The Ukrainian Weekly 2001, No.15
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• RFE/RL interviews President Leonid Kuchma — page 2. • Proposed changes to the UNA By-Laws: two views — page 7. • Roadblocks en route to the Venice Biennale — page 14. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXIX HE KRAINIANNo. 15 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 2001 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine T U PACE monitor’sW recommendation may result New construction at central square in Ukraine’s suspension from Council of Europe threatens Kyivan archeological treasure by Roman Woronowycz Ukraine that we are concerned about the by Roman Woronowycz sions on what the new square will finally Kyiv Press Bureau laws only,” said Ms. Severinsen. Kyiv Press Bureau look like “with drawing board tools in Indeed, Ukraine’s lawmakers and even KYIV – The Council of Europe (CE) hand.” President Leonid Kuchma put the empha- KYIV – Unless urgent action is taken, “The area of preservation and the could suspend Ukraine’s membership in portions of an archaeological treasure late April because of an unexpected recom- sis on matters other than human and civil method of preservation must be settled rights in explaining the PACE monitoring beneath Independence Square will be upon,” explained Mr. Zahaiduk. mendation by a monitoring committee of dug up and carted away along with the committee recommendation. However, at least one archaeologist its Parliamentary Assembly. tons of earth already being moved to Mr. Kuchma told reporters on April 10 close to the matter said he and his col- If the CE committee of ministers sup- make way for a two-tiered subterranean in Odesa, where he was on a working trip, leagues would not get access to the site ports the recommendation, Ukraine could shopping center planned beneath the that the matter is an inter-parliamentary or to the plans. The archaeologist, who become the first member-state in the 51- plaza. issue and questions should be directed to wished to remain anonymous, explained year history of the human rights assembly A noted Ukrainian archaeologist who Ukrainian lawmakers. Nonetheless, he that the city would continue to pay lip of European parliamentarians to have its directed the project 20 years ago that first membership suspended. Only Russia, called the action by the PACE monitoring unearthed the remains of the 11th century service to the experts, but privately had decided unilaterally on a compromise to which was threatened with similar action committee “pressure from certain Liadski Gates – one of three main two years ago over its role in Chechnya, entrances into Kyiv during the height of resolve the issue. He said architects had (Continued on page 25) developed a plan to preserve only the has come this close to a formal sanction. the Kyivan Rus’ empire – said on April 6 On April 5 the committee voted for the that city architects and planners have main section of the gates and enclose it in glass, which would become a prime recommendation based on a report by failed to take adequate measures to Hanne Severinsen, a rapporteur charged ensure that the remains of the buried exhibit in the underground mall. Other features of the gates, as well as an with reviewing the situation in Ukraine to Verkhovna Rada OKs archaeological treasure are not destroyed. determine whether the country has fulfilled “We were invited to participate in the accompanying wall and peripheral arti- facts would be dug up and hauled away. obligations it undertook when it became a project only a week ago,” explained member in 1995. new Criminal Code Mr. Zahaiduk explained that anything by Roman Woronowycz Mykhailo Zahaiduk, a member of the Ms. Severinsen said the monitoring other than a full-scale archaeological Kyiv Press Bureau Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, “and committee’s decision is based on informa- have already been told by some that the investigation would not allow “for a full tion about civil rights infractions docu- project is proceeding and there will be no historical picture” of the site. KYIV – Ukraine’s Parliament took mented during meetings with Ukrainian major changes to the plans.” Ruslan Kukharenko, Kyiv’s director another decisive legislative step towards officials and citizens during her visit to Mr. Zahaiduk, who discovered the for preservation of architectural monu- Europe and the West on April 5 when it Kyiv at the end of March. gates and an adjoining wall during the ments, who is responsible for protecting approved a long-awaited new Criminal “It concerns misuse of authority, partic- last reconstruction of the city’s main archaeological finds in the city, repeated- Code for the country to replace the Soviet square in 1981, tried to sound an opti- ly refused to speak with The Weekly on ularly oppression of freedom of speech and laws still on the books. Legislators also mistic note because top officials finally the matter. oppression of the opposition,” explained moved to a final vote on new legislation to had acknowledged the previous evening One of several obstacles that Mr. Ms. Severinsen in an interview with Radio revamp criminal procedure and the rela- that the historic gates needed to be saved Zahaiduk and the interested archaeolo- Liberty, according to Interfax-Ukraine. She tions between law enforcement officials and had assured him and his colleagues gists face in their battle to save the said the monitoring committee resolution is and the court system. that at least part of the historic record Liadski Gates is in dealing with commer- particularly critical of the Ukrainian presi- Ironically, the parliamentary actions would be preserved. cial interests that already have purchased dent. came the same day the monitoring com- However, he expressed chagrin over the rights to parcels of the subterranean Her report includes a lengthy list of mittee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the fact that municipal authorities had mall on which the archaeological site is complaints against Ukrainian authorities, the Council of Europe (PACE) made an from the outset ignored the fact that the found. Another issue they confront is a including possible complicity in murder, unexpected decision to propose to PACE’s area is registered as a culturally signifi- construction deadline of August, when harassment and violence against journal- full membership that Ukraine should be cant site, which means that archaeolo- Independence Square will serve as the ists, the unacceptably long delay in the ejected for failing to fulfill certain obliga- gists should have been involved in con- focal point for nationwide celebrations of Gongadze investigation and serious ques- tions it undertook when it joined in 1995, struction planning from the beginning. Ukraine’s 10th anniversary of independ- tions on the impartiality of the investiga- including new criminal, civil and associat- “We have the legal foundation to be ence. tion. ed procedural codes. (See story above.) there and to participate,” explained Mr. Mr. Zahaiduk explained that experts Ms. Severinsen explained that, in exam- The new Criminal Code, overwhelm- Zahaiduk. “We are trying to influence calling for a full-scale archaeological dig ining how Ukraine is proceeding with its ingly approved by a vote of 379-3, formal- construction, to be able to at least today confront the same problem they obligations, she took into consideration izes a February 2000 Verkhovna Rada glimpse what has not been destroyed to did in 1981 when city planners, hurrying legislation Ukraine is developing to bring decision to ban the death penalty and is the be able to guide the project.” to prepare the city for the 26th its laws into line with Western standards, culmination of a two-year effort to write a He also said he wanted archaeologists but that her report encompasses a wider comprehensive set of criminal statutes for to be able to take an active part in discus- (Continued on page 3) breadth of issues. “For some reason there is an opinion in (Continued on page 3) ïêàëíéë ÇéëäêÖë – CHRIST IS RISEN 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 2001 No. 15 INTERVIEW NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS President Kuchma speaks Rally in Kyiv demands Kuchma’s ouster... expected to report to the Parliament on April 17 on his government’s performance KYIV – A rally in Kyiv on April 10 during the past year. Vice Prime Minister with RFE/RL correspondent demanded the dismissal of President Yurii Yekhanurov commented that a no- President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine state. Let us suppose that we have a parlia- Leonid Kuchma and a “power system confidence vote in the government may be spoke on the telephone in a live evening mentary republic – what would happen in change” in Ukraine, Interfax reported. delayed until the end of the current session program of RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service Ukraine? According to the opposition, the demonstra- in order to keep the Yuschenko Cabinet in on April 3. Below is the first part of a We need not look for examples in tion was attended by 10,000 people, while “a state of suspension.” (RFE/RL Newsline) translation of his interview, which was remote parts. Under pressure from some police set the number at 2,000. The demon- transcribed and published by RFE/RL’s structures, including European ones, stration, which was organized by the Forum Tymoshenko ready to run for president Ukrainian Service on its website Moldova is a parliamentary republic. What for National Salvation under the slogan http://www.radiosvoboda.org. RFE/RL has happened there is evident to everybody. “For Ukraine Without Kuchma and KYIV – Former Vice Prime Minister plans to release part 2 of the interview in If anybody wants to make an experiment in Oligarchs,” adopted a statement calling “to Yulia Tymoshenko told the Moscow-based next week’s issue. Ukraine.