1NS1DE: ^ Pre-election report on Ukraine's presidential candidates - page 3. ^ Ukraine's Consulate General in New York - page 5. ^ A return trip to Ukraine: surviving difficult times - page 9. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association inc., a fraternal non-profit association vol. LXII No. 25 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 19,1994 50 cents Kravchuk and Kuchma reported Ousted Soviet-era prime minister in close race for the presidency brought back to head government by Roman Woronowycz was too late to change course. The popu– by Roman Woronowycz plenary session, in his short nominating Kyyiv Press Bureau lar vote was called a year before the Kyyiv Press Bureau speech Mr. Kravchuk said, "in order to president's term expires, after President get the government moving, 1 believe he KYYiv - Two of the seven presiden– Kravchuk agreed to demands by striking KYYiv - vitaliy Masol was con- is the only real choice." tial hopefuls have moved ahead of the coal miners unhappy with Ukraine's eco– firmed by the Supreme Council on June One other name had been tossed pack and are running neck and neck as nomic situation. 16 as Ukraine's fifth prime minister since about. Petro Lazarenko, presidential rep– the finish approaches in Ukraine's presi– The president has overcome an early independence in a vote boycotted by resentative in Dnipropetrovske, had been dential elections. edge by his rival and now leads Mr. right-leaning political factions. He was suggested by the Parliament's Presidium Former Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma 29 percent to 23 percent, nominated by President Leonid Kravchuk on June 10, but he never became a seri– Kuchma, currently a deputy in according to a poll developed by the the day before. ous threat to Mr. Masol. Parliament, is battling President Leonid Kyyiv international Sociology Center Mr. Masol held the position of prime "He is a professional, a specialist, an Kravchuk in a race that experts are now and Kyyiv Mohyla Academy, which minister before Ukraine declared its inde– intelligent person," said Acting Prime saying will require a runoff before involved 1,005 respondents from all of pendence in 1991, but was forced to Minister Yukhym Zviahilsky of Mr. Ukraine has a new president. However, Ukraine's regions and the Crimea. The resign after the government submitted to Masol. He was echoing comments made by who is ahead right now is difficult to poll was taken June 6-Ю. student demands made during large-scale Chairman of the Parliament Oleksander determine if one looks at recent polls. Much further down the line came protests in October 1990. Moroz, who had rhetorically asked the leg– The June 26 elections were assured Chairman of Ukraine's Parliament The 66-year-old former Communist, islature in a speech supporting Mr. Masol, when Parliament voted on June 2 that Oleksander Moroz with 9 percent voter who ran for Parliament this year as an "is there a person in Ukraine with more with electoral districts designated, nomi– support, followed by volodymyr Lanovy independent, was nominated by President nees in place and money appropriated it with 6 percent. After them, the poll Kravchuk during the June 15 Parliament (Continued on page 11) shows lvan Pliushch at 4 percent. Petro Talanchuk and valeriy Babych received EU-Ukraine pact about 1 percent each in voter approval. When the two front-runners were sep– arated from the rest of the field, Mr. is signed under Kravchuk came ahead of Mr. Kuchma by a margin of 36 percent to 32 percent. Chernobyl's shadow However, a poll conducted the same week by the Socis-Gallup company, a JERSEY C1TY, N.J. - market survey firm, suggests that the Ukrainian President Leonid race between Messrs. Kravchuk and і Kravchuk arrived in Luxembourg Kuchma is a dead heat with the two can– cfi June 14 to -ign a comprehensive didates garnering 18 percent and 19 per– 'Kidc dmi cooperation accoid with cent, respectively, of respondent support. the European Union, whose stated Following the leaders were Mr. Pliushch rim is to lay the ^'oundwork for a at 6 percent and Mr. Lanovy with 5 per– xidening free-Trade zone on the cent. The rest of the field could muster Continent. Ukiainc became die first only about 1 percent support. The survey former Soviet republic to sign such questioned 1,200 Ukrainians about an agreement with the EU, under whom they would support in elections. which it was granted most favored Earlier polls had shown Mr. Kravchuk nation status, and quotas were lifted trailing Mr. Kuchma by as much as 3 to on various Ukrainian goods. 4 percent. Some have explained the dra– According to Reuters, Mr. matic shift of voter sentiment towards Kravchuk welcomed the EU's will– the president as merely a more accurate ingness to aid his country, saying reflection of Mr. Kravchuk's popularity the pact is a sound base for closer since he finally and fully declared his relations with the EU and a first intention to run and has begun cam– step toward his country's ambition paigning. of full membership. According to viktor Nebozhenko of Despite Mr. Kravchuk's opti– Democratic initiatives, another polling mistic pronouncements to the con– firm, Mr. Kravchuk is unexpectedly trary, according to an Associated receiving approximately 60 percent sup- Press report, the pact did not hold port from the western farming regions, out the prospect of eventual EU most notably Lviv Oblast, which has membership, as did similar arrange– been considered an area where Mr. ments recently signed by the Czech Pliushch would do well. Mr. Kuchma Republic, Hungary, Poland and receives strong support in the eastern Romania. Also, many provisions industrial sectors, which is his power were made conditional on Ukraine's base. adoption of systemic market At one time the top two candidates reforms. The establishment of a free were a team, Mr. Kravchuk having hand- trade zone was tied to an EU evalua– picked Mr. Kuchma to run the Cabinet of tion of the progress of reforms, to be Ministers in October 1992. Within less conducted in 1998. than a year their partnership disintegrat– The AP item also suggested ed, as Mr. Kravchuk could not accept Roma Hadzewycz Ukraine's primacy as a post-Soviet Mr. Kuchma's insistence on a fast pace Dateline: Kyyiv, October 1990. Speaking before the Supreme Soviet, vitaliy Masol for economic reform. Today, that differ– (Continued on page 13) tenders his resignation as chairman of the Ukrainian SSR Council of Ministers. (Continued on page 13) Mr. Masol was named Ukraine9s new prime mnister on June 16. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 1994 No. 25 ANALYSIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Systemic crisis in Ukraine Absentee voting in the U.S. Ukraine's nuclear reactors is expected to be among the topics at the next G-7 meet– and scenarios of development WASHINGTON - citizens of ing scheduled to take place in Naples, Ukraine who are in the United States dur– italy, in July. (Reuters) ing the presidential elections that will by Dr. viadimir Zviglyanich ishing the local Soviets (councils), but take place on June 26 may cast their bal– Zviahilsky reports to Parliament this never happened. All these reforms PART1 lots that day at the Embassy of Ukraine as were limited in character. Thus, Ukraine well as at the Consulates General located KYYiv — Acting Prime Minister The contemporary crisis in Ukraine lacks viable state power, oscillating in New York and Chicago, voting will Yukhym Zviahilsky said on June 14 that embraces the social, economic and politi– between a presidential and parliamentary take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in order the main achievement of his government cal life of the country and signifies a deep republic. President Kravchuk therefore to vote, Ukrainian citizens must present "is a reduction in inflation." He added, spiritual crisis, it differs from crises in proposed the March 27 referendum on their passports, voting locations and "The reasons for inflation have not been Poland and Russia, which are determined the nature of the political system in phone numbers are: Embassy of Ukraine, eliminated and an inflationary spiral is mostly by price liberalization and industri– Ukraine (presidential or parliamentary), 3350 M St. NW, Washington, DC, inevitable if this government's policy is al restructuring. These crises have a rela– with the aim of distracting the people 20007; (202) 333-7506, 333-0606; altered sharply." Mr. Zviahilsky made his tive character resulting from a more from the economic crisis. Consulate General of Ukraine, 10 E. comments in a report to the Parliament (Poland) or less (Russia) consistent reform The presidential representatives in the Huron St., Chicago, 1L 60611; (312) 642- covering his nine months at the helm of program. The crisis in Ukraine is absolute regions did not succeed in replacing the 4388; Consulate of Ukraine, 240 E. 49th the government. He stated, "Maximum in character, caused by the contemporary local councils, thereby creating a system St., New York, NY; (212) 371-5690. control over prices through economic mea– ruling elite's deep misunderstanding of of dual power, in many cases, presiden– (Embassy of Ukraine) sures must be the basis of our economic market functioning combined with its ego– tial representatives try to follow their activity. We must also maintain the con- istic interests and further "mafiazation." own political course, thus causing the Mejlis supports Kravchuk for president trolled rate of the karbovanets to the dol– There is also a lack of market-oriented regionalization of political life in lar." The acting prime minister offered no Ukraine. Executive powers are more and KYYiv - The Crimean Tatar Council, new policies or ideas.