The Ukrainian Weekly 2002, No.20

www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Sociological survey examines sex business in Ukraine — page 3. • Association for the Study of Nationalities spotlights Ukraine — page 9. • The tapestries and photography of Lialia Kuchma — page 12. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXX HE KRAINIANNo. 20 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2002 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine UkraineT underlines Chornobyl’sU aftereffects New ParliamentW convenes, at United Nations special session on children but fails to elect leadership by Andrew Nynka officials at Ukraine’s permanent mission to by Roman Woronowycz business at hand. the United Nations put President Kuchma’s Kyiv Press Bureau And while many had hoped that the UNITED NATIONS – As world leaders offer into perspective and called it, “an election of a new leadership, including gathered here on May 8-10 for a historic attempt – one of many among heads of state KYIV – With 447 recently elected three members of the presidium and 23 General Assembly Special Session on and government – to foster new and cre- national deputies in freshly assigned seats committee chairs, would end swiftly, it Children, Ukraine continued to underline ative ways to help children.” looking on, Ivan Pliusch, chairman of the soon became apparent that the elections the effects of the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear The United Nations first set concrete outgoing Verkhovna Rada, brought the could quickly get bogged down in ambi- catastrophe on the plight of its almost 11 goals to improve children’s lives in the new, fourth convocation of Ukraine’s leg- tions, personalities and politicking. million children and affirmed its commit- 1990 Convention on the Rights of the islature to order at 10:05 a.m. on May 13. By the beginning of the third day of the ment to the U.N. Final Outcome Document, Child, which Ukraine subsequently ratified Then Yaroslava Stetsko, at 82 the oldest new session, with four leadership slates which stemmed from the three-day confer- as one of its first legislative acts one month national deputy, exercised her right as the already rejected, many were predicting ence, with a proposal to help promote the after declaring its own independence. senior member of the legislative corps to another marathon of voting, similar to rights of children. However, this was the first time in the administer the oath to her colleagues, who what occurred in 1998 when it took two In her statement at the Plenary Meeting U.N.’s nearly 58-year history that children were elected legislators in national voting months and dozens of rejected candidates on May 9, the chair of the State Committee were given the opportunity to directly on March 31. She also told the lawmakers before Oleksander Tkachenko was chosen of Ukraine for Family and Youth Affairs, address the General Assembly during a con- that she hoped they would not forget why to chair the Verkhovna Rada. Valentyna Dovzhenko, called the special ference deemed by a U.N. spokesman as “a and by whom they were elected. “Everyone said they wanted to avoid a session “an event of historic significance,” landmark review of progress since the 1990 “I expect that this Verkhovna Rada will marathon, but it has begun,” said Viktor and added that Ukrainian President Leonid summit.” not concern itself with personal and cor- Musiaka, a member of the Our Ukraine Kuchma “put forward a proposal to reduce According to Ms. Dovzhenko’s state- porate interests, but only with the matters faction and one of the nominees to the the world arms expenditure by 10 percent ment, Ukraine views the provisions in the of the Ukrainian nation,” said Mrs. parliamentary presidium in the first and to direct funds that would be released final document that underline the need for Stetsko, who is a member of the Our rounds of voting. for the needs of education, health, environ- protecting children from man-made disas- Ukraine faction. He explained that part of the problem is ment protection and combating poverty.” ters as “very important” and, she said, After a short adjournment to allow the that United Ukraine and Our Ukraine, the “The realization of such a proposal,” the “Ukraine, on its part, demonstrated resolve deputies to put their signatures to individ- two largest factions with 177 and 119 Ukrainian delegation’s leader to the special to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies ual oaths, a temporary leadership headed members, respectively, had failed to main- session said, “would become a concrete in the future by voluntarily renouncing [the] by Adam Martyniuk of the Communist tain a political dialogue. manifestation of our care for the future of third largest nuclear military arsenal [in the Party and elected by representatives of the On the second day of the new session, children.” world] and by fully decommissioning the six political organizations that won places four of the six political factions presented Although only days after the conclusion Chornobyl nuclear power plant.” in the new Parliament, took over and held what they believed were electable slates of the special session there had been no several votes on procedural matters before action on President Kuchma’s proposition, (Continued on page 17) the body got down to the first serious (Continued on page 3) 100,000 pay last respects to Valerii Lobanovsky, legendary soccer coach by Roman Woronowycz Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV – Fans of Ukrainian soccer, young and old alike – and almost 100,000 in all – descended on Dynamo Stadium in Kyiv on May 16 to pay hom- age to soccer coaching legend Valerii Lobanovsky, 63, who died three days earlier after suffering a stroke. Mr. Lobanovsky was coaching a game between his Dynamo Kyiv and Zaporizhia Metallurg on May 9, when he became ill, but stayed on the field until his team had attained victory before being transferred to a local hospital by emergency vehicle. He was reported to have suffered a stroke, and his condition worsened in the next three days. He died in Zaporizhia after a second stroke and a brain operation that failed to improve his situation. Outside Dynamo Stadium, the streets of downtown Kyiv were impassable and lines extended for a quarter mile as fans came to pay their respects to the man AP/Efrem Lukatsky Thousands of people wait on line to pay their respects to Valerii Lobanovsky, the longtime head coach of Ukraine's leading (Continued on page 16) soccer team, at the Dynamo Stadium in Kyiv. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2002 No. 20 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Russia continues its disrespect USTR cites Ukraine’s “persistent failure” Defense Council, told UNIAN on May 9 that the Ukrainian and U.S. sides have of Ukraine’s sovereignty WASHINGTON – The U.S. Trade begun independent checks of the contract Representative (USTR) on April 30 whereby Kyiv sold three Kolchuha air- by Taras Kuzio CIS and organized the first congress of released its Special 301 Report on defense radar systems to Ethiopia. Last RFE/RL Newsline “compatriots” in Moscow last October. Intellectual Property, citing problems in month, media reports alleged that in Russia has used this concern for “compa- Ukraine and Brazil and improvements in 2000 President Leonid Kuchma had It took Russia five years after the triots” as a pretext for repeated com- Korea and Macau. According to the approved a sale of $100 million worth of demise of the USSR to sign an all- plaints about the alleged infringement of report, intellectual property rights (IPR) air-defense radar systems to Iraq in con- encompassing interstate treaty with their rights in education and the media in protection in Ukraine remains inade- Ukraine in 1997, and then a further two travention of United Nations sanctions. Ukraine. quate. Ukraine’s “persistent failure” to for both chambers of the Russian Kyiv officially dismissed these allega- Although only the extreme left in stop optical media piracy means it Parliament to ratify that treaty. Three tions, asserting that the only country to Ukraine supports Ukraine’s membership remains designated a priority foreign years later, Russia’s actions in a number which Ukraine has ever sold Kolchuhas in the Russia-Belarus Union, Russia still country, and U.S. imports from Ukraine of areas show that, although Ukraine’s was Ethiopia. Last month, the Israeli holds out hope that this will change. In remain subject to $75 million worth of borders might no longer be in question, newspaper Ha’aretz suggested that an interview in Trud in January, sanctions annually, USTR said in the Moscow still finds it extremely difficult Ethiopia could have been only an inter- Ambassador Chernomyrdin was asked if executive summary of the report. USTR to recognize Ukraine as an equal and mediary link in the delivery of the a union of the three eastern Slavic peo- warned that Ukraine’s IPR problems sovereign state. Ukrainian radars to Iraq. (RFE/RL ples was possible. His reply was indica- could jeopardize its efforts to join the Former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Newsline) tive: “When Ukrainian society matures to World Trade Organization (WTO) and Chernomyrdin was appointed ambassa- this point it will opt for such a step.” undermine its efforts to attract trade and dor to Ukraine and “special presidential United Ukraine supports Lytvyn According to a March poll by the investment. The USTR cited Ukraine’s envoy for the development of Russian- Russian Public Opinion Fund, almost 50 problems “with disappointment” and said Ukrainian trade and economic ties” in KYIV – The newly elected Verkhovna percent of Russian citizens would like the U.S. government “continues to May of last year. Since then, his actions Rada was to gather for its first session on Russia and Ukraine to unite, while anoth- remain actively engaged with Ukraine in have caused observers to question May 14.

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