The Ukrainian Weekly 1992, No.10

www.ukrweekly.com л J И А ^ А ^ ^– -?і Y ^ t: Z4 CJNjNLiN AV-. , MCrvU'il -Л.-І І НК fPublished by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association! Ukrainian Weekl Vol. LX No. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 1992 v 50 cents Demjanjuk case Rukh split averted as congress elects triumvirate is delayed again Chornovil, Horyn, Drach JERUSALEM - A decision in John elected co-chairmen Demjanjuk's appeal of his 1988 convic tion and death sentence for Nazi war by Marta Kolomayets crimes has once again been postponed Kiev Press Bureau as the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the defense to obtain yet another KGB KIEV - By the skin of its teeth, file from the Soviet Union and asked Rukh, the Popular Movement of U- that a report on those documents be kraine, managed to avert a split by submitted within two months, reported reaching a compromise and electing a the Associated Press. triumvirate of leaders during a three- On February 25 the Supreme Court day congress held in Kiev on February heard defense arguments that Mr. 28-29 and March 1. Demjanjuk, 72, a former Cleveland However, the behind-the-scenes con autoworker, immediately be released flicts between the two factions cast based on new evidence pointing to doubt on the strength of the organiza another man, Ivan Marchenko, as being tion and defined its future as dubious at "Ivan the Terrible" of the Treblinka best. death camp. The court again rejected During a Saturday night, February the plea by attorney Yoram Sheftel. 29, session complete with verbal fire Mr. Sheftel also told the Supreme works, as mud was slung and tempers Court that he had received word that a flared, the leadership of Rukh struggled і Kolomayets thick KGB file on Marchenko could be to save the organization from irrepa The newly elected co-chairmen of Rukh: (from left) Ivan Drach, Vyacheslav found in the basement of the KGB rable damage, from breaking up into Chornovil and Mykhailo Horyn. headquarters in Kiev. That file pur two organizations. completely lost touch with the regional He, as the Rukh candidate for presi portedly contains 40 depositions by The delegates who had traveled to oblast organizations and that they were Treblinka guards who identified Mar this third all-Ukrainian congress of dent of Ukraine, had garnered more no longer willing to listen to the than 7 million votes, despite the fact chenko in a photograph and said he was Rukh waited patiently in their places, thoughts and wishes of the people. the gas chamber operator at Treblinka, while the three key players, the trium that the leadership did not support him, During a full day of reports from the often turning its support to the other reported the AP. virate — Vyacheslav Chornovil, My- Previously, the defense had sub regional chairmen, it became clear that democratic candidates, among them khailo Horyn and Ivan Drach — de the people were dissatisfied with the Levko Lukianenko and Ihor Yukhnov- mitted testimony from 31 guards who bated the future of this grass-roots had identified Marchenko as the no current Rukh leadership and aimed to sky. organization which had worked toward replace it with Mr. Chornovil, who torious "Ivan." Ukraine's independence. Throughout the first day of the con Mr. Sheftel also submitted to the during his 1991 presidential campaign Many of the delegates soon realized had traveled to various parts of U- gress Mr. Chornovil's popularity was court what he said was a photograph of that the old leadership of Rukh had Marchenko taken in the 1930s. He kraine and met with the people. (Continued on page 10) pointed out that there was enough similarity between Marchenko and his client to explain why five Treblinka survivors would identify Mr. Demjan juk as "Ivan the Terrible." The prosecution, meanwhile, sub mitted testimony by 21 guards from both Treblinka and the Sobibor death camp which was brought to Israel from the Soviet Union by prosecutor Michael Shaked. Upon hearing the defense's report on additional KGB files in Kiev, and Mr. Shaked's arguments that the documen tation should be found "to see if it fits in the puzzle we are trying to build here," the Supreme Court ordered the defense to give the prosecutor all details on the files within two weeks. Visa alert WASHINGTON - The Ukrai nian National Association's Wash ington Office reported as The Week ly was going to press that, in accor dance with new instructions from Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Af fairs, no entry visas for Ukraine issued on or after March 10 by representations (embassies or consu lates) of the Russian Federation will be honored by Ukraine. Delegates line up to speak at Rukh"s third congress. 2 __ THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 1992 ^ No. 10 FOR THE RECORD Kievans protest proposed budget cuts Roundtable discussion with Kravchuk as Parliament works on economic reform by Marta Kolomayets What is most dangerous today is a by Marta Kolomayets including bus passes and free railway Kiev Press Bureau social crisis in Ukraine. How can we Kiev Press Bureau tickets, are being curbed to balance avoid it, what mechanism can we use? Ukraine's budget. Ukrainian President Leonid Krav For a long time now we have proposed KIEV — After a weeklong recess, Inside the Parliament, deputies called chuk, in an effort to create a "govern to the Cabinet of Ministers, to the members of Ukraine's Supreme Council for a closed session meeting between ment of public trust, "has been meeting president, that he immediately form a returned to Kiev on Tuesday morning, President Leonid Kravchuk, the Cabi recently with representatives of parties, government of national unity and then March 3, to work out programs of net of Ministers and the Supreme movements and public organizations at create a committee of unions at the economic reform. Council members to decide, as Volo specially convened roundtable discus Cabinet of Ministers. ... Waiting to greet them outside the dymyr Yavorivsky said, "who we are sions. And the greatest danger is in fact the Parliament building were hundreds of and where we are going." disgruntled citizens protesting pro During the first roundtable, which sabotage of powers in the cities, especially The date of this meeting has not yet will in all probability become a regular in the sphere of economics; the lack of posed budget cuts which affect their already miserable daily lives. been decided. In a demonstrative move feature, Mr. Kravchuk touched upon both anti-monopoly laws and a law on on Tuesday morning, Deputy Oleksan four questions: what is a multi-party privatization is a great danger. The economic needs of pensioners, der Chaban, a farmer from Mykolayiv system in today's Ukraine; what is the Chornobyl liquidators and school Oblast, announced a hunger strike, role of political parties in the building of Mr. Mozhovy, Peasant Union of children have fallen into the "black asking his fellow agrarians to support a sovereign state; on what basis should Ukraine: hole," said Volodymyr Hobchyk, vice- him until the farming areas of Ukraine relations between the president and The stabilization of society depends chairman of the Chornobyl Union of are supplied with the fuel and machinery Parliament grow; what is a construc on strengthening the economy of the Ukraine, as Kiev's citizens blocked off for spring sowing, which begins in three tive opposition and what should its village and agriculture. Maybe I am the main thoroughfare, halting traffic weeks. activities include in the process of exaggerating, but if there is a village near Parliament. Mr. Chaban told the Parliament that nation-building. (selo); there will be a Ukraine. "We were the first at the site of the he would not leave the building, nor Below are highlights of ideas ex nuclear explosion," he said, "and now would he eat until his demands were pressed by leaders of parties and public Oleksander Moroz, chairman, Socialist we are the first to suffer."Their benefits, (Continued on page 6) organizations during the roundtable Party of Ukraine (formerly the Com discussions on Friday, February 21. munist Party of Ukraine): Levko Lukianenko, chairman of the To assign the roundtable a role which Ukrainian Republican Party: will form a political platform and a Newsbriefs government of national unity (public Firstly, I would like to propose to Mr. trust) seems to me to be a Utopian on Ukraine President that he follow up on the assignment. This should be the duty of recommendation of the Supreme Coun the president, and he will then ask for cil of Ukraine and form a new govern advice from the political parties which e CRIMEA - On February 26 the lion and his deputy were instantly ment. This new government should be are most convenient for him. And by Crimean Supreme Council renamed the dismissed by Admiral Igor Kasatonov, made up of all political forces, and looking at whom he turns to, we will Crimean ASSR the Republic of Crimea. commander-in-chief of the fleet. After include the democratic powers as well. understand whom he leans on and It also adopted a resolution on the state the second battalion pledged allegiance whose ideas go unnoticed. anthem and discussed the draft of a new to Ukraine on February 15, its com Yuriy Badzio, chairman, Democratic We feel that a state cannot be demo constitution. The draft's basic law is manding officer and deputy also were Party of Ukraine: cratic if it only considers the problems now sans the words "autonomous" and dismissed. A marine brigade is attached of the minorities and not the majority.

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