Lazarenko Seeks Political Asylum in U.S
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INSIDE:•A behind-the-scenes look at the certification issue — page 3. •A Washington hearing on “Nations in Transit” — page 4. • Book reviews, book notes — page 8. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVII HE No.KRAINIAN 9 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1999 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine RukhT Party in crisis ULazarenko seeks politiWcal asylum in U.S. and while there issued a statement that he ence, met with U.S. Deputy Attorney Former PM remains was being treated for a heart ailment. General Eric Holder of the Justice as parliamentary faction After the warrant for his arrest was issued Department on February 23 to discuss the in custody of INS by the Procurator General’s Office, Lazarenko case. According to a press votes to remove Chornovil by Roman Woronowycz authorities asked Interpol on February 20 advisory issued by the Embassy of by Katya Gorchinskaya to have Mr. Lazarenko extradited back to Ukraine in Washington, the group empha- Special to The Ukrainian Weekly NEW YORK — Ukraine’s former Ukraine from wherever he was found to sized to the Justice Department official the Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, belea- be staying. Mr. Mayock said the state of need to have Mr. Lazarenko deported back KYIV – The national-democratic party guered by accusations of improper finan- Mr. Lazarenko’s health remains precarious to Ukraine. Rukh is going through a major crisis: its cial dealings in Ukraine and facing money and that he has been examined by doctors While Mr. Lazarenko remains in INS leader, Vyacheslav Chornovil, has been laundering charges in Switzerland, has during his detention. detention, a March 2 court date that had removed as the head of the party’s faction requested political asylum in the United Ukraine officially asked the U.S. to been scheduled for him in Switzerland on in Parliament and he has been asked to States after initially being detained by return Mr. Lazarenko on February 21. money laundering charges brought by resign as party leader. immigration officials for attempting to Although no extradition treaty exists Swiss officials has been postponed indefi- Mr. Chornovil accused his opponents of enter the country with an improper visa. between the U.S. and Ukraine, a nitely. Manuel Sager, press attaché at the attempting to split the party to weaken its According to one of his lawyers, Mr. spokesman for Ukraine’s Ministry of Embassy of Switzerland in Washington position before the presidential election – Lazarenko met with U.S. immigration Foreign Affairs said that is not a reason said Swiss officials expect that Mr. an attempt he said, that was backed by officials on February 24 for four hours to not to return the former Ukrainian prime Lazarenko will still be in the hands of people close to President Leonid Kuchma determine whether the current member of minister. “The absence of such an agree- U.S. officials at that time. Mr. Sager also and other presidential candidates. Parliament and leader of the Hromada ment is not reason enough to deny Kyiv said that no extradition proceedings to Last week members of the Rukh faction Party has a credible fear of returning to its extradition request for Lazarenko,” said bring Mr. Lazarenko back to Switzerland voted to remove Mr. Chornovil from his Ukraine, which would be grounds for Georgy Ilchenko in Kyiv on February 23. to face trial have begun. “He hasn’t yet position as head of their faction in the granting political asylum. However, Mr. Bergeron of the INS said violated his bail agreement, so there has Verkhovna Rada. The party’s top execu- “Mr. Lazarenko has asked for political the immediate issue was to determine been no need to begin extradition proceed- tive structure, the central leadership asylum,” said attorney James Mayock of whether Mr. Lazarenko had attempted to ings,” said Mr. Sager. (provid), voted no-confidence in Mr. the San Francisco-based law firm Elliot enter the U.S. without the proper docu- Last December 3 Mr. Lazarenko was Chornovil on February 20. The leadership and Mayock. He said he was satisfied that ments. Originally Mr. Lazarenko was in arrested by Swiss border authorities after also voted to gather an extraordinary party the interview went well for his client. what is referred to as an “expedited he had attempted to enter the country congress February 28 to discuss the situa- “My understanding is that it took longer removal process,”; this has now changed using a Panamanian passport that identi- tion and elect a leader. than the average interview. The INS is since he requested for political asylum. fied the Ukrainian politician as Pablo “This is an attempt to start real reform taking this very seriously,” said Mr. Mr. Bergeron explained that extraditions Lopez. The charges that were subsequent- in the party,” said Yurii Kostenko, the new Mayock. normally go through the Department of ly brought were based on information that leader of Rukh’s parliamentary faction at a Mr. Lazarenko, 46, was detained by Justice and the Department of State. the Ukrainian government had been sup- press conference after the vote. United States immigration officials at Ukrainian government representatives, plying to Swiss authorities for most of the In response, Mr. Chornovil ordered a John F. Kennedy International Airport in including National Bureau of year. Swiss authorities said in December new registration of members of Rukh’s New York on February 19 after he Investigation Director Vasyl Durdynets that the money trail they were investigat- parliamentary faction with the intention of attempted to enter the country with a and Deputy Procurator General Olha ing involves nearly $40 million. Mr. casting out his opponents. His re-regis- passport that carried two visas: one an Kolinko, who happened to be in Lazarenko was released on $3.5 million in tered faction will be called The First expired diplomatic visa and the other a Washington the week of February 22 for National Rukh of Ukraine. He will also standard tourist visa. The immigration an international anti-corruption confer- (Continued on page 6) convene a party congress on March 7. officer who inspected Mr. Lazarenko’s Rukh is the third-largest faction in documents decided that the former Parliament after the Communist and the Ukrainian prime minister’s legitimate visa National Democratic Party factions. The did not suit his stated reason for visiting Kuchma welcomes U.S. certification of Ukraine Rukh Party is considered to have the sec- the United States and had him detained. by Pavel Polityuk ment can and should do more in terms of ond-strongest regional infrastructure after “In our discussions with him, it was Special to The Ukrainian Weekly economic reform and in terms of resolu- the Communist Party. clear that the purpose of his entry was not tion of those particular investor prob- The members of the central leadership simply to be a casual visitor into the KYIV – President Leonid Kuchma wel- lems,” Ambassador Pifer said. opposed to Mr. Chornovil accused him of United States,” said Immigration and comed last week’s declaration by U.S. President Kuchma’s economic advisor authoritarian rule of the party and said he Naturalization spokesman Russ Bergeron. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright Valerii Lytvytskyi said Ukraine had no has been doing nothing to make Rukh a Mr. Lazarenko was traveling alone that Ukraine is continuing radical eco- serious doubts that Secretary Albright serious political force around which other when he was detained, said his attorney, nomic reforms and has made significant could report progress in Ukrainian eco- parties could unite. Mr. Mayock. progress. nomic reforms because a series of presi- “All the decisions taken by the party The detention in New York was the “The United States in general under- dential economic decrees and the leader are undemocratic and against the culmination of a very unlucky week for stands Ukraine’s role in the region – a Parliament’s approval of the state budget party,” said Mr. Kostenko. He added that Mr. Lazarenko. First, the national deputy strategic partnership was not declared for 1999 have created a new economic sit- Mr. Chornovil even removed party secre- saw his immunity from criminal prosecu- without reason,” Mr. Kuchma told uation in the ex-Soviet country. tary Bohdan Boiko from party manage- tion, a privilege granted all members of reporters outside Kyiv. “We have indeed made significant ment recently, despite his appointment by the Verkhovna Rada, lifted by his peers in But U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine progress in economic reforms,” Mr. the central leadership. a resounding vote on February 17. The Steven Pifer said disappointment with Lytvyskyi said. Mr. Chornovil countered that the accu- next day a warrant for his arrest was slow economic reforms and the invest- Ukrainian and foreign analysts and offi- sations against him are not factual but issued by Ukraine’s Procurator General’s ment climate was part of the reason for the cials said the complaints of American emotional, and that the decision of the Office. The Ukrainian government has decline in U.S. aid to Ukraine from $225 investors were at the heart of the certifica- million for 1998 to $195 million for 1999. central leadership has no legal validity. accused Mr. Lazarenko of embezzling tion problem. “They accuse me of authoritarian rule? funds to the tune of some $4 million, ille- “The secretary’s decision in this case Ambassador Pifer said he was encour- But we have the most democratic party gally transferring money out of the coun- was not an easy one,” Mr. Pifer said on aged by changes in the government’s atti- statutes and a loose party structure,” Mr.