INSIDE: l Ukraine wants to question Manafort – page 3 l Applebaum receives Antonovych Award – page 4 l Community: Boston, Miami, Ottawa, Cohoes – pages 14-15 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXV No. 46 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2017 $2.00 Groysman pitches Ukraine Verkhovna Rada passes more laws as business opportunity for Canada to meet IMF and Maidan demands by Mark Raczkiewycz According to an analysis of the bill that Opora published in June, those constituen- KYIV – Ukraine’s reformist yet occasion- cies were also “vulnerable to vote buying,” ally obdurate legislature, the Verkhovna and the elected deputies were often “prone Rada, moved ahead this week with more to switch to factions and parliamentary bills to further enhance a constantly over- groups” after getting elected. due pro-European agenda on the back of Among other changes, the new bill low- promises of the 2014 Revolution of Dignity. ers the election threshold from 5 percent to A more representative electoral bill was 4, and makes party lists open in the nation- approved in the first of two readings on wide proportional voting system. Previously, November 7. It foresees replacing half of only the first five candidates’ names were the nation’s 225 voting districts, in which disclosed. In Ukraine, seats are proportion- single candidates got elected based only on ately divided among parties based on the who receives the most votes, with regional percentage of votes they get. political party lists, whereby candidates get “First and foremost, closed party lists elected based on the proportion of votes facilitate business lobbying in politics,” the their party receives. watchdog said in the report. “In the past, oli- According to the Ukrainian election garchs were able to utilize closed party lists watchdog Opora, the practice for electing to place their own ‘cronies’ and, therefore, to half of the legislature’s so-called single- maximize their political influence. Oligarchic mandate deputies leads to three negative proxies in mid-range positions on party lists outcomes. First, there are “wasted votes” in were especially unlikely to be covered by the Volodymyr Groysman/Facebook the single-mandate districts when the media or scrutinized by the voters.” During their meeting in Ottawa, Prime Ministers Volodymyr Groysman of Ukraine majority of voters usually have no “repre- The European Union’s Venice Commission, and Justin Trudeau of Canada. sentation” since most of the deputies elect- an expert advisory body on constitutional expressed his government’s intention to ed this way do not garner a majority of by Christopher Guly votes. (Continued on page 7) Special to The Ukrainian Weekly “build on the growing economic ties between our countries.” The coming into OTTAWA – During his first-ever visit to force of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Canada, Ukrainian Prime Minister Agreement in August, he said, is “an oppor- Volodymyr Groysman remarked, in an tunity to create even greater opportunities Ukrainian Caucus co-chairs introduce exaggerated way at the Ukrainian Day on for our citizens to grow the economies and Parliament Hill reception organized by the to deepen the friendship we have with Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program, Ukraine.” resolution on 85th anniversary of Holodomor that “every day in Canadian history” has He underlined during his meeting with had a Ukrainian element in it. Mr. Groysman: “Canada will always stand But that comment made on October 31 with Ukraine, whether it’s against illegiti- somewhat rang true – at least during and mate, illegal Russian actions or in other shortly after Ukraine’s youngest-ever world spheres.” prime minister, age 39, was here primarily Writing afterwards on Facebook, the to promote his country as a great Canadian Ukrainian prime minister said, opportunity for trade and investment. “Geographically, we are far apart, separated Speaking in Ukrainian through a transla- by an ocean, but we constantly feel your tor, Mr. Groysman told a rare joint sitting of strong support. Thank you, Canada.” members of the House of Commons stand- He also noted: “We are also hopeful for the proposed joint projects in aerospace, Congressional Ukrainian Caucus co-chairs, (from left) Reps. Sander Levin, Andy ing committees on international trade, for- Harris, Marcy Kaptur and Brian Fitzpatrick. eign affairs and international development, energy, IT and agribusiness. Canada’s inno- and national defense on October 31 that vations coupled with our capabilities and CUC the Holodomor Famine-Genocide and shine our enthusiasm to attract the best technol- a spotlight on the truth. This monument Ukraine is undergoing many structural WASHINGTON – Congressional ogies to the country will be mutually bene- represents our hopes, our shared values changes simultaneously and that continu- Ukrainian Caucus co-chairs, Reps. Sander ficial for Canada and Ukraine.” and the humanity that binds us,” the mem- ing on the road of reform will spur dynamic Levin (D-Mich.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Marcy Speaking before House of Commons bers said. development of Ukraine’s economy. The Kaptur (D-Ohio), and Brian Fitzpatrick committee members, Mr. Groysman noted The Holodomor Famine-Genocide prime minister also expressed thanks to (R-Pa.), on November 7 introduced a resolu- that one of his government’s priorities is to Canada for its support of those reforms. tion commemorating the 85th anniversary Memorial opened in Washington in 2015, lift a ban on agricultural land sales that has Also on October 31, Mr. Groysman had a of the Holodomor Famine-Genocide. with the support of the bipartisan Ukraine been in place since Ukraine declared its meeting with Prime Minister Justin The resolution honors the estimated 7 Caucus. independence 26 years ago. Foreigners will Trudeau, during which the topics of discus- million to 10 million Ukrainian people who The full text of the resolution follows. be excluded from buying Ukrainian farm- sion included the war in the Donbas, visa- perished at the will of the totalitarian Stalinist land, which will be available for purchase Resolution free travel for Ukrainians, expanding the free Government of the former Soviet Union, only by Ukrainians to “boost the develop- trade agreement between the two counties, which perpetrated a premeditated famine Expressing the sense of the House of ment” of the country’s farms, the prime reforms in Ukraine’s civil service and law in the winter of 1932-1933 in Ukraine in a Representatives that the 85th anniversary minister said in response to a question enforcement system, and attaining energy concerted effort to break the nation’s resis- of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932- from James Bezan, a Ukrainian Canadian sustainability. tance to Communist occupation. 1933 (Holodomor) should serve as a Conservative member of Parliament who Pointing to the “deep friendship between “We must solemnly remember the mil- Canada and Ukraine,” Mr. Trudeau (Continued on page 18) lions of Ukrainians who lost their lives in (Continued on page 17) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2017 No. 46 ANALYSIS Erdoğan brokers deal with Putin Proposal to cut ties with Russia Trump at a possible meeting on the side- lines of a November 10-11 Asia-Pacific eco- A lawmaker from Ukrainian President nomic summit in Vietnam. The U.S. envoy Petro Poroshenko’s party has told RFE/RL to release Crimean Tatar prisoners for efforts to end the conflict, Kurt Volker, he plans to propose legislation that would center widely known for its deplorable con- said last week that he plans to meet with by Idil P. Izmirli sever diplomatic relations with Russia. Ivan ditions and mistreatment of inmates) and Kremlin envoy Vladislav Surkov on Eurasia Daily Monitor Vinnyk spoke to RFE/RL’s Ukrainian 150 Kafkaesque trials (some of which he November 13 in Belgrade. (RFE/RL’s Service on November 8, after reports that September and October saw a fresh wave was only allowed to attend via videoconfer- Ukrainian Service, with reporting by of house searches, arrests and increasing he had already submitted the proposal ence), he was sentenced for an alleged crime Interfax and TASS) oppression of regime critics on the Russian- he did not commit and that occurred while prompted criticism from Moscow. The pro- occupied Crimean peninsula. But on October Crimea was still under Ukrainian jurisdic- posal comes as the Verkhovna Rada consid- U.N. warns of humanitarian impact 25, two Crimean Tatar political prisoners, tion (Sprotyv.info, October 26). Mr. Chiygoz’s ers a bill governing what lawmakers hope Akhtem Chiygoz and Ilmi Umerov, were freed mother passed away while he remained in will be the “reintegration” of parts of east- The United Nations has raised “extreme” and extradited to Turkey after Turkish jail, and he was not allowed to attend her ern Ukraine held by Russia-backed separat- concern that an escalation of fighting near funeral (Avdet.org, October 27). ists whose war against Kyiv has killed more water infrastructures in the eastern deal with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin Mr. Umerov is the first deputy chairman than 10,000 people since April 2014. The Ukrainian region of Donetsk could lead to a Presidentfor their release. Recep Their Tayyip emergency Erdoğan releasebrokered was a of the Mejlis. In an interview for ATR televi- single-chamber Parliament approved the deadly chlorine gas disaster. The U.N. unexpected and became possible based on a sion, in March 2015, he stated that sanctions bill in its first of two required votes on humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Neal signed protocol between Turkey and Russia should be intensified against the Russian October 6. The second and final vote, which Walker, said on November 8 that two water (see Eurasia Daily Monitor, October 30). Federation to pressure Moscow to de-occu- would send the bill to President filter stations on both sides of the contact During their first press conference, at the py Crimea and Donbas voluntarily (Avdet.