The Ukrainian Weekly 1994, No.15
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www.ukrweekly.com 1NS1DE: ^ Civil aviation authorities consider reinstating Lviv landings - page 3. e Ukrainian studies on the move at Columbia University - page 3. ^ Yasyl Yermilov, forgotten master of the avant-garde - page 11. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association inc., a fraternal non-profit association vol. LXII No. 15 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 10,1994 50 cents Environmentalists express concern Strong voter turnout continues over expansion of nuclear energy as parliamentary runoffs begin by Marta Kolomayets nuclear power station open and to lift a by Roman Woronowycz decided they were ready for the second Kyyiv Press Bureau moratorium on the construction of new Kyyiv Press Bureau round. By law, electoral districts have until nuclear plants. April 10 to hold runoff elections between KYYiv - voters continued to turn out KYYiv - Environmentalists and That parliamentary decision foresaw the top two vote getters in each district. in surprisingly large numbers for the first members of Ukraine's anti-nuclear lobby the construction of three blocs. This new Roman Zvarych, English-language edi– part of the second round of elections to have expressed concern over the govern– decree includes the completion of the tor of Elections 94, a press center that has Ukraine's Parliament. Due to an electoral ment's intentions to expand the use of construction of three more blocs in 1994- been closely monitoring the vote, said the law considered flawed, in four of the 33 nuclear energy, forming an action group 1996. continued strong turnout is difficult to electoral districts that voted on April 2 to protest such moves. 'This presidential decree should be fully explain, but can in part be consid– and 3, no single candidate received Concerned citizens representing such vetoed because it contradicts current ered a backlash against repeated declara– endorsement. For these districts the elec– organizations as Greenpeace, Green Ukrainian laws concerning human rights, tions by President Leonid Kravchuk that a tion process must begin from scratch. World, the Green Party of Ukraine, the ecology and health. This decree can lead new Parliament might not be elected. Council for Peace, the Fund to Save to catastrophies similar to the one at The candidates who survived the "They heard the leaders saying the pop– Children from the Chornobyl Tragedy, Chornobyl," said My kola vovchenko, a wham-bam process of these elections' ulace would not turn out and they wanted MAMA '86, as well as parliamentary lawyer with Greenpeace. first go-around have only to wait until to show otherwise," said Mr. Zvarych. committees on the environment and on the following weekend. What seems No one was voted in as a deputy in On Thursday, April 7, Deputy Prime assured is high voter turnout - little else. issues concerning Chornobyl helb a news Minister valeriy Shmarov also informed four districts. The Central Electoral conference on Tuesday, April 5, to Just like the initial elections of the previ– Commission (CEC) of Ukraine has stipu– U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary William ous week, between 70 percent and 80 per– protest a presidential decree dated White that Ukraine could not take the lated that a deputy needs to receive at February 23, which foresees the opening cent of those eligible turned out to vote in Chornobyl plant off line until 1998, electoral districts. Nine oblasts of Ukraine (Continued on page 2) of six blocs at five nuclear plants in when other blocs, currently under con– Ukraine by 1998. struction, will be opened. Although it has not yet been made The Chornobyl plant supplies Ukraine public, the decree broadens the use of with only 7 percent of its nuclear energy. Kravchuk prepares for elections, nuclear power in Ukraine. Titled According to a newly released report by "Presidential Decree on Urgent Measures the international Atomic Energy Agency, on the Development of Atomic Energy "numerous safety deficiencies still but is he running for president? and the Formation of a Closed Nuclear- remain at that station," site of the world's Fuel Cycle," the action further expands a worst nuclear accident in April 1986. by Marta Kolomayets parliamentary decision passed on Kyyiv Press Bureau October 21, 1993, to keep the Chornobyl (Continued on page 6) KYYiv - Over the past week, President Leonid Kravchuk has held three informal meetings with the mass media - both foreign and local - leading some political observers to conclude that he is PROGRAM already laying the groundwork for his presidential campaign. OF THE 33rd REGULAR CONvENTlON However, the million-dollar question remains: Will there be presidential elec– of the tions on June 26? Speaking at a gathering for journalists UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION INC. at the UN1AN headquarters on Saturday morning, April 2, the Ukrainian leader TO BE HELD 1N P1TTSBURGH, PENNS YLVAN!A made no secret of the fact that he would at the Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel and Towers like to see the elections postponed by the new Parliament, which must convene no beginning May 6, 1994, 9 a.m. later than June 10. "1 want the new Parliament to do this President Leonid Kravchuk 1. Opening of Convention legally. І want them to pass constitution– 2. Report of Credentials Committee al laws defining the responsibilities of the vote, has already declared that only 3. Election: the president," he said, expressing doubt "men with clean hands should lead the a) Convention chairperson, two vice-chairpersons, two secretaries that this could be done quickly. government." Mr. Kravchuk has, in turn, pointed out b) 11-member Election Committee None of the presidential hopefuls, including Mr. Kravchuk, former Prime that during Mr. Kuchma's reign as prime c) five-member Committee on Petitions minister Ukraine was hit with inflation d) six-member Secretaries Committee Minister Leonid Kuchma, Parliamentary Speaker lvan Pliushch and Rukh leader rates topping 50 percent, strikes and 4. Appointment of Press Committee unresolved debts with Russia. 5. Reports of UNA Supreme Officers: vyacheslav Chornovil had yet registered their candidacies at the Central Electoral Although he has made no predictions Supreme President Ulana M. Diachuk Commission as The Weekly was going to as to what shape the new Parliament will Supreme vice-President Nestor Olesnycky press. Presidential candidates must col– take, Mr. Kravchuk told reporters at a Supreme Уісе-Presidentess Gloria Paschen lect 50,000 signatures by April 26 in Price-Waterhouse Economic Press Club Supreme Secretary Walter Sochan order to be considered as candidates for meeting on Wednesday, April 6, that he Supreme Treasurer Alexander G. Blahitka the June 26 election. thinks "the left will prevail, and will have the upper hand in the new Parliament." 6. Report of UNA Auditing Committee and members: However, the mud-slinging has already begun, with Messrs. Kuchma and Asked whether he sees a growing divi– William Pastuszek sion between the east and the west, Mr. Anatole Doroshenko Kravchuk stepping out as serious rivals. Mr. Kuchma, who won his seat as a Kravchuk said he expects Ukraine to stay (Continued on page 4) deputy from the Chernihiv region in the first round, capturing over 90 percent of (Continued on page 19) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 10,1994 No. 15 defeat on April 3 may have been Strong voter... Socialist Party leader Oleksander (Continued from page 1) Moroz's victory over staunch democrat least 25 percent of the votes of the regis– Oles Shevchenko in the Tarashchansky tered voters, in the four districts where electoral district of the Kyyiv Oblast. it was the most glaring showdown between Russian nuclear fuel rods arrive obligations to Gazprom, the massive the 50 percent eligible did vote, a consid– Russian conglomerate, concerning its nat– erable number of the voters crossed out two prominent parliamentarians of KYYiv - On April 5, Deputy Foreign opposing forces. Mr. Moroz took 62 per– ural gas debt. Mr. Landyk said that Si00 both candidates' names, expressing a dis– Minister Borys Tarasiuk confirmed that million (U.S.) had been paid, and that like for either choice and not allowing cent of the vote. Ukraine received the first shipment of A consensus is forming among democ– President Leonid Kravchuk will shortly either hopeful to attain the 25 percent of nuclear fuel rods, which Russian officials issue a decree establishing a company, all voters needed. rats that they will have more power in the said had been shipped from uranium new Parliament, volodymyr Lanovoy Ukrnafthaz, in which Ukraine would hold A CEC spokesperson said that in dis– enrichment plants in Siberia earlier in the a controlling interest. Mr. Landyk insisted tricts where no candidate is elected, new said, "A new composition seems to be week. Mr. Tarasiuk also said that another developing which will be more centralist that Gazprom would be given no more elections with a leveled playing field will shipment of 60 warheads covered by the than a 30 percent share of stocks in the occur no sooner than two months from and pro-democratic. However, we will be January U.S.-Russia-Ukraine treaty was able to determine this only after the sec– new firm. The Cabinet minister was coun– April 10. He also explained that this will being prepared. (RFE7RL Daily Report) tering Russian moves to assume control of involve a whole new field of hopefuls. ond round." That assessment was echoed Justice Ministry targets Jewish group Ukrainian pipelines and other facilities, as "Those that went down by April 10 will by the leader of the Ukraina democratic bloc, Levko Lukianenko. well as internal criticism that his govern– be disqualified," said the spokesperson, KYYiv - Sokhnut, a local Jewish ment is "selling off Ukraine." Mr. who strongly insisted to be unidentified. organization, has been warned by offi– Landyk's assertions came in reply to alle– As for the prognosis for the April 9 A roundtable discussion organized by cials at the Ministry of Justice not to gations of non-performance made in late and 10 turnouts, Mr.