The Ukrainian Weekly 2007, No.26
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Auto accident alters lives of families in Ukraine, U.S. — page 3. • Philadelphia celebrates 95th anniversary of Plast — page 9. • ‘Bereza Kartuzka’ documentary premieres in Montreal — page 13. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXV No. 26 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Sunday July 1, 2007 $1/$2 in Ukraine Bush unveils memorial Latest poll says four political forces to victims of communism likely to be elected to next Rada by Nina Brantley by Zenon Zawada The Razumkov Center is among the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation Kyiv Press Bureau most respected polling and research cen- ters in Ukraine, supported by 57 govern- WASHINGTON – Twenty years to the KYIV – Four political forces would ments and private organizations, including day when U.S. President Ronald Reagan qualify for the Verkhovna Rada if elec- Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the stood in Berlin and asked then-Soviet tions were held today, according to a sur- U.S. Embassy in Ukraine and the Morgan, leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down vey of 11,000 Ukrainians in 403 locations, Stanley and Co. investment bank. this wall,” a memorial to commemorate conducted between May 31 and June 18 Almost 79 percent of respondents said the victims of communism was dedicated by the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center for they will vote in the September 30 parlia- in Washington by the current U.S. presi- Economic and Political Research. mentary elections, while 10 percent said dent, George W. Bush. The Party of the Regions would win 37 they won’t. Some 14 years in the making, the memo- percent of the vote (compared to 32 percent Almost 54 percent of respondents said rial stands as testament to the hard work of in 2006), the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc they will vote for the same political party the Victims of Communism Memorial would win 21 percent (22 percent in 2006), or bloc on September 30 that they sup- Foundation and especially its chairman, the Our Ukraine People’s Union – People’s ported in the March 2006 parliamentary Lee Edwards, historian and author, who Self-Defense Bloc would win 16 percent elections, while about 18 percent said lobbied for permission to build the monu- and the Communist Party of Ukraine they will switch their support. ment, as well as Ambassador Lev would win 5 percent (4 percent in 2006). When asked why they will choose Dobriansky, chairman emeritus. The 10- “The political forces that will realisti- another political force, 41 percent said foot-tall bronze statue is a replica of the cally form the Parliament won’t differ the bloc or party they voted for didn’t Goddess of Democracy, used by students in much from the prior session, but we hope fulfill expectations, while 35 percent said Beijing during the Tiananmen Square its level of accountability will improve,” they were disappointed with the leaders. protests. It stands in Washington at the said Oleksander Chalyi, assistant general intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, New director of the Razumkov Center. (Continued on page 10) Jersey Avenue and G Street within view of the Capitol building. The dedication ceremony on June 12 began with remarks by Mr. Edwards and Yaro Bihun Our Ukraine, Lutsenko bloc join forces Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.). Rep. The Victims of Communism Memorial, by Zenon Zawada Razumkov Center for Economic and a 10-foot-tall bronze replica of the Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), chairman of the Kyiv Press Bureau Political Research. Foreign Affairs Committee, delivered the Goddess of Democracy statue built by Together, the Our Ukraine People’s Chinese students during the 1989 KYIV – The Our Ukraine People’s Union and People’s Self-Defense Bloc (Continued on page 5) Tiananmen Square protests. Union and Yurii Lutsenko’s People’s have about 16 percent voter support. Self-Defense Bloc have united into a sin- The two leaders have yet to announce gle political bloc for the September 30 the new bloc’s leader and the top 10 can- parliamentary elections, their leaders didates on the electoral list, as well as a OSCE Parliamentary Assembly announced on June 28. possible new name for the bloc. At a signing ceremony for the While the two leaders invited the Declaration of Uniting Democratic Rukh-Ukrainian Right Wing to join their to hold annual session in Kyiv Forces at the Presidential Secretariat, Our bloc, leader Yurii Kostenko said he was Organization for Security ter; and Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Ukraine People Union’s Chair Viacheslav surprised by the announcement and was- and Cooperation in Europe OSCE secretary general. Kyrylenko and People’s Self-Defense n’t invited to the signing ceremony. Chair Yurii Lutsenko said they will The assembly’s special representa- An earlier agreement reached by the merge following the elections. COPENHAGEN – Nearly 300 tives and Ad Hoc Committees, which three blocs had allocated the Rukh- “Today we are ready to announce not Ukrainian Right Wing 21 percent of the members of Parliament from most of deal with issue-specific topics such as only the creation of a single electoral candidates in the event of a common the 56 participating states of the Guantanamo and Central Asia, will bloc and electoral list, but also clear electoral list, he said. Organization for Security and deliver reports at the meeting. Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will intentions to create a single democratic Our Ukraine would have 54 percent and Elections will also be held for new party,” Mr. Lutsenko said. the People’s Self-Defense Bloc 25 percent. meet in Kyiv on July 5-9 for the OSCE assembly officers. Mr. Lennmarker Parliamentary Assembly’s 16th annual Though Our Ukraine for many years “Does this document cancel all prior will seek a second one-year term as session. has structured itself as a bloc in which agreements regarding the unification of president of the OSCE Parliamentary Participants will discuss regional Our Ukraine People’s Union was one of blocs?” Mr. Kostenko said. “This is evi- Assembly. security, including energy security, several parties, the March defection of dence the negotiations are taking place migration, corruption, democratic The annual session in Kyiv is being the Party of Industrialists and on two echelons – Kyrylenko-Lutsenko development and election standards. held at the invitation of the chairman Entrepreneurs prompted its leaders to on one level, while the (Rukh-Ukrainian) Another focus will be human rights of the Ukrainian Parliament, favor consolidation into a single party, Right Wing is not an equal partner.” issues affecting the OSCE area, includ- Oleksander Moroz. The 2006 session observers said. Only 1.3 percent of voters said they ing protection of minorities, press free- was held in Belgium, and the 2008 ses- The unification of Our Ukraine and would vote for the Rukh-Ukrainian Right dom and human trafficking. sion will be held in Kazakhstan. the People’s Self-Defense has the poten- Wing according to the Razumkov poll. A final declaration is expected to The annual session will take place at tial to significantly boost what had been The Rukh-Ukrainian Right Wing would include recommendations on these and the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv, which is President Viktor Yushchenko’s waning add 0.5 percent more votes to the Our related issues. also the host of the session. The meet- influence in Parliament, given his status Ukraine People’s Union-People’s Self Expected speakers at the session ing is open to the media. as honorary chair of the Our Ukraine Defense Bloc if it merged, the poll said. include: Viktor Yushchenko, president The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, People’s Union, political observers said. Even if offered an invitation to the of Ukraine; Goran Lennmarker, OSCE created in 1990, is the parliamentary Without the People’s Self-Defense bloc, Mr. Kostenko expressed concern Parliamentary Assembly president; dimension of the OSCE. The assem- Bloc, the Our Ukraine People’s Union about whether a nationalist-oriented bloc Miguel Angel Moratinos, OSCE chair- bly’s primary task is to facilitate inter- would earn only 10 percent of the vote, could merge into a single party with the man-in-office, Spanish foreign minis- parliamentary dialogue. according to a poll of about 11,000 People’s Self-Defense, which he consid- Ukrainians released on June 26 by the ers a leftist force. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Sunday July 1, 2007 No. 26 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Tymoshenko comes out PM cites needs for early elections “However, we agreed to this because we do not want to disrupt the elections,” he ahead in Ukraine’s crisis KYIV – Prime Minister Viktor said. It was the first valid sitting of the Yanukovych told journalists in Kyiv on by Taras Kuzio 2004 presidential elections, had support- CEC following the approval of its June 27 that the early elections scheduled renewed composition by the Verkhovna Eurasia Daily Monitor ed two Orange governments in 2005- for September 30 are necessary for 2006/2007 but moved to the Anti-Crisis Rada on June 1. (RFE/RL Newsline) Ukraine’s Parliament closed on Friday, Ukraine, Ukrainian media reported. “It is Coalition of Prime Minister Viktor necessary to hold elections under these Melnychenko set to release recordings June 15, after a tense two-month crisis. Yanukovych in 2006-2007. This was a success for Yulia Tymoshenko circumstances,” he said. “There is no Second, the Orange split permitted Mr. other way for the state, but they must be KYIV – Former presidential bodyguard and her eponymous bloc (YTB), which Yanukovych and his Party of the Regions Mykola Melnychenko, whose alleged was the only political force consistently held exclusively on the basis of the law (PRU) to revive their fortunes.