A Wiser, Firmer Leonid Kuchma? Kyiv - Oleksander Tkachenko Told the Gating Mr
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1NS1DE: e An appeal regarding the fate of verkhovyna - page 7. в Secretary of States comments on Ukraine - page 9. 2 в Nova Nomada showcases emerging art - page 11. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association inc., a fraternal non-profit association vol. LXVIII NO. 5 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY зо, 2000 $1.2542 in Ukraine Ukraine's energy bill New parliamentary majority ousts Tkachenko by Roman Woronowycz Mr. Udovenko made the proposal that put when the chairman refused to accept a ontopofYuschenko's Kyiv Press Bureau the issue of Mr. Tkachenko's dismissal to successful majority initiative of January a floor vote. 18 that would have required all floor KYiv - in a move that has split When he was elected in mid-1998 as a votes outside of those mandated by the agenda in Moscow Ukraine's Parliament along ideological compromise candidate after some 20 Constitution to take place in open, by- lines and left lingering a question on the other choices had been rejected, Mr. name polling. Mr. Tkachenko claimed by Roman Woronowycz constitutionality of its action, the newly Tkachenko had promised to guide the that the majority had violated procedures Kyiv Press Bureau formed center-right democratic majority Parliament out of its paralysis and to in that many national deputies voted for of Ukraine's verkhovna Rada on January KYiv - Prime Minister viktor work with the executive branch of gov- absent members, and others who voted 21 ousted the Parliament's leadership, Yuschenko returned from his his first ernment. His tenure, however, has caused did not have the right because they had including Chairman Oleksander face-to-face meeting with Russia's acting increased friction and gridlock, not only taken positions in the government. Mr. Tkachenko and First vice-Chairman President viadimir Putin in Moscow on within the body but with the executive Adam Martyniuk, after meeting in a spe- Tkachenko's dubious decree caused a January 21 convinced that efforts to branch as well. cial session at a venue beyond the walkout of the 11 factions. resolve outstanding issues on Ukraine's The expulsion of Mr. Tkachenko from verkhovna Rada building. Members of the center-right majority, energy bill, the future of gas and oil sup- the post of chairman, which occurred on which had stated during the announce- plies to Ukraine, and overall trade rela- The 242 members of the 11 factions the last day of the winter legislative ses- that make up the majority voted unani- ment of its formation the week before tions between the two countries had sion, came after Mr. Tkachenko refused that a main objective would be to bring a proved productive. mously (with one abstention and two not for two days to allow a floor vote on a present) to remove the verkhovna Rada new leadership to the legislative body, After daylong talks with President motion to suspend the speaker and his decided to initiate a showdown with Mr. Putin and First vice Prime Minister chairman for egregious violations of par- first assistant. liamentary procedure. They also agreed Mikhail Kasianov, Prime Minister The moves by the majority began (Continued on page 3) Yuschenko said he was satisfied with the on procedural changes that will require results. normal floor votes to be open, and ordered the hammer and sickle insignia, "There was movement on most of the symbol of Ukraine's Communist past, problems that we discussed during the removed from the facade of the Unity Day marked for first time as official holiday talks," explained Mr. Yuschenko. Parliament building and interior walls. Mr. Kasianov had explained earlier by Roman Woronowycz President Leonid Kuchma declared that the meeting had lifted some of the "Today we can say that we are in fact Kyiv Press Bureau January 22 a permanent national holiday tension that had built up between the two beginning a new era in Ukraine's parlia- last January, several days after the 80th mentary process," said Hennadii KYiv - More than eight decades after anniversary commemorations of the 1919 governments during the last several modern Ukraine's initial, brief fling with months over the issue of what Ukraine Udovenko, the respected ex-president of Act of Union. the United Nations General Assembly independence, the country officially com- For Ukraine's 24 oblast centers and the owes and how it is to be repaid, accord- memorated the events of 1918 and 1919 ing to lnterfax-Ukraine. and today the leader of the Rukh 1 fac- capital of the Crimean autonomous tion (National Rukh of Ukraine), which with Unity Day celebrations in Kyiv and region, as well as raion (county) and (Continued on page 8) is part of the recently formed majority. throughout the country on January 22. municipal administrations, this year was The celebrations were relatively quiet the first organized attempt ever to cele- and modest, and some not too successful. brate Unity Day. The turnouts were low But it was the first time the country offi- and the ceremonies simple and short for Kuchma and Putin meet before C1S summit cially remembered the declaration of the most part, especially in the southern independence by the Ukrainian National and central oblasts, but that did not upset Republic in Kyiv on January 22, 1918, Yurii Bohutskyi, President Kuchma's and the union of its government with the advisor on internal politics. Lviv-based Western Ukrainian National Speaking to reporters on January 19, Republic that followed exactly a year later. (Continued on page 9) ШштШШт ііж D.S. щЩ Ш White Нот Шт by Michael Sawkiw Jr. dent of the Ukrainian American Ukrainian National information Service Coordinating Council (UACC); Julian Kulas, president of 1st Security Federal WASHINGTON - several prominent Savings Bank; Orest Deychakiwsky, presi- leaders of the Ukrainian American commu- dent of The Washington Group (TWG); nity held a telephone conference call with iryna Kurowyckyj, president of the Leon Fuerth, vice-President Al Gore's Ukrainian National Women's League of national security advisor. The purpose of the America (UNWLA); and Michael Sawkiw conference call was to brief members of the Jr., director of the Ukrainian National community about the outcome of the information Service (UN1S). December 1999 Gore-Kuchma Binational During the conference call, Mr. Fuerth Committee meeting in Washington. described the issues discussed in December A similar conference call was held in between vice-President Gore and President early December prior to the Gore-Kuchma Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine. He reported meeting; members of the community were that president Kuchma clearly stated that afforded an opportunity to relate their con- Ukraine's course of action in his next tenure cerns about the current state of U.S.- as president would be to further integrate Ukrainian relations to U.S. government Ukraine into Euro-Atlantic structures. The MOSCOW - Russia's acting President viadimir Putin (right) shakes hands with officials. president said his foreign policy will main- President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine, prior to their meeting in Moscow on January The participants in the telephone confer- tain ties with Europe and the United States, 24. Mr. Kuchma arrived in Moscow to take part in the summit of the ence included Askold S. Lozynskyj, presi- as well as with Russia. According to Commonwealth of independent States, where he voiced Ukraine's position that dent of the Ukrainian Congress Committee the C1S should concentrate on economic matters and create a free-trade zone. of America (UCCA); ihor Gawdiak, presi- (Continued on page 4) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY ЗО, гооо No. 5 ANALYSIS Out with the old, in with the new: Tkachenko says he is acting chair said he had the right to sign such an order as head of a temporary commission investi- a wiser, firmer Leonid Kuchma? KYiv - Oleksander Tkachenko told the gating Mr. Tkachenko's activities, which Kontynent radio station on January 24 that was set up at the parliamentary majority by Markian Bflynsky declarations, not legally binding, and usual- he is "acting chairman of the verkhovna session the previous day. Communist ly observed only in the breach - if not Rada," interfax reported. Last week the leader Petro Symonenko told interfax that CONCLUSION ignored completely. center-right, pro-presidential majority similar restrictive measures have also been voted to oust Mr. Tkachenko from the post Asked during the election campaign to However, this peculiarity of contempo- taken against vice-Chairman Adam of Parliament chairman. He did not rule out name the biggest disappointment of his first rary Ukrainian political culture aside, there Martyniuk, a member of the Communist that the dismissal of the verkhovna Rada term in office, President Leonid Kuchma is another, more specific reason why the Party. (RFE7RL Newsline) leadership may be put on the agenda of the identified the verkhovna Rada's failure to cooperation efforts might flounder: while session scheduled for February 1. He said produce a pro-reform majority. At first this relations with the verkhovna Rada are in Russian cases most numerous at court 150 votes are sufficient to submit such a seemed something of a curious response principle a priority for the administration, motion for parliamentary consideration. STRASBOURG - The European Court given the disarray within an executive including the president himself, cooperating (RFE7RL Newsline) of Human Rights said on January 24 that it branch that is de facto subordinated to the with the Rada in its current incarnation does not appear to be. had taken up more cases from Russia last administration (a situation that led the presi- Leftists say split is coup d'etat year than from any other country, the dent on several occasions to lament that his President Kuchma and his administra- tion have long harbored deep reservations Associated Press reported.