The Ukrainian Weekly 1992
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Ф Democratic candidate for president Gov. Bill Clinton responds to The Weekly's questions — page 3. Ф Members of the Ukrainian American community voice their opinions on the presidential election — page 3. Ф Letters to the editor discuss the electorate's choices - page 8. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc.. a fraternal non-profit association rainian Wee Vol. LX No. 43 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1992 50 cents As Ukraine grapples Parliament committee to review students' demands with economic troubles, hryvnia put on hold by Khristina Lew - Kiev Press Bureau KIEV - As Ukraine and Russia continue to negotiate Ukraine's with drawal from the ruble zone, the chair man of the National Bank of Ukraine, Vadym Hetman, dismissed the notion of introducing Ukraine's new currency, the hryvnia, until fiscal and monetary policy is strengthened. A delegation led by Ukraine's new prime minister, Leonid Kuchma, de parted for Moscow on October 23 to continue discussions with Russian Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar on con trite mechanisms for a payment system between the two countries. Russia has proposed that balances be p?id through the two countries4 central banks, while Ukraine (whose present currency, the coupon, is worth 60 percent of the ruble), insists that p^y^ents be made through Ukraine's егл erprises Negotiations with Russia for U- Serhiy Siry kjaine s withdrawal from the ruble Militia confronts marching students. zone, scheduled for this month, began by Khristina Lew an election of new municipal council Organization for Workers Solidarity after the June summit in Dagomys Kiev Press Bureau heads. (VOST), announced its support for the between Ukrainian President Leonid The stuoent`s efforts to push forth students' demands, and, ai a joint Kravcbuk and Russian President Boris KIEV —Tensions between the Union iheir demands for Ukraine's withdrawal Independence Square meeting attended Yeltsin According to Mr. Hetman, the of Ukrainian Students (SUS) and trom trie CIS, multi-party рагіїа– bv an estimated 5,000 people. Issued a nj^e is "')w used only for cash trans- Ukraine's Parliament were temporarily nentary elections and the formation oi statement ^ailing for the dissolution 0і ас - ` s гпс \Hh been virtually replaced cased on October 21 wun the creation v\ a reformist government oi "national U-rame's Parliament and the prosecu ! Ь ``,s v ' f`r i i co плг)ер”іаі transac Ґ '`arhfcmemap' committee LO examine ,rust" intensified after October '3 and tion oi officials responsible for mnitta ts .'`H?v.;Mi mv дай? `l) tbe u Lotion of a referendum and - л confrontations oetween SUS demoo- fcratanty igainst demonstrators. ,– г9!Гге ^(\c І AfiOfJ t-oops ana тіїта– u' aew lei?renuum committee. ПІЄП. ,i if`o .iunng d closed session of ; `i,untinued on page )) liKl On October і ? the лІІ-Ukraiman 4 to Chornobyl reactor is restarted provincial counens and 34 local branch by Christopher Guly WASHINGTON - One of the Chor shut down the nuclear facility by 1993 es. nobyl power plant's four nuclear re have been scrapped, explained an The so-called "Big Six" member WINNIPEG - A commitment to actors was restarted Friday, October 16, ITAR-TASS news agency report. groups have traditionally dominated in work for the current Canadian consti by order of the Ukrainian government The head of environmental policy of their powers of influence and veto: the tutional deal, a promise for community disregarding requests by the European the European Community and the Ukrainian Self-Reliance League (Or redress by the prime minister and the Community not to do so, reported German environment minister were thodox), the Ukrainian National Fede election of a new president highlighted The Washington Times on Tuesday. reported to be deeply worried by U- ration, the Ukrainian Canadian Profes the і 7th triennial meeting of the Ukrai kraine's decision to restart one of the sional and Business Federation, the Reactor No. 3, shut down for repairs nian Canadian Congress (UCC) held in three power plants at Chornobyl. Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood, the six months ago, was ordered fired up Winnipeg on October 8-11. The Financial Times reported that Canadian League for Ukraine's Libera because Ukraine remains strapped for Karel Van Miert, the EC environmental Winnipeg lawyer Oleh Romaniw, 48, tion and the Ukrainian Canadian Ve energy with the approach of winter. The commissioner, said radioactive gas who recently represented the UCC in terans' Association. There are some Ukrainian government has said it will leaks at a similar plant in Lithuania in negotiations to purchase a building for changes, however. The name of the also resume using the No. 2 reactor at Ukraine's Embassy in Ottawa, succeed League for Liberation is redundant Chornobyl next month. the last few days proved the dangers of ed Saskatoon psychiatrist Dr. Dmytro now, and the veterans' group has lost This would leave mothballed only the such reactors and the start-up at Chor Cipywnyk as president. Mr. Romaniw enough membership to lose its historic infamous reactor No. 4 in the Chor nobyl could only fuel anxiety across defeated John Gregorovich, the Toron clout and position in this grouping. nobyl complex which blew up in April Europe. to-based chairperson of the UCC's Civil During a pre-election question-and- 1986 and is now encased in a fragile The Washington Times said that last Liberties Commission, by a vote of 265 answer session for delegates, Mr. Ro concrete sarcophagus. Only reactor No. week inspectors at Lithuania's Ignalina to 105. maniw committed himself to "moder I has continually operated in the disas nuclear plant found a half-inch crack in a pipe through which 200 litres of Founded in 1940, the UCC is com nizing" the congress and making it ter's aftermath. radioactive water had leaked into the posed of 33 national member-organiza "more professional and more visible." Ukrainian experts said restarting the plant. tions and affiliate groups. There are five (Continued on page 10) two reactors does not mean plans to THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1992 No. 43 NEWS ANALYSIS: A look at Ukraine's new prime minister Newsbriefs by Irene Jarosewich Prime Minister Kuchma is viewed as on Ukraine Special to The Ukrainian Weekly one of a group of "progressive" industrialists, a centrist voter in the KIEV - Ending 10 days of specula Parliament and charter member of the ^ KIEV — By a series of decrees, cloth. India apparently consented to the tion and behind-the-scenes maneuver political faction New Ukraine, which President Leonid Kravchuk made additional payments in hard currency ing, Leonid Danylovych Kuchma on advocates rapid economic reform. changes in the composition of his demanded by Viktor Antonov, the October 13 was confirmed by Ukraine's He has vowed to create a coalition cabinet, according to a DR-Press report minister of machine-building, the mili Supreme Council as the new prime government and promised to take into of October 17. Anatoliy Lobov replaced tary-industrial complex and conver minister. consideration recommendations from Volodymyr Piekhota as chairman of the sion. Talks had broken down on Octo Mr. Kuchma, a people's deputy from all factions and political parties. In Cabinet of Ministers. Yuriy Shcherbak ber 16, when Mr. Antonov initially Dnipropetrovsk and an engineer by responseto complaints about cronyism was removed as minister of the environ made the demand. profession, has been the general direc and party holdovers often leveled at the ment and named Ukraine's ambassador In a related story, on October 16 the tor for the past six years of Pivdenmash Fokin government, he promised to to Israel. (RFE/RL Daily Report) press service of the Ukrainian Defense (Pivdeniy Mashynobudivelnyi Zavod establish a government based on "com Ministry denied reports that it was — Southern Machine Building Fac petence and merit." ^ SYMFEROP1L - The congress intending to trade the Variah, an tory), the largest military assembly Les Taniuk, head of the National of Crimean Ukrainians was held here on aircraft carrier, to France for a number plant in the former Soviet Union. Council faction in the Parliament, stated October 9-11. Proceedings opened with of French submarines. (RFE/ RL Daily Mr. Kuchma's name began circulat that the confirmation of Mr. Kuchma the reading of greetings from President Report) ing a few days after the vote of no "was an inevitable political reality for Leonid Kravchuk. The delegates esta confidence in former Prime Minister our times. Mr. Kuchma represents the blished an All-Crimean Coordinating ^ DONETSKE - A number of U- Vitold Fokin as the alternative to industrialists — a potent force in U- Council and elected Yuriy Kolesnykov kraine's leading industrialists met here Valentyn Symomenko, acting prime kraine. Many of them have been feeling as chairman. Among those who ad on October 15 to express their determi minister. Mr. Symonenko, a people's disoriented since the demise of the Com dressed the congress were Refat Chuba- nation to influence Ukrainian politics in deputy from Odessa and a former munist Party and have not been in the rov, a representative of the Crimean the future and to decry their govern chairman of the Communist Party forefront of politics. Eventually they Tatars, and Vyacheslav Chornovil, co- ment's decision to leave the ruble zone. executive of that city, was considered to would have organized and it's better to chairman of Rukh. Topics discussed Those in attendance, heads of large be President Leonid Kravchuk's choice have them in government than on the included Ukraine and the Crimea in a industrial enterprises situated in eastern for prime minister. outside, opposing government. Once European context, the necessity for they are in the political process, you can and southeastern Ukraine, also decided Sources in Kiev say the selection of continuing Crimean autonomy, the to form an inter-regional association.