The Ukrainian Weekly 1999, No.41
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:•A personal reflection on adoption — page 9. • Camping at Owassipe reservation — page 10. • A summer of bandura — page 11. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVII HE No.KRAINIAN 41 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1999 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine CouncilT of EuropeU delegation finds Presidential Wcandidate Natalia Vitrenko intimidation of press in Ukraine among 33 injured in grenade attack 4by Roman Woronowycz supporters, while the rest is by supporters by Roman Woronowycz grenades were handed over to them by Mr. Kyiv Press Bureau of individual candidates,” said Kyiv Press Bureau Ivanchenko’s wife. Mr. Ivanchenko has a Oleksander Chekmyshev, the head of the history of arms violations, the most recent KYIV – An investigative delegation committee. KYIV – Presidential candidate Natalia one in 1997, according to the report. from the Council of Europe, invited by a Tunne Kelam, Ms. Severinsen’s part- Vitrenko sustained abdominal wounds and Although Mr. Moroz has fiercely denied coalition of presidential candidates to ner on the PACE investigative team, crit- narrowly escaped more serious injury on any involvement in an assassination con- review the pre-election process in icized the manner in which the press has October 2 when two grenades were hurled spiracy – saying that he did not even know Ukraine, has concluded that the Kuchma been bought up by political parties and into a crowd where she was standing. The his local campaign organizer, who militia government is intimidating the press and leaders, calling it the “polarization of the attack has caused a political uproar and say was a leading member of Mr. Moroz’s not allowing for an open and fair cam- press in favor of one candidate or anoth- thrown the presidential race into chaos. Kryvyi Rih city campaign team – the presi- paign season. er.” Thirty-three people were injured in the dential administration and the state televi- “We are a bit alarmed at the situation,” The PACE rapporteurs said they had grenade attack in the city of Kryvyi Rih, sion channel have made a point of portray- said Anna Severinsen, the lead rapporteur gathered much anecdotal evidence that after two assailants hurled the explosive ing Mr. Ivanchenko as an acquaintance of sent by the Parliamentary Assembly of the press is being intimidated into sub- devices into a group lingering near a public the Socialist candidate. the Council of Europe (PACE) after an mission and that government officials are hall where Ms. Vitrenko had just finished official request by the Kaniv Four candi- being used for campaign purposes. speaking. dates’ coalition that it monitor the elec- Ms. Severinsen cited the hounding of Known for her outspoken populist and tion situation in Ukraine. the STB television channel by govern- ultra-orthodox Communist views as well as The Kaniv Four, which includes presi- ment tax examiners as a good example of anti-Western rhetoric, the Progressive dential candidates Oleksander the violation of campaign procedures Socialist Party leader has remained a strong Tkachenko, Oleksander Moroz, Yevhen accepted in the West. No. 2 in many pre-election polls and Marchuk and Volodymyr Oliinyk, has STB announced at the beginning of increasingly is seen by many as a legitimate criticized the Kuchma administration for the campaign season that it would grant threat to win the October 31 election. not allowing it access to the state-owned all candidates equal time on its broad- Ms. Vitrenko, speaking in Kyiv three Ukrainian Television network in the run- casts. Since then the government has sent days after the incident, said she was saved up to the presidential elections, which are an army of tax police from various levels from more serious injury by her bodyguard, now three weeks away. It also has of government to examine the television who took the first hit, suffering extensive alleged that Kuchma supporters have per- station’s accounts. They have frozen its head damage, and then pushed her back petrated a virtual media blackout on all bank accounts and forced it to the brink into the building. the candidates, with the president accept- of bankruptcy. STB has not broadcast a “My reaction was to race to the car. If I ed. regular news program in more than a had done so the second grenade would have A study released on October 6 by the month. hit me,” explained Ms. Vitrenko. Equal Opportunities Committee, a non- Ms. Severinsen said she also had As Ms. Vitrenko recounted, she and her governmental organization, to a large heard of campaign workers being entourage, which included National Deputy extent supports the view held by the four harassed by fire inspectors and health Volodymyr Marchenko, her closest political candidates. It states that although the inspectors. Mr. Tkachenko of the Kaniv associate, had just left a public campaign Kaniv Four closely follows Mr. Kuchma rally in the Inhuletsk district of Kryvyi Rih, Four told a press conference on October Natalia Vitrenko in the amount of coverage it receives in 5, a day after the PACE delegation which had been attended by some 1,000 the press, those reports are more negative people. About 100 well-wishers waited out- arrived, that he had evidence people had During an October 6 evening news than those about the president. side the public hall where she had spoken to been intimidated by government inspec- report, state television produced a letter “A considerable part of the mass greet her as she left the building. As she signed by Mr. Moroz, by which he appar- media is controlled by the president’s (Continued on page 5) signed autographs and accepted flowers ently appointed Mr. Ivanchenko as one of and advice, the first grenade exploded and his official representative in Kryvyi Rih, as she felt a stabbing pain in her abdomen. well as photos of the two walking together. That is when her bodyguard pushed her A day earlier Mr. Moroz had defended back towards the building, ostensibly sav- himself against accusations that he was ing her life. somehow involved in the attack by stating Ms. Vitrenko was wounded by five that he could not be responsible for all his pieces of shrapnel that lodged in her lower campaign workers, and that he had direct abdomen and thighs, while Mr. Marchenko contact only with his representatives at the suffered three similar injuries. Four other oblast level. individuals required hospitalization, one of Careful not to implicate Mr. Moroz in whom had a leg amputated as a result of the the affair, Ukraine’s Minister of Internal injuries sustained. Affairs Yurii Kravchenko nonetheless made Two suspects, both Russian citizens it clear that he believed that the state militia from the city of Rostov, were apprehended had nabbed the right people. “We are not by militia immediately after the attack. One considering any other options or possible has been identified as the brother of Serhii suspects,” said Mr. Kravchenko. Ivanchenko, a campaign organizer for Ms. Vitrenko, who along with Mr. Socialist Party candidate Oleksander Marchenko had surgery in Kyiv a day after Moroz. the incident to remove metal fragments, The Ministry of Internal Affairs has stat- said at an October 6 press conference that ed that Mr. Ivanchenko is believed to be on she considered the assault “a politically the run and perhaps in Russia. Ukrainian motivated terrorist act,” but was not ready Television News, the state-owned TV sta- to point fingers. tion, said in a report that neighbors of Mr. “Investigations are continuing, and I do For 20 years, the Cleveland-based Kashtan School of Ukrainian Dance has been pre- Ivanchenko’s parents, who also live in serving the Ukrainian soul. Read about this extraordinary troupe in the centerfold of not want to accuse anyone or defend any- Rostov, had seen him after the attack. The one,” said Ms. Vitrenko. this issue. two detained men have told Ministry of Internal Affairs investigators that the (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1999 No. 41 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS A trip to Miensk highlights Candidates comment on attack Kuchma instructed the police to improve protection for all 14 candidates in the political conflicts in Belarus KYIV – Following the attempt on October 31 presidential elections. Progressive Socialist leader Natalia “President Kuchma is angered by what Vitrenko’s life, other presidential candi- by David R. Marples because of the constant portrayals in the has happened. In this difficult situation, dates have commented on the incident and the president considers ensuring order (state-controlled) media of the opposition its possible consequences. Socialist Party On September 4, I flew to the Republic as the enemies of the people. Thus, a and calm in the country during the elec- of Belarus, at the behest of the head Oleksander Moroz rejected allega- tion campaign a priority,” Mr. Kuchma’s democratic election, in this instance, can- tions that he had anything to do with the Organization for Security and not provide a meaningful result because spokesman Oleksander Martynenko told Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and attack, saying the incident was linked to Reuters. (RFE/RL Newsline) of the months of state propaganda “plans of the present regime to introduce a specifically its Advisory and Monitoring through the media vilifying the opposi- Group (AMG) in Miensk, headed by the state of emergency and thwart the elections Canadian funds for policy development tion and its views. In this way, the results at any cost.” Internal Affairs Minister Yurii German diplomat, Ambassador Hans of a well-intentioned OSCE program may KYIV – Canada’s Ambassador to Georg Wieck. I was invited as an expert Kravchenko confirmed that the police are be the loss of independence and the searching for Serhii Ivanchenko, head of Ukraine Derek Fraser presided over the on Belarus, to take part in a seminar of beginning of what Mr.