Yulia Tymoshenko Consolidates Her Power
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INSIDE: • UCCA leaders meet with U.S. government officials – page 4. • Ukrainian studies in the state of Washington – page 8. • New releases focus on the Holodomor – page 9. THEPublished U byKRAINIAN the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVII No.26 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2009 $1/$2 in Ukraine Vice-President Biden Yulia Tymoshenko consolidates her power by Zenon Zawada to travel to Georgia, Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko hasn’t allowed her Ukraine on July 20-24 lack of a parliamentary majority, shrinking Cabinet and worsening fiscal problems deter her from maintaining control of Ukrainian PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The White House government and even consolidating it. announced on June 22 that Vice-President The pro-presidential Our Ukraine People’s Union will make a Joe Biden will travel to Georgia and last possible attempt to dismiss Ms. Tymoshenko before the presi- Ukraine during the week of July 20-24 and dential election. At its June 27 congress, the party could decide to will meet with the political leadership of make its members resign from their Cabinet posts and thus force each country, as well as opposition figures pre-term parliamentary elections. and civil society representatives. At its June 23 session, Parliament approved January 17, 2010, as The official release from the Office of the date for the presidential election. Meanwhile, pre-term parlia- the Vice-President noted: “The vice-pres- mentary elections must occur at least six months prior, leaving only ident will demonstrate U.S. support for a week to maneuver, said Volodymyr Horbach, a political analyst at continued democratic and economic the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation in Kyiv. reforms and discuss issues of mutual “Our Ukraine’s ministers could resign, make it impossible to Web-Portal of the Ukrainian Government interest in both countries.” work and could cause Tymoshenko to resign,” he said. “Whether The White House released no other there’s enough support in Our Ukraine is not clear. A parliamen- Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks on June 11 during details about the visit. tary election is the single way to extend President Viktor a meeting with the board of governors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In Ukraine, the Ukrinform news ser- Yushchenko’s political life.” vice reported on June 23 that during the While such an election may be the president’s only hope, it’s million of Ukraine’s postal service advertising budget to print visit Ukraine and the United States are bleak at that. Our Ukraine People’s Union wouldn’t even muster the campaign placards for the presidential election. expected to confirm their intention to necessary 3 percent to qualify, according to a poll conducted on June “I have no sacred cows in the government,” Prime Minister develop cooperation in the spirit of the 12-22 by the Kyiv-based Research & Branding Group. Tymoshenko said. “My minister or not my minister, if I catch Ukraine-U.S. Strategic Partnership The Party of Regions of Ukraine would earn 29 percent of the him doing something he didn’t promise and behaving dishonest- Charter signed last December in vote, 16 percent of voters would choose the Tymoshenko Bloc, 11 ly with finances, he will be dismissed.” Washington. percent would vote for a political force led by Arseniy Yatsenyuk, 4 While she claimed both the dismissal of Mr. Vinskyi and According to the Ukrainian president’s percent for the Volodymyr Lytvyn Bloc and 4 percent for the Defense Minister Yurii Yekhanurov was caused by their involve- press secretary Iryna Vannykova, Communist Party of Ukraine, the poll of 2,079 respondents revealed. ment in corruption, other facts uncovered by Ukrainian reporters President Viktor Yushchenko is going to Research & Branding is Kyiv-based polling firm that relies indicate that it’s the standard political game of fighting for discuss with Vice-President Biden a wide on undisclosed clients for its financing. money or power, at the expense of solid governing. spectrum of issues on deepening Ukraine- Ms. Tymoshenko’s opponents are criticizing her support for Mr. Vinskyi resigned because the prime minister allegedly U.S. cooperation in the areas of overcom- two recent dismissals of ministers from her Cabinet, leaving denied him an attempt to privatize seven state railroad enterpris- ing the effects of the global economic and four critical posts vacant: defense, finance, foreign affairs and, es controlled by Ukraine’s immense rail monopoly, financial downturn, and speeding up most recently, transportation and communications. UkrZaliznytsia, reported Dielo, a Kyiv daily newspaper. cooperation in the international arena, Minister of Transportation and Communications Yosyp The general director of UkrZaliznytsia, Mykhailo Kostiuk, including energy security, strategic stabil- Vinskyi submitted his resignation on June 17 after being ity and settlement of regional conflicts. accused by Ms. Tymoshenko of attempting to expropriate $2 (Continued on page 16) Cleveland’s Ukrainian Museum-Archives holds grand re-opening CLEVELAND – The threat of rain thousands of individual items – embroi- receded, the clouds parted and several dery, pysanky, ceramics, leatherwork, hundred visitors at the Ukrainian woodcarving, etc. – the collection was Museum-Archives (UMA) in Cleveland displayed in their home in Livonia, Mich. welcomed the grand re-opening and re- The UMA has been working with the dedication on June 13 of the century-old family and Rep. Marcy Kaptur over the building, which displays magnificent past 10 years to preserve the collection. examples of Ukrainian folk art and tells Mr. Szmagala pointed out that the the story of Ukrainian immigration to UMA was not ready to take over the col- America and specifically Ohio. lection until it had completed renovations The Rev. John Nakonachny from St. that made the building environmentally Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral suitable to display and store such a pre- led the gathering in prayer and blessing cious collection. Many of the objects date of the renovated building. UMA President from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Taras Szmagala Sr. described the exten- In brief remarks, Anna Hnatiuk sive work that went into restoring the described how the collection began as a building to the look it had when the project to educate her children about Ukrainian community first acquired it Ukrainian culture and then grew to such a nearly 100 years ago. vast proportion that it is now educating the broader public. The text of her In the process, the UMA replaced the remarks will be placed in the UMA time heating and cooling system, installed capsule, which Mike Dobronos is coordi- weatherized windows, insulation, restored nating. The capsule will be sealed at the woodwork, painted, etc. Walter Ciszkewycz end of the summer to be re-opened 100 Board President Taras Szmagala speaks at the grand re-opening of the Ukrainian Most, importantly, there are new exhib- years from now. Museum Archives of Cleveland. Seated (from left) are: UMA Director Andrew its featuring the collection assembled During the program, Mr. Szmagala Fedynsky, Anna Hnatiuk, her daughter-in-law Wika Hnatiuk and son Dr. over half a century by Dr. and Mrs. Bohdan Hnatiuk. Myroslav Hnatiuk. Consisting of literally (Continued on page 18) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2009 No. 26 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS U.S.-led Sea Breeze 2009 Yushchenko honors Chernomyrdin Commission. “The parliamentary resolu- tion [setting the date of the presidential exercise cancelled in Ukraine President Victor Yushchenko on June 18 election] has passed, and when it is pub- received the ambassador of the Russian lished, it will take effect and will be filed, Federation to Ukraine, Viktor by Vladimir Socor Some of the combat training phases including by the Central Election Chernomyrdin. The meeting was held on Commission,” the official noted. Eurasia Daily Monitor include live-fire practice. Naval, air and the occasion of completion of Mr. ground force elements from the partici- According to Mr. Mahera, the second On June 22 Ukrainian Naval Chernomyrdin’s diplomatic mission in round of the elections could be held on pant countries perform tasks together as Ukraine. President Yushchenko honored Headquarters confirmed unofficially that part of Sea Breeze, using each other’s February 7, 2010, in view of the fact that, the country’s political deadlock has Ambassador Chernomyrdin with the Order according to the law on presidential elec- equipment in some cases. For Merit, third grade, and wished him doomed the multinational military exer- Sea Breeze-2009 had been envisioned tions, the second round of voting is held cise Sea Breeze-2009. According to the good health and further success. Mr. on the third Sunday after election day. as the largest exercise ever in this series, Chernomyrdin was the ambassador Ukrainian headquarters sources, the U.S. according to the commander-in-chief of (Ukrinform) Armed Forces European Command extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the the Ukrainian navy, Vice-Admiral Ihor Russian Federation in Ukraine from 2001 Transport minister resigns (EUCOM) and the U.S. 6th Fleet notified Tenyukh. It was planned to include prac- Ukraine’s defense ministry on June 17 to 2009. (Official Website of Ukraine’s tice of anti-piracy operations as a major President) KYIV – Transport and Communications officially that foreign military units had new element in this year’s Sea Breeze. Minister Yosyp Vinskyi resigned, the to cancel their participation because the The Ukrainian navy was looking forward Tymoshenko thanks Chernomyrdin ministry’s press service reported on June Ukrainian Parliament failed to authorize to the anti-piracy phase of the exercise, 17. “In compliance with Article 18 of the KYIV – Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia the entry of such units on the national ter- preparatory to Ukrainian participation in Law of Ukraine ‘On the Cabinet of Tymoshenko met with Viktor ritory for Sea Breeze-2009 (UNIAN, NATO-led missions against Somali Ministers of Ukraine,’ I send in my resig- Chernomyrdin, the Russian president’s Ukrayinska Pravda, June 22).