INSIDE: • Vital Voices conference for women held in Kyiv — page 3. • A moment of silence on November 24 — page 5. • Are you really Ukrainian? A scholar speaks — page 9. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXV No. 45 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2007 $1/$2 in Ukraine The Holodomor’s 75th anniversary We bow our heads in memory of 10 million November 17 marks the official beginning of the year marking the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor, the Famine-Genocide of 1932- 1933 in Ukraine, whose death toll was up to 10 million. On November 17 New York City will be the site of a “March of Remembrance” and requiem service dedicated to the victims of the Holodomor. Commemorations of this solemn anniversary will continue worldwide through 2007-2008 as the Ukrainian nation mourns the men, women and children deliberately starved to death by the regime of Joseph Stalin. Seen on the left is late artist Bohdan Pevny’s depiction of the Holodomor: a work titled “Zemlia,” or “The Earth” (oil on canvas, 1963). Dedicated to the memory of the 1932-1933 Famine, the work is based on a clip from the renowned Oleksander Dovzhenko’s film on the same subject. The painting is now owned by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. and is housed at the Church’s center “The Earth” by Bohdan Pevny. in South Bound Brook, N.J. Ukrainian Canadian Congress focuses Party of the Regions leaders delay on “Connecting Our Community” convocation of new Verkhovna Rada WINNIPEG, Manitoba – The national developed. by Zenon Zawada haven’t taken from the country. That’s coordinating body for Ukrainian A critical review was undertaken of Kyiv Press Bureau why they’re holding up the process,” Ms. Canadians – the Ukrainian Canadian how the UCC can better serve its mem- Tymoshenko charged. Congress (UCC) – concluded its 22nd bership and the broader community. All KYIV – Since the announcement of PRU National Deputy-Elect Rasia triennial congress in Winnipeg on the sessions produced important resolu- the official parliamentary election results, Bohatyriova denied accusations her col- October 19-22 under the slogan tions which were adopted by the conven- the Party of the Regions of Ukraine has leagues are intentionally stalling the “Connecting Our Community.” tion and which will serve as a guide for repeated its standard rhetoric of uniting preparations for the next parliamentary The congress elected Toronto lawyer the UCC Board of Directors for the next for the sake of the nation and getting convocation. All the party’s elected and businessperson Paul Grod as its three years. These resolutions will be down to the business of governing. deputies must be registered with the Once again, the rhetoric proved hol- national president. In his acceptance available on the UCC website, Central Election Commission (CEC) low as Party of the Regions leaders speech, Mr. Grod outlined a program of www.ucc.ca. before they can take part in the working refused to attend the first three working increasing the reach of the UCC to make Particular attention was devoted to group, she alleged. group meetings to prepare for the sixth it more active in Canadian society. He connecting Ukrainian Canadian youths At the third attempt to convene the convocation of the Verkhovna Rada, said he plans to ensure that the to the work of the UCC. A highlight of working group on November 8, the the congress was the concurrent meeting recruiting the Communist Party of majority of PRU deputies had yet to reg- Holodomor Famine-Genocide of 1932- Ukraine and Volodymyr Lytvyn Bloc to 1933 in Ukraine is properly commemo- of the Ukrainian Canadian Student’s ister with the CEC and were trickling in Union, commonly known by its their cause. on an individual basis. rated this year, its 75th anniversary. Their absence denied the necessary Mr. Grod also pledged that the UCC Ukrainian acronym SUSK, which for the Politicians’ predictions for the date of first time in many years held its national 16-vote quorum to initiate the session of the first Verkhovna Rada sessions ranged will have a government and public the working group, which was attended affairs presence in Ottawa by October convention in conjunction with the UCC between November 16 and 25, which is congress. The UCC committed itself to by 15 representatives of the Yulia the deadline that authorizes the Ukrainian 2008. Tymoshenko and Our Ukraine–People’s He thanked outgoing UCC President assisting SUSK in reinvigorating its net- president to call new elections. (The work across Canada. Self-Defense blocs, who promised to Constitution also states that the president Orysia Sushko for her tremendous work form the next coalition government. on behalf of the organization and Changes to the UCC Constitution can’t call new elections within a year of “They’re trying to hold onto their gov- pre-term elections.) acknowledged the numerous successes were adopted which will allow for more direct participation of UCC branches in ernment as long as possible,” Ms. While the Russian-oriented forces that characterized her tenure as presi- the working of the UCC’s central deci- Tymoshenko said of her arch rival, the appeared to stall, tensions within the dent. sion-making organs and will see the elec- Party of the Regions (PRU), accusing its diverse and fragile Our Ukraine – Delegates at the well-attended meet- tion of all executive officers directly by politicians of sabotage and abusing the People’s Self-Defense Bloc (OU-PSD) ing discussed a variety of issues, includ- the triennial congress. Constitution of Ukraine. continued to simmer. ing the preservation of Canada’s During the convention, Taras “In this time, they are continuing Three OU-PSD elected deputies – Ihor Ukrainian heritage, Ukrainian language Shevchenko Medals, the UCC’s highest shadow privatization of land. They are Kril, Vasyl Petiovka and Ivan Pliusch – education, the UCC’s support for the form of recognition, were awarded to a continuing to divide the nation’s had yet to sign an agreement to form the continued development of Ukrainian number of deserving individuals. In the resources and properties in the shadow. democratic forces coalition with the Canadian culture and how Canada’s rela- And, of course, they need a bit more time tionship with Ukraine will be further (Continued on page 8) because there’s something they still (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2007 No. 45 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS President’s party is weakest link Tymoshenko sees deliberate delay William Taylor said on November 5 that Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO in planned Orange coalition KYIV – Yulia Tymoshenko, the leader depends exclusively on a decision by the of the bloc bearing her name, said on Ukrainian public, and that no NATO by Taras Kuzio the removal of businessmen accused of November 6 that the Party of the Regions members will push Ukraine toward join- Eurasia Daily Monitor corruption, OU-PSD received the same (PRU) is deliberately delaying the work ing the alliance, Ukrainian media report- 14 percent of the vote as our Ukraine did of a group preparing the opening session ed. If Ukraine wants to join NATO, Mr. Friday, November 2, was the last day last year. of the Verkhovna Rada elected in the Taylor continued, the alliance’s doors will that the Our Ukraine – People’s Self Fourth, prior to the elections OU-PSD September 30 elections, Interfax reported. be open, but the first step will be for Defense (OU-PSD) bloc could collect leaders committed themselves to unite The group, consisting of party representa- Ukraine to embark on a NATO signatures to support a “democratic” their nine marginal parties into a single tives in numbers proportional to the num- Membership Action Plan. Mr. Taylor also (Orange) coalition with the Yulia pro-presidential force. However, this has ber of seats won by their respective blocs said that accession to NATO does not Tymoshenko Bloc (YTB). YTB national not happened and is unlikely to occur in the new Parliament, met for the first automatically entail the deployment of deputies have openly expressed their fear while President Yushchenko wavers over time on November 6. PRU representa- foreign military bases or nuclear weapons that disunity in OU-PSD will lead to an which coalition to support. tives left the meeting, arguing that they on Ukrainian territory. The ambassador unstable Orange coalition and a political Two of the parties in OU-PSD have will attend preparations for the opening of added that NATO allies share the values crisis in 2008. already stated that their deputies will not the Verkhovna Rada only after the Central of democracy, a market economy and By November 2, 69 of the 72 OU- vote for legislation on the imperative Election Commission officially registers mutual security. Ukraine’s prime minister PSD deputies had signed. The fact that mandate, which penalizes deputies for new lawmakers. Ms. Tymoshenko said and president believe that the public three deputies have not signed is signifi- leaving their factions with the threat of that the reason for the absence of the PRU should offer their opinions on NATO cant. As the Orange coalition only has a losing their seat. YTB initiated that regu- is “evident.” “They want to retain their entry in a referendum. But President slim majority of 228 deputies (156 YTB lation in the outgoing Parliament, but the government for as long as possible, and Viktor Yushchenko recently said that the plus 72 OU-PSD) in the 450-seat legislation was never adopted. during this time, they are continuing the Ukrainian people are not well enough Verkhovna Rada, a parliamentary motion Mr.