, as soon as National Deputy Slava Stetsko took to the podium to swear-in her fellow parliamentarians and officially open the 14th session. As this session’s oldest member, the 78-year-old member of Parliament assumed the responsibility of leading her fellow parliamentarians in taking the oath, a right granted to her by Ukraine’s Constitution. As Mrs. Stetsko stepped to the podium, Communist Party members began hooting and raised a banner stating, “Banderites out,” referring to a branch of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, a party in which Mrs. Stetsko was active for most of her life and one opposed to com- munism. Then, as Mrs. Stetsko began to administer the oath of office, some of them turned their backs to her while repeating the words of the pledge. Dymytriy Gavrish Before the meeting began, Communist Party members distributed leaflets allegedly showing Mrs. Stetsko President Leonid Kuchma greets EBRD officials at the opening of the board of governors meeting on May 11. greeting a German Nazi officer in 1941, about the time by Roman Woronowycz world of hosting a large-scale international event. It was her husband, Yaroslav Stetsko, presided over the decla- Kyiv Press Bureau viewed also by Ukraine’s government as a defining ration of Ukrainian statehood in western Ukraine in moment in its attempt to reverse international business June 1941. KYIV – By most accounts and from various points of opinion about Ukraine. After a one-hour break, called by Oleksander Moroz, view, Ukraine successfully hosted its first major interna- “I think that the meeting was an outright success,” said chairman of the previous Verkhovna Rada and acting tional business convention and its reputation as a country Charles Frank, the acting president of the EBRD, speaking in which to do business finally may have risen a few chairman of the current body, to allow the national on May 12, just after the formal conclusion of the conven- notches. deputies to sign the oaths in which they declared to defend tion. Defying all concerns that the convention might suffer Bankers and businessmen from 58 countries and Ukraine’s independence and to uphold the Constitution from disorganization, Mr. Frank stated unequivocally that more than 300 members of the international press corps and the laws of Ukraine, the deputies returned for the the meeting was “most successful in its organization.” opening of the session. gathered in Kyiv from May 9-12 for the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Board of The EBRD is an international organization that was However, when Mrs. Stetsko began an introduction in established in 1991 with the demise of the Soviet Union to her own words in addition to the official opening words, Governors Meeting and Business Forum. Many of the attendees arrived with doubts about Ukraine as a place aid countries in transition from command economies and the Communists had enough and walked out until Mrs. centralized planning to free markets. Its shareholders, Stetsko was through. to do business because of high taxes, Soviet-era bureau- cratic infrastructure and abundant allegations of wide- which consist of all the countries of the European Union, With the unconventional opening out of the way, the United States and Japan, provide credits, credit guaran- President Kuchma took the podium to address the 417 spread corruption. Most of the nearly 4,500 guests, which also included representatives from the U.S. and tees and invest in capital stocks in the 26 countries that national deputies registered in the hall. were once part of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union. The president’s state of the nation address lay the Japan, also had heard that hotel rooms would be few and accommodations well below their expectations. Ukrainian officials, who put great effort into the prepara- (Continued on page 3) The EBRD meeting was Ukraine’s first venture into the tions for the EBRD convention, which was organized on a very tight budget of 3.8 million hrv ($1.9 million U.S.) and with the contribution of extensive individual sponsor sup- port, were pleased with their effort. UNA convenes 34th Convention “We haven’t heard a single complaint or criticism,” said Oleh Taranov, head of the organizing committee of the PARSIPPANY, N.J. – As this issue of The Ukrainian Convention delegates also will hear and discuss Cabinet of Ministers. He said that the two biggest areas of Weekly went to press on Friday, May 15, the Ukrainian reports by members of the General Assembly, as well as concern – accommodations and transportation – were com- National Association convened its 34th Regular editors-in-chief of the Svoboda Ukrainian-language daily plaint-free. In fact, one of the cruise boats that the organiz- Convention in Toronto. newspaper and The Ukrainian Weekly, act on reports ing committee had retained to use as a floating hotel report- Delegates, elected by UNA branches throughout the presented by the Financial, Petitions and Secretaries ed that it was only half full. United States and Canada, will elect UNA officers, audi- committees, and adopt resolutions and recommendations That may have been because the number of business tors and advisors, who comprise the organization’s for the well-being of the UNA. guests was down from last year’s conference held in General Assembly. They will vote on two separate merg- Also on the convention agenda are a banquet on Tirana, Albania, where more than 2,000 businessmen ers of similar Ukrainian fraternal societies – the Saturday evening, May 16, and a concert on Sunday attended. Several press reports also attributed the availabil- Ukrainian National Aid Association of America and the evening, May 17, featuring the Vesnivka Choir and ity of hotel space to the large number of no-shows among Ukrainian Fraternal Association – with the UNA, and soloist Alexis Kochan. the business guests. Acting President Frank, however, amendments to the UNA By-Laws, which are aimed at The quadrennial convention meets through Tuesday, denied that this was the case. “We knew there would be a taking the UNA into the next century. May 19, at the downtown Toronto Hilton Hotel. (Continued on page 12) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 17, 1998 No. 20 Helsinki Commission issues report NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS on parliamentary elections in Ukraine Pustovoitenko gives up Parliament seat Azerbaijan, Ukraine discuss oil exports by Orest Deychakiwsky voting). Those voting outside the booths did so without any apparent concern (i.e., KYIV – Prime Minister Valerii BAKU – Visiting the capital of The Commission on Security and intimidation was not a factor). In Crimea, Pustovoitenko, elected as a national Azerbaijan to congratulate President Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) has issued CSCE staffers received several reports deputy on the National Democratic Party Heidar Aliev on his 75th birthday, a report on the March 29 elections in from domestic activists of young recruits ticket, announced on May 11 that he is Ukraine’s Prime Minister Valerii Ukraine. Three commission staffers trav- being instructed to vote for the Communist giving up his parliamentary seat and Pustovoitenko met with both Mr. Aliev eled to Ukraine to observe the parliamen- Party by officers in their military units. remaining in the government, ITAR-TASS and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Artur tary elections, the second democratic elec- On the positive side, staffers observed reported. Ukraine’s law forbids officials Rasi-Zade, to discuss the transport of tion of representatives to the Verkhovna greater numbers of domestic observers at from holding posts simultaneously in the Azerbaijani oil by tanker from the Black Rada since the restoration of Ukrainian polling stations representing various par- government and the Verkhovna Rada. Sea port of Supsa to Odesa. Some oil independence in 1991. The commission ties and candidates than in previous elec- Environment and Nuclear Safety Minister would be refined in Odesa for domestic was part of the delegation of the tions, which helped ensure greater control Yurii Kostenko, elected on the Rukh tick- use and the rest exported via the Odesa- Parliamentary Assembly of the 54-nation over the voting process and count, and et, has resigned his post to take up his par- Brody pipeline. In Washington, Organization for Security and Cooperation diminished the likelihood of cheating by liamentary seat. The new Parliament con- Ukraine’s Ambassador Yuri Shcherbak in Europe (OSCE PA). CSCE staffers unscrupulous election officials. vened for the first time on May 12. To discussed the Ukrainian option for observed the election process and visited According to the CSCE report, the elec- date, the Central Election Commission has exporting Azerbaijani oil with U.S. trade polling stations in central-western Ukraine tion resulted in a Verkhovna Rada similar registered 430 deputies and ordered elec- and energy officials.

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