Part 3 of THE YEAR IN REVIEW pages 5-13 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXX No. 5 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012 $1/$2 in Ukraine United opposition’s Opposition leaders agree to unite for parliamentary elections by Zenon Zawada agreement on Special to The Ukrainian Weekly “common action” KYIV – Ukraine’s pro-Western opposition leaders signed an agreement on January 22 Below is the full text of the Common to unite their candidates into a single list to Action Agreement signed by Ukraine’s compete for single-winner, single-mandate opposition leaders on January 22. (It districts in the October 28 parliamentary was translated by Zenon Zawada.) elections in order to take the reins of gov- ernment away from the Donetsk clan before We, representatives of the Ukrainian it consolidates power even further. opposition democratic political parties, The pact was born of desperation among — taking into account the entire the typically divided pro-Western leaders, experience of Ukrainian state building realizing they could be shut out of national and comprehending our high responsi- politics if they kept competing with each bility before the Ukrainian people, other, observers said. Yet it remains to be — standing up for the necessity of seen whether they can divvy up the districts returning the country onto a democrat- between their common candidates without ic path of development and ensuring big conflicts. Zenon Zawada Opposition leaders (from left) Arseniy Yatsenyuk of the Front for Change, Vitali the conditions for wealth and opportu- “It was a symbolic unification, yet agree- Klitschko of UDAR and Oleksander Turchynov of Batkivschyna signed an agreement nities for each person to reach his/her ing to an actual [electoral] list is a whole on January 22 to form a single opposition list of single-mandate candidates for the full potential, other matter,” said Volodymyr Fesenko, October 28 parliamentary elections. — stressing the need for complete board chairman of the Penta Center for provision of European standards of Applied Political Research in Kyiv. freedom and citizens’ rights and Instead, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the leader of of Ukraine and 5 percent for the UDAR “Sociological polls already show that the the Front for Change, called for the opposi- (Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform) demanding the cessation of political Batkivschyna electorate doesn’t want to repressions and the release of leaders tion to limit itself voluntarily to only the party led by boxing champion Vitali vote for the Svoboda nationalists, so it’s three leading forces which stand a chance of Klitschko, according to the poll conducted of opposition parties Yulia Tymoshenko, very early to be talking about the opposi- achieving 5 percent – his own party, the on December 9-16 by the Western-financed Yurii Lutsenko and other political pris- tion unifying.” Batkivschyna party led by imprisoned for- Razumkov Center in Kyiv. It involved 2,008 oners, In the October vote, half of Ukraine’s 450 — defending the constitutional right mer Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and respondents in 131 population centers. members of Parliament will be determined The opposition leaders declared their of the citizens of Ukraine to form gov- through single-winner, single-mandate dis- the nationalist Svoboda Party led by Oleh ernment organs, i.e., the right to free Tiahnybok. intentions for a united front at the annual tricts (the so-called majoritarian system), Unity Day commemoration on St. Sophia and fair elections, while the other half will be determined by Indeed, recent polls revealed Ukraine’s declare on Unity Day: pro-Western forces have a chance to retake Square in the heart of Kyiv, the same place closed-list voting for political parties, which where 93 years earlier, on January 22, 1919, The complete fulfillment of the government by winning a parliamentary will need to surpass a 5 percent barrier (the the leaders of the Ukrainian National political and social rights of Ukraine’s majority under the conditions of fair elec- so-called proportional system). Republic declared a short-lived unification citizens is impossible without remov- Opposition leaders didn’t unite for the tions. ing the ruling Yanukovych regime. The with the Western Ukrainian National closed list race, which involves parties pre- About 16 percent of respondents said Republic. It was also the 94th anniversary elections to the Verkhovna Rada of selecting and ranking their candidates to they would vote for Batkivschyna, 14 per- Ukraine in October 2012 will give us a of the January 22, 1918, proclamation of an qualify for Verkhovna Rada seats propor- cent for the incumbent of Party of Regions independent Ukrainian state. tionally distributed based on the vote per- of Ukraine, 10 percent for the Front for (Continued on page 17) centage earned. Change, 5 percent for the Communist Party (Continued on page 17) U.S. Embassy in Kyiv marks 20 years of diplomatic relations by Zenon Zawada Ukraine relations, though he maintained an Special to The Ukrainian Weekly upbeat tone in assessing the last two decades, stressing such positives as the KYIV – The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine on Peace Corps presence in Ukraine – the larg- January 20 commemorated the 20th anni- est in any country. versary of diplomatic relations being estab- Yet, for the first time since 2002, lished with the Ukrainian government by Ukrainian politicians and businessmen are inviting its friends and associates to a con- seeking asylum in the West, the notable, cert of the world-renown Odesa Philharmonic recent example being the early January Orchestra. departure of Oleksander Tymoshenko, the The guests’ smiles and pleasant small-talk husband of imprisoned opposition leader belied the deterioration of Ukraine-U.S. rela- Yulia Tymoshenko. tions, which are approaching their worst lev- Other recent asylum seekers are former els since 2001, when the Kolchuha and Minister of the Economy Bohdan Danylyshyn Melnychenko tapes scandals erupted and all (Czech Republic), former State Reserves but ruined the reputation of former President Agency of Ukraine Chair Mykhailo Leonid Kuchma in the Western world. Pozhyvanov (Austria) and Denys Oleinikov U.S. Embassy Kyiv In his remarks to the assembled guests, (Latvia), printer of the scandalous T-shirts, The Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra, with its conductor, Hobart Earle, headline the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Tefft concert celebrating 20 years of U.S.-Ukraine relations. referred to the “ups and downs” of U.S.- (Continued on page 16) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012 No. 5 ANALYSIS Ukraine’s economic rankings mired State register of corrupt individuals Ukraine in its preparation to become our next chairman-in-office.” (Ukrinform) KYIV – Justice Minister Oleksander in decline despite attempts at reform Lavrynovych announced on January 25 that German doctors to examine Yulia he has ordered the completion by February Yaroslav Zhalilo, an analyst with the by Dmytro Barkar 1 of work on the creation of a single state- KYIV – Former Prime Minister Yulia National Institute of Strategic Research, RFE/RL wide database of persons who have com- Tymoshenko, currently serving a seven-year maintains that the early stages of such mitted corrupt acts. The registry will be an sentence in a penal colony near Kharkiv, has KYIV – Ukraine continues to languish in massive reform are inevitably difficult and electronic database that will contain infor- agreed to an examination by German medi- a leading global index of economic free- frustrating. mation about individuals who committed cal experts, Serhiy Vlasenko, Ms. dom, despite promises of reform from “Regulatory reform is just in the initial corruption-related offenses, in other words, Tymoshenko’s lawyer, announced on President Viktor Yanukovych. stages,” she said. “Perversely, some proce- persons who were called to criminal, admin- January 25. “Yulia Tymoshenko has publicly The 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, a dures seem more cumbersome than before istrative or civil liability for corruption. confirmed that she agrees to undergo a full joint project by the U.S.-based think tank because the mechanisms are not yet in Individuals will be included in the registry medical examination by German doctors, the Heritage Foundation and The Wall place. Second, as we all know, there is a under a court ruling or an order imposing a who formally offered their help,” Mr. Street Journal, ranked Ukraine 163rd of high level of corruption. Third, Ukraine is disciplinary sanction on a person for cor- Vlasenko emphasized. He also said that Ms. 179 countries, just behind the Solomon currently at a stage where it is necessary to ruption offenses. (Ukrinform) Tymoshenko agrees that together with Islands and just ahead of Uzbekistan. bring order to significant areas of activity German experts the commission may also Ukraine ranked dead last among the 43 that earlier were uncontrolled.” U.S. urges independent medical exam include Ukrainian medical experts, whom countries of the European region, pulling “This is being done, as well as the intro- she trusts. On January 23 German KYIV – The U.S. ambassador to the Ambassador to Ukraine Hans-Jurgen up the rear behind Belarus (153) and duction of tougher requirements for the Organization for Security and Cooperation Russia (144). safety of goods and services, for the organi- Heimsoeth discussed with Procurator- in Europe (OSCE), Ian Kelly, on behalf of the General Viktor Pshonka the possibility of The low rating continued a pattern of zation of certain types of businesses, for U.S. government, has called on Ukrainian decline and stagnation for Ukraine that the necessity to pay taxes from various cat- Ms. Tymoshenko’s treatment by foreign spe- authorities to invite independent medical cialists. The meeting was held at the request began about five years ago. egories of revenues. Business perceives this experts to assess the medical condition of In 2008, Ukraine ranked 133rd, but the sort of organization as a limitation on eco- of the German diplomat.