www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Vox populi: Kyivans’ views on the referendum – page 3. • A visit to Filip Konowal’s village in Ukraine — page 9. • Chicago’s Jazz and Blues Festival headed for Kyiv — page 11. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVIII HE KRAINIANNo. 16 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 16, 2000 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine Ukrainians expected to approve GreatT Britain toU help Ukraine W three of four referendum proposals with funds for Chornobyl closure by Roman Woronowycz tors – one near Khmelnytskyi and another by Roman Woronowycz number of national deputies in the Kyiv Press Bureau near Rivne. The EBRD has said that, until Kyiv Press Bureau Verkhovna Rada from 450 to 300, while 83 Ukraine’s energy sector is privatized and percent voiced support for a limit on the KYIV – British Foreign Secretary made more efficient the two new reactors KYIV – Ukrainians will overwhelming- immunity from criminal prosecution that Robin Cook announced during a one-day will not be economical. ly support three of the four proposals pre- lawmakers now enjoy. visit to Kyiv on April 12 that Great Mr. Cook’s announcement, made dur- sented in the April 16 referendum, accord- On the issue of the ability of the presi- Britain will grant Ukraine $16.8 million ing a meeting with President Leonid ing to a political poll released on April 10. dent to dismiss the Parliament should it not for the completion of a new steel and con- Kuchma, was the highlight of the brief The sociological survey, conducted by be able to form a majority in a month’s time crete sarcophagus over the crippled fourth visit, which the foreign secretary said was the Kyiv International Institute of or pass a budget in three months, the sup- reactor at Chornobyl and said that intended to strengthen friendly relations Sociology associated with the National port, though less strident, also was unam- London is ready to give further financial and formalize them at the ministerial University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, biguous. Fully 63 percent of the respon- support to help finish two uncompleted level. found that Ukrainians may reject only dents said they favored the proposal, while reactors that Ukraine claims it needs in Ties between the foreign affairs min- the proposal for a bicameral Parliament. 19 percent said they could not support it. order to replace the Chornobyl facility. (For the text of referendum questions see istries of Ukraine and Britain strength- Seventeen percent said that it was difficult “We are willing to fund the reactors to page 3.) ened markedly last year with the onset of to say at the moment how they would vote. replace Chornobyl,” Mr. Cook told The poll, which questioned 1,935 indi- the Kosovo conflict, when Ukraine What is less certain is whether a suffi- reporters after a meeting with Ukraine’s viduals in 117 villages, towns and cities in attempted to act as a mediator between cient number of voters will turn out to vali- Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk. all the regions of Ukraine, found that only the Serbs and NATO. At the time, date the results. At least 50 percent of voters Ukraine has promised to decommis- 43 percent of respondents supported the Minister Tarasyuk held several meetings must cast a ballot for the referendum to be sion Chornobyl, where the world’s largest restructuring of the Verkhovna Rada into with his British counterpart via telephone considered valid. nuclear disaster occurred on April 26, two chambers, while 25 percent were cate- and in London, while Mr. Cook traveled In the Kyiv International Institute of 1986, by the end of the year, but has con- gorically opposed. Furthermore, a full 31 to Kyiv, once as part of a European Union Sociology poll, 45 percent of the respon- ditioned the closing on sufficient funding percent noted that it was difficult for them ministerial delegation. dents said they would definitely take part in for both mothballing the nuclear complex to say at the moment how they would vote. During Mr. Cook’s latest visit, the the April 16 vote, while another 18 percent and establishing adequate alternate ener- The survey found that Ukrainians over- two ministries signed a memorandum of answered that they probably would cast a gy sources. whelmingly support the three other ques- understanding on cooperation and consul- ballot. Another 11 percent said they had not The European Bank for Reconstruction tions, which would change the make-up of tation, that Mr. Cook said would “clearly yet decided, while 22 percent said they def- and Development has stalled on an earlier today’s Verkhovna Rada and give the presi- set out contacts at the highest levels” and initely would not vote and 4 percent said promise to provide a $1.2 billion loan that dent additional powers. Ninety- two percent they probably would not. Ukraine requested to finish two new reac- (Continued on page 3) said they favored the proposal to reduce the The results parallel predictions by the Institute of Politics, which found that some 60 percent of voters would most probably Washington keeps a keen eye on Ukraine take part in the referendum. Volodymyr Paniotto, assistant director of by Michael Sawkiw Jr. IMF statement, titled “Allegations About official was quoted as saying that the the Kyiv International Institute of Ukrainian National Information Service the Use of Ukraine’s International Ukrainian government needed to “clean Sociology, said the biggest problem the vot- Reserves,” noted that the IMF was up this problem” (The New York Times, ers will have is understanding the issues. WASHINGTON – Following the post- “aware of a number of transactions affect- “Ukraine Leader Cancels U.S. Visit Over He even suggested that it is possible the ponement of Ukrainian Prime Minister ing the NBU reserves between 1996 and IMF Complaint,” March 16), the State results of his survey may be tainted to an Viktor Yuschenko’s trip to the United 1998 that could have given a misleading Department also issued its own statement extent by voters’ confusion. States and allegations in the press regard- impression of the size of Ukraine’s usable regarding the postponement of Prime “I believe that some of them answered in ing the “misreporting” of International reserves.” Minister Yuschenko’s trip, underlining Monetary Fund (IMF) funds by the the affirmative simply because they did not The IMF was aware of the NBU’s that, contrary to the Times report, the visit want to show that they did not understand National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), the “misreporting” of reserves as early as the was not canceled. State Department U.S. government – both the Clinton the questions,” said Mr. Paniotto. “I would Asian and Russian economic crises in spokesman James Rubin on March 16 have never structured the questions in the administration and Congress – have kept summer 1998, but failed to act upon its expressed the department’s concern over a watch on Ukraine. way they are presented.” preliminary findings. the IMF allegations, but steadfastly wel- President Leonid Kuchma in January In recent weeks Ukraine has been a Joining the attack against the NBU and comed ”the Ukrainian government’s focus of Washington’s attention, ranging had signed an executive decree authorizing Ukraine was the U.S. Treasury commitment to cooperate fully in the from the hearings in the House of a national referendum after a petition gath- Department. In a stern statement released investigation.” Representatives Banking and Financial ering effort resulted in nearly 4 million sig- on March 14, by Edwin Truman, assis- Furthermore, while the Treasury Services Committee and Foreign natures in support of such an initiative in tant secretary for international affairs, Department was cool regarding the eco- Operations Subcommittee of the two-thirds of the oblasts of Ukraine. said: “We are deeply concerned about the nomic reform agenda of the new Appropriations Committee, to statements The national referendum, which has information in yesterday’s IMF statement, Yuschenko government, Mr. Rubin issued by the State and Treasury depart- caused friction with the Parliamentary which describes the past management and underlined that the State Department ments. Assembly of the Council of Europe over misreporting of Ukraine’s reserves.” remains “firmly committed to supporting After Mr. Yuschenko postponed his the constitutionality of the national poll and Though briefly acknowledging the President Leonid Kuchma and Prime first official working visit to Washington the questions presented, originally involved recent progress in the past several months Minister Yuschenko’s efforts to advance as Ukraine’s newest prime minister in the six proposals. However, Ukraine’s under Prime Minister Yuschenko’s leader- the reform agenda in Ukraine, a strategic wake of the mine explosion in Constitutional Court declared two of them ship, the department spokesman was cau- partner of the United States, and are Krasnodon, press reports speculated unconstitutional in a March 29 ruling, and tious about the allegations and stated: hopeful that the prime minister’s visit can about other reasons for the postponement. “We [the Treasury Department] will they were subsequently thrown out by be rescheduled in the near future.” Concurrent with Prime Minister review the results of this investigation in President Kuchma. Immediately following the flap in the Yuschenko’s trip to Washington, which order to determine what additional con- The court’s decision stemmed some of press regarding Ukraine, various repre- had been scheduled for March 14-16, the trols are needed to prevent further inap- the criticism that had emanated from sentatives of Ukrainian American organi- IMF issued a statement about irregulari- propriate reserve management practices.” Europe and within the country on the way zations and foundations met with Stephen ties it has identified in the Ukrainian cen- Following various news reports earlier in which the referendum had been organ- tral bank’s handling of IMF funds.