The Ukrainian Weekly 2000, No.40
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• UAOC Sobor looks ahead to unification efforts — page 3. • Gongadze and freedom of the press in Ukraine — page 6. • Ukraine’s goals in the Olympic arena — page 8. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVIII HE KRAINIANNo. 40 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2000 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine Papal visit to UkraineU T Ukraine’s athletes earnW 18 medals in Sydney on track for next year by Roman Woronowycz Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV – Bishop Lubomyr Husar, the acting administra- tive head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, con- firmed on September 19 that talks between the Vatican and the Ukrainian government are continuing for a visit by Pope John Paul II to Ukraine next year. Bishop Husar said that while an exact date had yet to be set, the two sides were targeting June 2001 as the most suit- able time for the visit. The Ukrainian government in early 1999 had extended an invitation to the Vatican for a papal visit. While Pope John Paul II accepted the invitation at the time, the Vatican demurred from an immediate decision on a visit, citing var- ious factors, including the approaching Ukrainian presiden- tial elections and a full schedule of Millennium celebrations that would keep the pope in Rome throughout 2000. The strong influence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and threats by the Russian Orthodox Church to suspend ecumenical talks with Rome should he visit Ukraine long have been cited as other reasons the pontiff has yet to travel here. Ukrainian Catholics have awaited a visit by Pope John Paul II, the first pope of Slavic origin, since independence in 1991, when the UGCC, which was AP/Michael Probst banned and nearly eliminated by the Soviet regime, began a lengthy process of rebirth and reinvigoration. Bronze medalist Olena Hovorova of Ukraine (right) with gold medalist Yereza Marinova of Bulgaria (center) and Bishop Husar said that both Ukrainian and Vatican offi- silver-medalist Tatiana Lebedeva of Russia, display the medals they won for the triple jump on September 24. cials have confirmed the visit by Pope John Paul II barring by Peter Shmigel United States, Russia, China and Australia. unforeseen developments. Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Mykola Milchev of Odesa shot perfect 25s in all five The Lviv-based bishop made the announcement while rounds of the skeet shooting competition to win gold on introducing a new Ukrainian Greek-Catholic position on SYDNEY – Ukraine’s sports program demonstrated its September 23 by one shot over Petr Malek of the Czech ecumenism, which is defined as the movement for the diversity during the second week of the Summer Olympic Republic. The experienced Mr. Milchev’s performance Games as its athletes won gold in men’s skeet shooting, and (Continued on page 17) equaled the current world record for the event. American silvers in women’s trampoline and women’s 800-meter Todd Graves came in third. freestyle swimming, as well as a silver in men’s Greco- In trampoline – an event debuting at the Sydney Roman wrestling. Olympics – 27-year-old Oksana Tsyhuliova won a silver There were bronzes in synchronized diving, triple jump medal on September 22. She was beaten by Russia’s Irina UNA Executive Committee and sailing won by Ukraine’s women, plus boxing and long Karavaieva and trailed by Karen Cockburn of Canada. jump bronzes won by the men of Team Ukraine. Ms. Tsyhuliova hails from Mykolaiv, which is known as As of September 28, Ukraine’s athletes had won 18 Ukraine’s “trampoline capital,” since the local aluminum holds quarterly meeting medals: three gold, seven silver and eight bronze and by Martha Lysko plant there is the principal sponsor of most of the elite-level Ukraine was in 10th place in the overall medals count, in athletes of the sport on Ukraine. Ms. Tsyhuliova is the UNA National Secretary the same league as Romania and the Netherlands. PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The Executive Committee of the Occupying the first four places in the medals count are the (Continued on page 9) Ukrainian National Association met at its regular quarterly meeting on Saturday, September 9, here at the UNA Corporate Headquarters. The executives read and approved their reports, exam- Ukraine named among most corrupt countries of the world ined the financial, recording, organizing and publishing by Roman Woronowycz tries of the region – many of which have long been con- departments, revisited the decision on the site for the 2002 Kyiv Press Bureau sidered more corrupt – have maintained their positions UNA Convention and reviewed proposed changes to the or improved their rating over last year’s survey. UNA by-laws. KYIV – Ukraine earned a dubious distinction on For instance, while Ukraine dropped, Moldova In attendance was the entire Executive Committee: September 13 when it was named among the most cor- remained in 75th position, Poland dropped a single Ulana Diachuk, president; Stefko Kuropas, first vice-presi- rupt countries of the world by an international, non-gov- place from 44th to 43rd and Russia stayed at 82nd. dent; Anya Dydyk-Petrenko, second vice-president; the ernmental organization that tracks corruption as per- Belarus, ruled with an iron hand by President Rev. Myron Stasiw, director for Canada; Martha Lysko, ceived by international investors. Alyaksandr Lukashenka, showed vast improvement, ris- national secretary; and Stefan Kaczaraj, treasurer. The Transparency International, headquartered in Berlin, ing from 58th to 43rd place, while Uzbekistan moved up chairman of the Auditing Committee, Bill Pastuszek, also put Ukraine in 88th place – tied with Azerbaijan – from 83rd to 75th. Then there is Kazakstan, considered attended. among the 90 countries that it listed. the personal domain of its president, Nursultan Treasurer Kaczaraj reported on the financial status of Ukraine did only slightly better than Yugoslavia, Nazarbayev, which rose dramatically from 84th place to the UNA, the Ukrainian National Urban Renewal Corp. which claimed 89th place, and Nigeria, which was 90th, 63rd. Only Romania, which dropped from 63rd to 68th and the UNA’s publications for the period ending June 30. both of which until recently were ravaged by civil strife. and Azerbaijan, 96th last year and tied with Ukraine He also reported on the status of investments for the same It is a precipitious drop even for Ukraine, which last today, saw their ratings move substantially south. period. year was 24th from the bottom. The director of the Ukrainian chapter of Transparency The treasurer stated that the financial statements that are Ukraine’s decline is particularly remarkable because International, Serhii Holovatii, said he could not give filed with insurance departments are prepared an accrual it comes as the country has publicly committed itself to specific reasons for Ukraine’s acute decline in its stand- basis. He spent considerable time explaining the reasons for reinvigorated economic and administrative reform as it ing inasmuch as Transparency International does not do attempts to draw foreign investment. Unusual too is (Continued on page 8) that, while Ukraine has fallen, many of the other coun- (Continued on page 18) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2000 No. 40 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS World Bank report blames poverty Tymoshenko quizzed on ties to Lazarenko directive issued last month obliged Ukrainian companies to repay some $130 KYIV – Vice Prime Minister Yulia million in state-guaranteed foreign credits on governments, vested interests Tymoshenko has given U.S. federal agents by the end of 2000. Between January 1, by Ron Synovitz Another dangerous trend cited by the a deposition and answered questions about 1992, and October 1, 1997, the govern- RFE/RL Newsline World Bank is that doctors and school her past connections to former Ukrainian ment granted its guarantees to $2.456 bil- teachers in the poorest former Soviet Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, who is lion worth of foreign credits to Ukrainian A new World Bank report on poverty republics increasingly demand what the being held in the United States on embez- companies. (RFE/RL Newsline) says that falling living standards in former report calls “under-the-table” payments zlement charges, the DPA news service Soviet republics are largely a result of gov- because they cannot survive on their mea- reported on September 26. Ms. IMF mission critical of budget draft ernment policies that favor a narrow set of ger state salaries. Ms. Revenga said this Tymoshenko was the No. 2 person in Mr. private interests rather than the broader trend is especially dangerous for the poor Lazarenko’s Hromada Party and in the KYIV – Julian Berengaut, head of an public good. because they are becoming trapped in a mid-1990s was the president of Ukraine’s IMF delegation visiting Kyiv, said on The study was released on September cycle where it is difficult to receive proper United Energy Systems (UES). Ukrainian September 21 that the government’s pre- 19 in Prague ahead of this week’s annual health care and education. authorities have accused Mr. Lazarenko of diction that budget revenues will total 9 bil- meeting of the World Bank and the Disturbing health trends in post- giving the UES a monopoly on Russian lion hrv ($1.65 billion U.S.) next year is International Monetary Fund. It says eco- Communist states include a decrease in gas imports in return for cash payments to “somewhat unrealistic,” Interfax reported. nomic policies in the poorest countries of male life expectancy, the resurgence of his offshore bank accounts. Ms. Mr. Berengaut added that if this provision the former Soviet bloc often serve an elite tuberculosis, a drastic increase in sexually Tymoshenko has denied any wrongdoing. is approved by the Verkhovna Rada, the group of individuals who have close ties to transmitted diseases and the looming U.S.