The Ukrainian Weekly 2012, No.33
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: l Yanukovych signs the language law – pages 2 and 6 l Medal-winning performances at the Olympics – page 5 l Red Hot Chili Peppers in concert in Kyiv – page 14 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXX No. 33 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2012 $1/$2 in Ukraine Top candidates Ukraine’s parliamentary election campaign begins of Ukraine’s Regions, Batkivshchyna leading parties present their candidates by Zenon Zawada Following is information on the Special to The Ukrainian Weekly top five candidates on the party lists KYIV – Ukraine’s parliamentary election of the Party of Regions of Ukraine campaign kicked off officially on July 30 and the Batkivshchyna Party. when the country’s two leading political forces, the Party of Regions of Ukraine and Party of the Regions of Ukraine the Batkivshchyna party, held their con- 1. Mykola Azarov – 64, prime gresses to present their candidates. minister of Ukraine. Born in Russia, The styles of the congress demonstrated Mr. Azarov was a geologist before his their sharply contrasting political situations. meteoric rise in politics. On the Members of the Party of Regions gath- Melnychenko tapes, a voice similar to ered at the International Exhibition Center Mr. Azarov’s is recorded as planning across the street from the Resurrection of Aleksandr Sinitsa/UNIAN election fraud in the 1999 presidential Christ Ukrainian Catholic Patriarchal Arseniy Yatsenyuk (left) and Anatoliy Grytsenko led the Batkivshchyna party con- vote with former President Leonid Cathedral, overlooking the Dnipro River. gress on July 30 as it nominated its candidates for the parliamentary elections. Kuchma. The Azarov government is The party forbid reporters to enter the hall accused of rampant corruption by and hauled in 18 busloads of police and its party headquarters in the Podil District weeks, bearing photographs of high-rise independent economists and experts. special forces to stand guard. of Kyiv. National deputies and former min- apartment construction, cheering soccer 2. Tayisiya Povaliy – 46, pop “A participant had to get through three isters mingled with the crowd of a few fans and new tram cars. singer. A native of a Kyiv Oblast vil- levels of state security to enter the center thousand, being accessible to anyone will- Stability was the theme when President lage, Ms. Povaliy started out singing where a public event was taking place,” ing to arrive at 8 a.m., when it began. Viktor Yanukovych addressed the congress, Ukrainian before becoming an inter- reported Opora (Support), Ukraine’s lead- They had originally scheduled the con- specifically referring to the need to prevent national star in Moscow. The Russian ing independent election monitor. gress for 11 a.m., but had to move it up when the opposition from using the October 28 government awarded her the Order of “Security was provided by the State the parliamentary coalition announced three election “for the latest destabilization” of Friendship in December 2011 for Security Administration, Berkut special days earlier that an extra plenary session the country’s social and political situation. popularizing the Russian language forces and unknown persons dressed as would begin that day at 10 a.m. “We won’t allow any more political wars and culture in Ukraine. civilians. None of the pre-election congress- and confrontation,” he said. “Ukraine needs Party of Regions of Ukraine 3. Sergey Tigipko – 51, minister es visited by observers had such unprece- political stability and socio-economic of social policy, estimated 2011 wealth dented security measures, though national “Ruin is overcome, stability achieved!” is development. In this, I see the mission of of $535 million. Mr. Tigipko single- deputies and key officials were present at among the main themes of the Party of the Party of Regions and all progressive, handedly launched the Strong Ukraine them as well,” Opora noted. Regions during this year’s parliamentary democratic forces.” party only to fold it into the Party of Meanwhile, Batkivshchyna held its con- campaign. Billboards bearing this slogan Regions. He fled Ukraine during the sprung up throughout Ukraine in recent Orange Revolution of 2004, when he gress on a stage set up on the street outside (Continued on page 9) served as campaign manager for pres- idential candidate Viktor Yanukovych. 4. Andrii Kliuyev – 46, chair of the National Security and Defense Council, estimated 2011 wealth of Team Ukraine has 10 medals at Summer Olympics in London $140 million. Mr. Kliuyev was widely by Matthew Dubas reported to have served as the chief of the shadow campaign for presidential PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The second week of candidate Viktor Yanukovych in 2004, the Olympic Games in London boosted which would have made him directly Ukraine in the medals race, with two firsts involved in the falsifications. He for this summer’s Olympiad – the first gold- denied any shadow campaign and will medal win for Ukraine’s male athletes, a serve as campaign manager of the first silver medal for Ukraine – plus two 2012 parliamentary campaign. more bronze-medal wins. 5. Oleksander Yefremov – 57, Inna Osypenko-Radomska won Party of Regions parliamentary faction Ukraine’s first silver medal at the Olympic chair. Mr. Yefremov became a million- Games in London on August 9 in the wom- aire by allegedly driving Luhansk fac- en’s kayak single event (K1) 500-meter tories and mines into bankruptcy and race. She finished with a time of 1:52.685 then buying up their assets on the seconds, behind Danuta Kozak of Hungary cheap, according to media reports. (1:51.456) and ahead of Bridgitte Hartley Numerous criminal charges against of South Africa (1:52.923). In the qualifying him, including abuse of authority and heat, Osypenko-Radomska’s time was fraud, were eventually dropped by 1:52.268 seconds, and in the semifinals she prosecutors during the presidency of finished in 1:51.515 seconds. Viktor Yushchenko. Oleksiy Torokhtiy, the first male athlete (Continued on page 5) noc-ukr.org (Continued on page 5) Oleksiy Torokhtiy, Ukraine’s first male gold medalist in London, lifts 185 kg in the snatch. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2012 No. 33 COMMENTARY President signs language law… ing group. “I will work with this group, and On brave faces and a sorry business the Cabinet of Ministers will work so that KYIV – President Viktor Yanukovych on in September we can have the opportunity that, partial achievements and minor suc- by Mykola Riabchuk August 8 signed Law No. 5029-VI on the to approve amendments to this law,” the cess stories notwithstanding, the Euro- principles of state language policy. He also presidential press service quoted Mr. Shortly after the European soccer cham- 2012 was a wasted opportunity for instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to form Yanukovych as saying. The president also pionship ended in Kyiv on July 1, a leading Ukraine in terms of both substantial mod- a working group involving the public, proposed that the working group include Ukrainian independent outlet, Ukrayinska ernization and positive image-making. prominent educators, scientists and art the co-authors of the language law, Party of Pravda, featured a bitter article by Borys While political instability and rampant cor- workers, as well as leading experts on lan- Regions National Deputies Vadym Bakhteyev that qualified the tournament as ruption discouraged foreign investors — guage issues, in order to draw up and pres- Kolesnichenko and Serhiy Kivalov, and that a great propaganda victory for the local 80 percent of related bills had to be paid by ent systemic proposals to improve legisla- the group form a supervisory board authoritarian regime. the Ukrainian government (with reported tion regarding the use of languages in regarding the legislative framework for the “Our authorities carried out a special 40 percent kickbacks from government- Ukraine, the presidential press service use of languages in Ukraine, as well as the operation aimed at a thorough elimination friendly contractors) — the political scan- reported on August 8. According to the comprehensive development and function- of Poland from the information context of dals, persecution of opposition and reports directive, the working group should ensure ing of the Ukrainian language in all spheres Euro 2012. They imposed upon us the only of racist excesses at Ukrainian stadiums the comprehensive development and func- of public life. Mr. Yanukovych added that possible answer to the question ‘Who host- fundamentally undermined any possibility tioning of the Ukrainian language in all some amendments had already been ed the championship?’ – Surely, Viktor for the country’s positive rebranding. spheres of social life throughout the coun- worked out: “I spent a lot of time working Yanukovych, Mykola Azarov, Borys Indeed, as Janek Lasocki and Lukasz try; guarantee the free development, use on this law, and the amendments have cur- Kolesnikov and no one else! They celebrate Jasina put it, international headlines were and protection of all native languages of rently been worked out. I’m practically now, and are not going to share their tri- “clearly not encouraging investment or Ukrainian citizens; fulfill the commitments offering a mechanism for the introduction umph with anyone. ‘Let Europeans not teach political cooperation, nor proving the coun- undertaken by Ukraine as part of its inter- of these amendments to the law.” He added, us how to handle our business,’ they say. ‘Let try’s European credentials” (http://www. national treaties on these issues; and “I think that we need to create such a work- them rather learn from us a little, from our opendemocracy.net/od-russia/janek- ensure the further introduction of ing group that will draw up, along with the excellent management of the tournament!’ lasocki-%C5%82ukasz-jasina/football-pol- European standards in this area.