The Ukrainian Weekly 2007, No.27
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Ruslana addresses Ukrainian community of NYC — page 5. • Introducing our new “Generation Uke” section — pages 10-11. • Travels: Adventures at the bottom of the world — page 13. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXV No. 27 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Sunday July 8, 2007 $1/$2 in Ukraine Soyuzivka to host its first Ten parties declare unity film and cultural festival for September elections by Zenon Zawada political course and to fold into a single Kyiv Press Bureau pro-presidential party after the elections. Although the declaration calls for the KYIV – The leaders of 10 of 10 parties to consolidate, political Ukraine’s national democratic parties observers already doubt the likelihood of signed a declaration on July 5 to unite that outcome, viewing the pact as a tem- under the newly created Our Ukraine – porary alliance that conveniently serves People’s Self-Defense Bloc to better the needs of everyone involved. compete with the Party of the Regions “They are uniting to preserve them- and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc in the selves, to bring their leaders into September parliamentary elections. Parliament and to compete with the other The Declaration on Uniting two forces,” said Svitlana Kononchuk, Democratic Forces calls for the 10 parties to support President Viktor Yushchenko’s (Continued on page 22) Clinton speaks at summit of Yalta European Strategy The Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky Ukrainian Dance Workshop is among the by Zenon Zawada but as a win-win game. How can we all featured performers at Soyuzivka’s Ukrainian Film and Cultural Festival. Kyiv Press Bureau come out ahead?” In attending the summit, former KERHONKSON, N.Y. – The In addition, there will be “zabavy,” or YALTA, Ukraine – Ukraine doesn’t President Clinton became the first U.S. Ukrainian National Association’s ever dances, on Friday and Saturday nights have to choose between the Russian president to visit Yalta’s Livadia Palace popular Soyuzivka estate – now known as featuring the bands Burya from Canada Federation and the European Union, for- since February 1945, when Franklin the Soyuzivka Heritage Center – is gear- and Luna from the United States. mer U.S. President Bill Clinton said in Roosevelt met with Soviet dictator ing up to hold its first Ukrainian Film and The master of ceremonies for the his June 30 remarks to the fourth Yalta Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Cultural Festival here on July 11-15. cultural programs will be Erko European Strategy (YES) summit, hosted Winston Churchill to resolve the post- The festival will showcase perform- Palydowycz, a well-known Ukrainian and financed by business magnate Victor World War II political landscape. ers from Ukraine and the United States, American community activist who is a Pinchuk. The Yalta Conference’s results were ranging from singers and dance troupes, singer in his own right. “I never believed that by reaching out bad for the world, President Clinton said, to musicians, bands and comedians. The film portion of the festival opens to Ukraine I was trying to separate because it became divided by the Cold on Wednesday evening, July 11, with a Ukraine from Russia,” Mr. Clinton said. These artists will perform in a concert War for 44 more years. screening of “Mamay,” Ukraine’s offi- “I never believed that by reaching out to on Thursday, July 12, and in stage “Why are you here? Because you cial entry for an Academy Award for Russia I was trying to denigrate the shows slated for the evenings of Friday don’t want to go back to what happened best foreign film, and continues through importance of other countries. We need and Saturday, July 13 and 14, and to think of this not as a win-lose game, (Continued on page 4) Saturday afternoon. (Continued on page 17) Forests in Carpathians added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List UNITED NATIONS – The World ronmental conditions. Heritage Committee on June 28 inscribed They contain an invaluable genetic two natural sites on UNESCO’s World reservoir of beech and many species Heritage List: the Primeval Beech Forests associated with, and dependent on, these of the Carpathian (Slovakia and Ukraine) forest habitats. They also represent an and the Teide National Park (Spain). outstanding example of the re-coloniza- The Primeval Beech Forests of the tion and development of terrestrial Carpathian constitute a transnational seri- ecosystems and communities after the al property of 10 separate components last ice age, a process that is ongoing, along a 185-kilomter axis from the noted the United Nations Educational, Rakhiv Mountains and the Chornohirskyi Scientific and Cultural Organization Range in Ukraine, west along the (UNESCO). Polonynian Ridge, to the Bukovské Vrchy Also added to the UNESCO World and Vihorlat Mountains in Slovakia. Heritage List were the Sydney Opera The 10 sites represent an outstanding House, Australia; Old town of Corfu, example of undisturbed, complex tem- Greece; Red Fort Complex, India; perate forests and exhibit the most com- Bordeaux, France; the volcanic island of plete and comprehensive ecological pat- Jeju, South Korea; Iwami Ginzan silver terns and processes of pure stands of Former U.S. President Bill Clinton at the Yalta European Strategy summit with European beech across a variety of envi- (Continued on page 22) Victor Pinchuk and his wife, Elena Franchuk. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Sunday July 8, 2007 No. 27 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Estonian president’s U.S. visit President wants referendum soon Mr. Yushchenko said on June 27 that he would like to stage a referendum “in the KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko near future” in order to approve an reflects a special relationship on June 27 called for a referendum “in amended Constitution. Presidential aide by Vladimir Socor alluded to proposals he made to the U.S. the near future” to amend the Roman Zvarych said on Channel 5 on Constitution of Ukraine, Ukrainian Eurasia Daily Monitor president for rethinking the NATO-led June 28 that he does not rule out the pos- International Security Assistance Force media reported. Mr. Yushchenko said he sibility that Mr. Yushchenko may pro- U.S. President George W. Bush (ISAF) operation in Afghanistan. does not rule out that a draft Constitution pose a new draft of the Constitution for a received Estonian President Toomas Ilves Criticizing a one-sided emphasis on mili- submitted to a referendum will provide referendum to be held simultaneously for a two-hour meeting at the White House tary aspects to the detriment of civilian for the stripping from lawmakers of with early polls on September 30. on June 25, a high point of Mr. Ilves’ June dimensions, Mr. Ilves called for the immunity against prosecution, a reduc- (RFE/RL Newsline) 24-27 visit to the United States. adoption of an overall political strategy tion in the number of lawmakers, a short- Moroz sees looming dictatorship Mr. Bush had paid a visit to Estonia as to win over Afghanistan’s and also Iraq’s ening of the parliamentary term and the recently as November 2006, two months populations. At the same time he reaf- establishment of a bicameral legislature. after Mr. Ilves’ election as president of “I am in favor of strengthening the prin- KYIV – Verkhovna Rada Chairman firmed Estonia’s commitment (like Oleksander Moroz said at a meeting of that country. Exchanges of presidential ciples of parliamentary government. But Latvia’s and Lithuania’s to the operation the Council of the Socialist International visits at such short intervals are highly simultaneously we need to make it in Afghanistan) in terms of mutual assis- in Geneva on July 2 that Ukrainian unusual for the United States, particular- impossible for the Verkhovna Rada to be tance obligations and indivisibility of President Viktor Yushchenko is trying to ly when involving a small – even if, as in transformed into the supreme power security among NATO allies. set up a dictatorship under the cover of this case, closely allied – country. body,” Mr. Yushchenko said at a solemn On the eve of the U.S. visit (June 23), his recent initiative to stage a constitu- One reason behind this relationship is gathering on the eve of Constitution Day. two Estonian soldiers were killed and four tional referendum and introduce a two- Mr. Ilves’ authority in Europe and the “Ukraine needs a strong power. Its wounded in ISAF’s ongoing operation in the chamber Parliament, Ukrainian news United States on policy issues involving [power] system should be clear-cut and Sangin valley, Helmand province. Such agencies reported. “This is a mask for Euro-Atlantic relations, NATO, the balanced, with specific responsibilities events resonate painfully for a small nation dictatorial intentions, nothing more. This European Union and its eastern neighbor- distributed among the head of state, that suffered demographic reverses during is a legal registration of dictatorship,” hood, and relations with Russia. Parliament and the Cabinet of the Russian occupation. Estonia has partici- Mr. Moroz reportedly said in Geneva “I am dealing with a man who is a Ministers,” he added. Recently rumors pated in the ISAF operation since March about Mr. Yushchenko’s constitutional- clear thinker, he speaks with moral clari- have been circulated by some politicians 2003. It currently fields almost 150 troops in referendum idea. He added that the presi- ty and authority, a voice for reason and from the ruling coalition that President Afghanistan, authorized by the Parliament in dent’s “attempts to assume power even Yushchenko wants to hold a constitution- hope in the world,” President Bush told December 2005 for a two-year period. greater than that of [former President al referendum simultaneously with the the press in receiving President Ilves The troops include an ordnance disposal Leonid] Kuchma are becoming evident.” pre-term parliamentary elections he (RSS Feed White House, June 25).