INSIDE:• Kuchma in slim lead over Vitrenko — page 3. • Renowned opera singer Solovyanenko dies — page 4. • Ukrainian youth camps offer diverse programs — centerfold. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVII HE KRAINIANNo. 32 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 1999 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine T UU.S. extends Nunn-Lugar Wprogram in Ukraine Nine candidates by Roman Woronowycz Kyiv Press Bureau continue in race KYIV – The United States will continue helping Ukraine dis- mantle its nuclear weapons and reorganize its military for another six years in an agreement signed on July 31 by the top defense offi- for president cials of the two countries. by Roman Woronowycz U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen and Ukraine’s Kyiv Press Bureau Minister of Defense Gen. Oleksander Kuzmuk exchanged docu- ments extending U.S. technical and financial assistance until the KYIV – Amid much controversy year 2006. The ceremony took place in Foros, Ukraine, a town and accusations of political impropri- located outside of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula. ety, nine presidential candidates have The agreement prolongs the Cooperative Threat Reduction pro- received the blessing of Ukraine’s gram, better known as the Nunn-Lugar program, until the year election authority to move on to the 2006, during which Ukraine will continue to eliminate its nuclear October elections. stockpile, most importantly SS-24 ICBMs and their missile silos, On August 1 the Central Election the Bear and Black Jack strategic bombers and air-launched cruise Commission finished analyzing and missiles. counting the petitions of the 15 presi- The current agreement was due to expire at the end of next year. dential hopefuls who had submitted The U.S. has channeled $569 million to Ukraine in the last seven at least 1 million signatures in sup- years to secure and dismantle weapons of mass destruction, includ- port of their candidacies, as required ing the elimination of 111 SS-19 ICBMs, a project that was com- by Ukraine’s election law. Six of the pleted earlier this year. candidates were rejected for not Mr. Cohen was in Ukraine for a six-hour visit to meet with meeting that mark after the CEC President Leonid Kuchma, Secretary of the Defense and Security deemed hundreds of thousands of Council Volodymyr Horbulin and Defense Minister Kuzmuk. He signatures they submitted to be arrived after attending the 40-nation Balkan Summit in Sarajevo the fraudulent. day before. The candidates registered by the Commenting on the U.S. decision to continue supporting nuclear CEC represent the leading Ukrainian disarmament in Ukraine, Mr. Cohen said this was another important political parties. All but one had been step in the development of U.S.-Ukraine military relations, accord- expected to move to the final show- ing to Interfax-Ukraine. The defense secretary noted that since down in October. The individuals Ukraine declared independence U.S. and Ukrainian servicemen U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen (right) is wel- whose names will appear on the comed by Ukraine's Minister of Defense Gen. Oleksander October 31 presidential election bal- (Continued on page 3) Kuzmuk during a visit to Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. lot are: President Leonid Kuchma, who is supported by the National Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party (United); Petro Sailors from Ukraine stranded in New York harbor Symonenko (Communist Party); NEW YORK – Sailors stranded aboard Pat Carlson, a Seamen’s Church official Yaremenko explained: “Upon our request, Natalia Vitrenko (Progressive a Ukrainian cargo vessel off the New York in Port Newark, N.J., said a supply of the Azov Shipping Co. has announced that Socialist Party); Oleksander coast received emergency rations on meat, fresh vegetables, fruits and other sta- later today or tomorrow they will provide Tkachenko (Peasant Party); August 2 after being anchored for three ples – enough for at least three days – was the ship with all necessary provisions, Oleksander Moroz (Socialist Party); months in Gravesend Bay off Brooklyn. delivered to the ship. She said the food, etc.” He said the Consulate has also Hennadii Udovenko (Rukh Party); The Associated Press reported that the Seamen’s Church would probably send requested that the Azov Shipping Co. Yurii Kostenko (Rukh II); and crew of 23 men and three women got an another food package if the need arises. decide in the next few days whether or not Volodymyr Oliinyk, president of the infusion of supplies courtesy of the The AP also reported that an official of the ship will return to Ukraine. Association of Ukrainian Cities and Seamen’s Church Institute, a non-profit the Ukraine’s Consulate General in New Mr. Yaremenko noted that the Consulate mayor of Cherkasy. organization serving area mariners, after York expressed concern and promised to was contacted about this matter on August Only Mr. Oliinyk is not consid- Coast Guard inspectors found the ship was look into the situation. 2 by the U.S. Coast Guard; he would not ered a major political player, and his low on food. Contacted on August 4 by The was the only surprise candidacy reg- The captain of the ship, Aleksander Ukrainian Weekly, Consul Bohdan (Continued on page 3) istered by the CEC. Mr. Oliinyk, who Golub, 62, told The New York Times that is running as an independent, barely he had repeatedly requested provisions made the minimum. The CEC from the American representative of the accepted 1.02 million of the 1.86 ship’s owner, but had received inadequate million signatures submitted. Kuchma fires first vice prime minister supplies of food, water and medicine. by Roman Woronowycz “I believe that the head of state should CEC officials said they had found John Hillin, civilian commander of the massive fraud and signature irregu- Kyiv Press Bureau make the decisions that he feels are neces- Coast Guard’s port state control section, larities in petitions submitted by all sary,” said Mr. Kuratchenko at a press con- said the 8,400-ton Znamia Oktiabria KYIV – President Leonid Kuchma fired the candidates, but particularly ference two days after his dismissal. “The (Banner of October), which regularly his first vice prime minister, Volodymyr among the six candidates it had president is the choice of the people, and his transports automobiles between New York Kuratchenko, on July 31 without explana- rejected. The inconsistencies includ- decisions are determined, perhaps, by a and the Dominican Republic, had been in tion – a move that came days after the offi- ed signatures of voters who were no whole number of realities. He can, perhaps, anchorage since April, awaiting an assign- cial suggested the government’s economic longer among the living and names see the situation better than I can, especially ment from its owners. The Coast Guard reform program needs a major overhaul. of villages that do not exist. in the international arena. I believe the main contacted the Seamen’s Church after In an unexpected reaction to his dis- Green Party Chairman Vitalii reason for my dismissal was the form and unsuccessful attempts to reach the ship’s missal, Mr. Kuratchenko expressed no Kononov, probably the most promi- forum in which I made my proposals. But nent candidate of those who were owner, the Azov Shipping Co., which is antipathy or bewilderment over the decision the form is not what’s important, the sub- turned away by election authorities, based in Mariupol, Ukraine, and has a and said that he still supports the president stance is.” local representative in Secaucus, N.J. The and his economic policy. He did state that President Kuchma would give no reason (Continued on page 3) Coast Guard commander also said the he would like to sit down with the president crew hadn’t been paid in four months. to talk out their differences. (Continued on page 13) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 1999 No. 32 ANALYSIS Leonid Kuchma and the left: NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS CEC head: campaign law needs change received a contract worth $500,000 to dis- pose of him. According to Mr. the presidential elections of 1999 KYIV – The idea of collecting signa- Omelchenko, the assassination plan was tures in order to be registered as a presi- linked to his investigation into foreign by David R. Marples cies appear to have come full circle. dential candidate has proved purposeless, bank accounts held by Ukrainian high- and Serhy Yekelchyk Until recently, the only female candi- Central Election Committee Chair ranking officials. Mr. Omelchenko was Mykhailo Riabets said on August 3, date in the race, Natalia Vitrenko, was involved in the investigation into alleged On October 31, residents of Ukraine adding that the Verkhovna Rada should leading Mr. Kuchma in the polls. A 47- money laundering by former Prime will go to the polls to elect their third go back to the idea of requiring a finan- year-old former professor of economics, Minister Pavlo Lazarenko and Oleksander president of an independent state. They cial pledge, rather than collecting voters’ Ms. Vitrenko combines a populist Volkov, the head of Kuchma’s election do so aware that their country is at a pre- signatures. Mr. Riabets said he believes approach with Stalinist politics. She is the team. (RFE/RL Newsline) carious stage in its history: financially chair of the Progressive Socialist Party (a such a procedure would shorten electoral almost bankrupt, torn between its close group purged by the Socialist Party of campaigns and attract additional money Moroz says Kremlin neutral on elections friendship with the West and the growing Ukraine for its alleged extremism) and to the budget, instead of expenditures. KYIV – “Official Moscow will not sup- bond between its neighbors Russia and refers to herself as a “true Marxist.” Her He suggested that the ceiling on cam- port any of the candidates for the Belarus, the new president faces choices campaign has suffered somewhat from paign chests for individual presidential Ukrainian presidency,” claimed Socialist that will determine Ukraine’s path in the limited access to the national media, but candidates should be 1.7 million hrv.