INSIDE:• Congressional hearings focus on foreign aid – page3. • Investigators examine alleged election fraud – page 8. • Report to determine fate of U.S. aid to Ukraine – page 9. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVI HE No.KRAINIAN 15 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 1998 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine 63 miners killed T U Election authoritiesW announce in gas explosion official results of party list voting by Roman Woronowycz by Roman Woronowycz the Verkhovna Rada’s 450 seats, would be Kyiv Press Bureau Kyiv Press Bureau announced concurrently . Both parties and individuals who took part KYIV – While Ukraine observed an official KYIV – Ukraine’s Central Election in the March 29 elections have alleged wide- two-day mourning period on April 6-7, friends Commission on April 7 announced the official spread fraud, although most international and and relatives began burying some of the 63 results of the party list voting to the Verkhovna domestic observer organizations said election coal miners who perished in an explosion in Rada, but has put off publishing official results the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. violations were minor and did not affect the in the vote for single-mandate representatives. outcomes of the races. On April 4 during a 10 a.m. shift change at Central Election Commission Chairman the Skachinsky coal mine, located in the city of The official results did not change from the Mykhailo Riabets said at a press conference preliminary results announced last week. The Donetsk, a lethal build-up of methane gas that the commission had received so many caused an explosion that buried at least a hun- Communist Party will get 84 seats, the Rukh complaints of election law violations and fraud Party will receive 32, the Socialist/Agrarian dred workers. in the single-mandate balloting portion of Of some 260 workers who were in the pit at Party bloc – 29, the Green Party – 19, the Ukraine’s new election system that it would National Democratic Party – 17, the Hromada the time, 63 did not survive, 43 were hospital- withhold publishing results for the time being. ized, 13 critically. Party – 16, the Progressive Socialist Party – 14 Originally, the chairman of the CEC had A half hour before the blast, which occurred and the Social Democratic Party – 14. hoped that results of the party races and the at a depth of 1,200 meters, an alarm signal vote for individuals, each accounting for half (Continued on page 8) went off, indicating a dangerously high con- centration of methane gas in the mine shaft. The mine is notorious for the methane gas build-ups that regularly occur. The alarm auto- matically shut down electricity, but minutes P R O G R AM before the explosion energy was turned back on. of the 34th REGULAR CONVENTION Nineteen victims were buried on April 6, the of the UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION INC. next day 39 additional victims were interred, to be held in and the remaining five on April 8. Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko, who TORONTO, CANADA attended a liturgy for 11 victims on April 6 at at the TORONTO HILTON HOTEL beginning the Kirov Cemetery in Donetsk, offered condo- FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1998, 9:00 AM lences to the bereaved families and assured them that “nobody will be forgotten,” accord- 1. Opening of Convention ing to Interfax-Ukraine. He said that all neces- 2. Report of Credentials Committee sary material and financial resources will be 3. Election: a) Convention chairperson, two vice-chairpersons, two secretaries provided to the families of the dead and b) 11-member Election Committee injured. c) five-member Committee on Petitions President Leonid Kuchma has ordered the d) six-member Secretaries Committee establishment of a special commission to 4. Appointment of Press Committee and sergeant-at-arms investigate the cause of the tragedy and 5. Reports of UNA Officers: appointed Vice Prime Minister Mykola - President Ulana M. Diachuk Biloblotskyi as chairman. - Vice-President Nestor Olesnycky On April 6, as flags flew above government - Director for Canada Peter Savaryn buildings draped with black bunting, President - Vice-Presidentess Anya Dydyk-Petrenko Kuchma said on national television that offi- - Secretary Martha Lysko cials in Ukraine’s coal industry must bear - Treasurer Alexander Blahitka responsibility for the sorry state of Ukraine’s - Acting Treasurer Stefan Kaczaraj coal industry. “The tragedy has once again 6. Reports of UNA Auditing Committee members: demonstrated the high price we have to pay for - Stefan Hawrysz coal in the Donetsk basin,” said President - William Pastuszek Kuchma. “It is an excessively high price for - Stefania Hewryk old problems in the development of the coal - Anatole Doroshenko industry, which have accumulated for decades, - Iwan Wynnyk as well as our inability to resolve them.” 7. Reports of UNA Advisors: Minister of Energy Dmytro Herasymchuk - Roma Hadzewycz told Agence France Presse that maintenance of - Tekla Moroz the coal mine had been neglected because of - Stefko Kuropas lack of funds. “It’s scandalous,” said Mr. - Alex Chudolij Herasymchuk. - Walter Korchynsky President Kuchma said he wanted an open, - Eugene Iwanciw honest investigation and warned against - Stephanie Hawryluk “reducing the investigation to a mere formality, - Taras Szmagala a search for a scapegoat.” - Alexander Serafyn Minister Biloblotskyi, the head of the spe- - Andrew Keybida - Anne Remick cial commission, said the cause of the accident - Nick Diakiwsky was a violation of safety regulations. “Methane - Roman Kuropas cannot explode by itself; we will look into - The Rev. Myron Stasiw human factors,” said Mr. Biloblotskyi. (Continued on page 4) (Continued on page 8) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 1998 No. 15 Vice Prime Minister Tyhypko in Washington NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS for committee meeting of Binational Commission Votes still being counted in Ukraine well-informed source in Ukraine’s Foreign by Yaro Bihun focused on the issue of whether Secretary Affairs Ministry. But Mr. Udovenko will Special to The Ukrainian Weekly of State Madeleine K. Albright will certi- KYIV – The Central Election continue to serve as president of the United fy that Ukraine is making progress in Commission is planning to announce the WASHINGTON – The government of Nations General Assembly, the same source resolving outstanding disputes with a final results of the March 29 elections early said. Mr. Udovenko has been elected as a Ukraine intends to work more closely number of American investors. next week, Chairman Mykhailo Riabets with the new Verkhovna Rada elected on national deputy to the Verkhovna Rada, and According to a stipulation in the U.S. for- told journalists in Kyiv on April 6. Mr. observers believe he is being considered for March 29, according to Vice Prime eign aid bill, if she cannot certify this Riabets also said the commission has Minister Serhii Tyhypko, who admitted the post of Parliament chairman. (RFE/RL progress by the end of April, Ukraine received many complaints of election viola- Newsline) that it had not always cooperated as well stands to lose half the $225 million of its tions throughout the country. An eight- as it should have with the old Parliament. appropriated U.S. assistance funds. member team is investigating complaints Kuchma decree abolishes secrecy In the past, he told Washington jour- Mr. Tyhypko said that much progress from the Dnipropetrovsk region, where the nalists at the Ukrainian Embassy on April has been made over the past year in number of votes scored by the Hromada KYIV – Ukraine has implemented one 3, the government introduced reform improving the investment climate in Party is half that received nationwide. of the main requirements laid down by the measures but did not always follow up in Ukraine and in resolving investor dis- Hromada is led by former Prime Minister Council of Europe which deals with aboli- the legislative process. putes. He added, however, that a number Pavlo Lazarenko, who is an opponent of tion of secrecy on information concerning “Not all measures were accepted,” he of problem investments remain to be President Leonid Kuchma. Meanwhile, the the death penalty. The news was announced said, “and we understand well that we worked out. Agrarian Party, which did not overcome the by the head of the Ukrainian parliamentary also were partially to blame. We did not The vice prime minister said he was 4 percent vote barrier, has claimed that its delegation to the Council of Europe, Borys work adequately with the Verkhovna pleased with the tone and atmosphere of votes in several constituencies were appro- Oliinyk, on March 20. He noted that Rada. We did not do as much as we talks with U.S. officials and business- priated by other parties. (RFE/RL President Leonid Kuchma had signed the should have to win them over.” men, and with how Ukraine now is Newsline) relevant decree abolishing such secrecy. Mr. He added that no matter the ultimate viewed on Capitol Hill. Oliinyk said information about people exe- make-up of the new Verkhovna Rada, the “While it is very hard to gauge the Parties claim election fraud cuted since 1995 will be made public soon. government fully intends to continue its He said Ukraine had appealed to the mood of Congress based on a meeting KYIV – Several political parties have reform policies, “and we will try to coop- Council of Europe with an appeal for assis- with three congressmen, I thought the accused the government of falsifying the erate with it.” meeting went very well and I noticed an tance in the preparation of a draft law on results of the March 29 elections, but those Mr. Tyhypko was in Washington lead- improvement in the way it looks at replacing capital punishment with life parties have brought no evidence to support ing a large Ukrainian government delega- Ukraine,” he said.