The Ukrainian Weekly 1999, No.51

www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Russia-Belarus union threatens stability — page 2. • VOA Ukrainian Branch marks 50th anniversary — page 3. • Christmas memories, short stories — pages 10-11. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVII HE No.KRAINIAN 51 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1999 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine ClashT of reformsUKuchma abolishes Wcollective farms by Roman Woronowycz or rent it. 1999 harvest came in at about 25 million Kyiv Press Bureau Most importantly, the document tons. with Soviet system orders the simplification of the process Part of the reason lies with the KYIV – In the first tangible evidence of obtaining individual plots of lands and Ukrainian government’s failure to thus stifles agro-sector that Ukraine will now move quickly on strict oversight to ensure that the process far produce an effective land reform pol- economic restructuring and reforms, is transparent and fair, with equal access icy. President Leonid Kuchma issued a for all those wishing to take part in it. “The point of this document is to by Yana Sedova decree calling for the reorganization of The decree urges that, where possi- announce that collective farms are inef- Special to The Ukrainian Weekly the country’s vast system of collective ble, geographical boundaries of the old fective forms of property,” said Minister farm enterprises into private enterprises KYIV – The clash of land reforms with a collective farms remain intact. of Agriculture Mykhailo Hladii on and agricultural cooperatives. Soviet system that refuses to wither away In 1994 workers and villagers of col- December 6. As could have been expected, the has stifled attempts to revive Ukraine’s lective farms had been allocated pieces He explained that 86 percent of col- announcement was greeted in Ukraine’s agricultural sector. With little substantial of land in what was to have been the lective farms are expected to show losses legislative support for reforms, villagers Parliament with criticism and cynicism. beginning of land reform. However, in 1999, while most of the private enter- and farmers are skeptical that there is a The December 3 decree marks the because the process of obtaining land prises will turn a profit. future for them in farming. first step in a reinvigorated economic shares was vague and costly, few peas- Mr. Hladii was careful to point out That was not always the case. In 1992, reform process that President Kuchma ants successfully obtained their plots. that the decree does not give the go- when land privatization first began, there announced in his inaugural speech on The collective farm directors made ahead for the general sale of land, mere- were high hopes. Legislation had been November 30. the process still more difficult by putting ly for individuals within the collective to passed that enabled citizens to take private Under the presidential decree, collec- up bureaucratic obstacles – at times sim- transfer property among the collective as land plots from the collective farms in tive farms have until April 2000 to turn ply refusing to turn over government- they formulate their private enterprises which they had worked under the Soviet over their land to the workers who for- alloted plots or parceling out land that and cooperatives. system. The intention was to put an end to mally own it and give them their owner- was not arable or remotely located. “It does not say that land is a com- the state control of land. ship certificates. Ukraine’s agricultural sector has been modity and thus subject to sale and pur- Ivan Holovko, a former official of the Holders of certificates issued back in in steep decline since independence and chase,” explained Mr. Hladii. “In keep- Novosilskyi collective farm in Kyiv Oblast, 1994 now may take their plot of land, has produced lower and lower grain ing with the Land Code, farmers work- said that many collective farm workers and which is to be doled out by individual yields with each passing year. While the ing the land have the right to purchase a officials were optimistic about the country’s village councils, combine it with others Soviet Union collected about 50 million agricultural future. in a clear contractual arrangement, sell it tons of grain annually on average, the (Continued on page 12) “In 1992 we had no problems with tak- ing our plots,” said Mr. Holovko, who took a loan at an interest rate of 10 percent from CHRIST IS BORN – GLORIFY HIM the Kyiv Oblast Association of Farmers and bought a tractor, necessary equipment for Parliament rejects every fledgling farmer. The start was quite promising. However after Mr. Holovko turned in his grain to a Pustovoitenko’s state-controlled elevator, he had to wait several months for payment, money that he nomination as PM needed to repay loans for seed and fuel KYIV – The Verkhovna Rada on December given on consignment. 14 failed to approve Valerii Pustovoitenko as Severe inflation (from 1990 to 1995 the prime minister of Ukraine. RFE/RL Newsline prices for agricultural supplies increased reported that of the 281 deputies present, 206 202,000 times; finished products’ prices backed Mr. Pustovoitenko, 44 voted against increased by 34,000 percent) destroyed Mr. him, 21 abstained, and 10 did not cast ballots. Holovko’s plans, and he barely covered his Under Ukraine’s legislation, 226 deputies expenditures. Today he has only two trac- must approve a candidate for the prime minis- tors left to show for his toil, a relatively new ter’s post, and the president may submit a can- one, and another one that has been written didate only once. According to Parliament off as scrap, although it still runs. Today he Chairman Oleksander Tkachenko, President is out of the farming business. Kuchma was to propose another candidate “No one has ever gotten rich on this within two days and another vote would then land, only hunchbacked,” said Mr. take place in the Parliament next week. Holovko. Now he is the head of the “silska Mr. Tkachenko commented, “besides the left rada,” the local village council, and declines factions, a number of right factions voted to criticize the state, although he admits that against Pustovoitenko,” adding, “out of 15 it should at least regulate agricultural prices Rada factions, only four factions officially and fuel, to give the farmer a fighting refuted Pustovoitenko, while the results of the chance. voting reveal that not all factions were sincere Most of the agricultural sector’s prob- in their announcements in support of his candi- lems today stem from the failure of the gov- dacy.” ernment to deal with three critical areas Eastern Economist reported that Mr. necessary to make the farmer competitive: Tkachenko said the president may recommend to solve investment problems, to develop a the current chief of the Security Service of clear state program for land privatization, Ukraine, Leonid Derkach, for the top govern- and to create a competitive land market pro- ment post. viding for the sale and purchase of land. A leader of the Hromada faction, Oleksander The Ukrainian Support Fund of Peasant Yeliashkevych, commented that Mr. Kuchma Farmers began its work in 1992, and was plans to dissolve the Verkhovna Rada if the lat- ter does not approve a new prime minister in (Continued on page 13) “The Creche,” 1999 woodcut by Vitaliy Lytvyn, as reproduced on a UNA Christmas card. (Continued on page 18) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1999 No. 51 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Russia-Belarus union threatens NEWSBRIEFS Russia, Belarus sign union treaty ered outside the presidential administration building, which was cordoned off by police, stability across post-Soviet region MOSCOW – Russian President Boris to deliver petitions demanding respect for Yeltsin and his Belarusian counterpart, human rights in Belarus and protesting the by Paul Goble chairman of the Belarusian Parliament, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, on December 8 union with Russia, Belapan reported. RFE/RL Newsline said recently that Russia is the “main signed the treaty on the union of the two Several protesters were eventually let into guilty party” for the difficulties facing countries. The treaty, which follows a num- the building to hand the petitions to an offi- PRAGUE – A new union treaty Belarus at present. Mr. Shushkevich ber of documents on the countries’ union, cial. “What human rights can we speak of? signed on December 8 by Belarus and says Russia’s “imperial way of thinking” calls for the creation of a Higher Council, We have no rights and are hardly even the Russian Federation threatens the has united practically all political par- comprising the presidents, prime ministers human beings,” Reuters quoted one protest- prospects for democracy in both coun- ties. And, he says its drive for integra- and chairmen of the legislatures of both er as saying. (RFE/RL Newsline) tries, stability across the post-Soviet tion with Belarus has enabled Belarusian countries, to coordinate policies. It also calls ... and opposition’s verbal condemnation region, and relations between Moscow authorities to “fool the voters.” for the creation of a single currency and and the West. uniform tax policy by 2005 and a joint mili- Even more, the drive for reintegration MIENSK – Syamyon Sharetski, exiled The agreement, sought since 1996 by tary doctrine by next year, according to has prompted Moscow to defend the speaker of the opposition Supreme Soviet, Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Belarusian president’s authoritarian Reuters and Interfax. President Lukashenka, who earlier said the treaty said in Vilnius on December 8 that the Lukashenka and Russian President actions. For example, Russia’s human Belarus-Russia union state treaty will meet Boris Yeltsin, allows each country to rights commissioner, Oleg Mironov, vis- would barely change the status quo, hailed the establishment of the union “as a moral the fate of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact retain its sovereignty.

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