The Ukrainian Weekly 1999, No.43
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Cracks in Kaniv Four coalition? — page 3. • What the diaspora can and should do for Ukraine — page 7. • New York School of Ukrainian Studies marks 50th — pages 8-11. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVII HE No.KRAINIAN 43 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1999 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine CongressionalT hearingU focuses Ukraine’s seatW on Security Council on Ukraine’s presidential election product of extensive lobbying effort by Yaro Bihun Kazakstan and Georgia, and now senior by Roman Woronowycz representatives of their respective regions. Special to The Ukrainian Weekly advisor to the Helsinki Commission; Nadia Kyiv Press Bureau The only contested spot was the East Diuk, regional director for Central and European region’s seat, and the contenders WASHINGTON – The October 31 pres- Eastern Europe and the new independent KYIV – Ukraine’s success in obtaining were Ukraine and Slovakia. idential election in Ukraine and its possible states at the National Endowment for a non-permanent seat on the United Ukraine ultimately prevailed over effects on the future of Ukraine and U.S.- Democracy (NED); Michael Conway, sen- Nations Security Council on October 14 Slovakia – but only after three earlier Ukraine relations were the focus of a brief- ior program officer for the new independent came only after an extensive and effective rounds of voting proved indecisive. ing on October 15 at the U.S. Congress. states at the International Foundation for lobbying effort by its New York-based Slovakia withdrew its nomination before Organized by the U.S. Commission on Electoral Systems (IFES); and John diplomatic corps and Minister of Foreign the start of the fourth round after Ukraine Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Tedstrom, director for Russian, Ukrainian Affairs Borys Tarasyuk. came one vote short of the 115 needed to Helsinki Commission), the briefing heard and Eurasian affairs at the National Security It took four rounds of voting and win the seat. Although some disagreement analyses of the coming election by repre- Council. months of discussions with all the U.N. existed at that point on whether another sentatives of the Helsinki Commission, the Opening the session, Ambassador member-states for Ukraine to win the seat round was needed, General Assembly Clinton administration and two non-gov- Courtney said the stakes in the coming on the 15-member council, the most pow- President Theo-Ben Guribab called for the ernmental organizations involved in the erful U.N. body with responsibility for democratization process in Ukraine. elections are high – both in charting vote, which resulted in 158 nods in favor Ukraine’s own future and its future relation- resolving international conflicts and dis- of Ukraine. Three countries voted against. None of the participants ventured to pre- putes, and the authority to impose sanc- dict the outcome of the election; their major ship with the United States and the West. Ukraine’s path to a seat on the Security “Will Ukraine move fast along the path tions and dispatch international peace- Council began in 1986, when it applied concern was the election process itself and keeping troops. what would follow. of democracy, the supremacy of the rule of for membership after having held the seat law, civil society and a market economy?” At a press conference in Kyiv on in 1984-1985. It was also a non-perma- The briefing panel included William October 15 after his return from New Courtney, former U.S. ambassador to he asked. “Or will Ukraine continue its nent member in 1948-1949, but in both debilitating economic descent, as reform York Foreign Affairs Minister Tarasyuk those cases it was a part of the Soviet lags and corruption undermines popular said Ukraine’s election is “evidence of the Union, and always followed the lead of confidence in government?” authority, solid foundation and consisten- the Soviet delegation. Further economic decline, he suggested, cy of it foreign policy,” which he called Significantly, both the current and the Citizens’ committee fears might destabilize politics in Ukraine and “well balanced and resourceful.” last Ukrainian foreign affairs minister harm its democratic development. The United Nations Security Council were part of the Ukrainian team that for- He pointed to a number of alarming has five permanent seats – held by the mulated the original application for mem- problems on election day results of a recent public opinion poll con- United States, Russia, France, Great bership. by Roman Woronowycz ducted in Ukraine by the U.S. Information Britain and China – and 10 non-perma- “I am honored to say that I was part of Kyiv Press Bureau Agency (part of the State Department since nent slots. Five of those 10 seats come up the group that began the work in 1986,” for election every year. This year, along KYIV – A prominent citizens’ election September). The poll showed that: said Foreign Affairs Minister Tarasyuk. with Ukraine, Mali, Tunisia, Jamaica and oversight committee said on October 19 (Continued on page 23) Bangladesh won non-permanent seats as (Continued on page 22) that election day in Ukraine could well become a messy affair, and that last-minute election law changes proposed by the Verkhovna Rada could further muddle the electoral process. San Francisco conference focuses on Ukraine and the West in new Millennium Representatives of the group suggested by Roma Hadzewycz logue on the issues facing modern that a possibility exists the October 31 pres- Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora.” idential vote could be nullified. SAN FRANCISCO – “Ukraine and The keynote speaker was Ambassador The Committee of Electors, which the West in the New Millennium” was the Anton Buteiko, Ukraine’s envoy to the achieved legitimacy and respectability in its all-encompassing topic of what was pop- United States, who offered his personal monitoring of the parliamentary elections ularly billed as “San Francisco 1999,” the observations on the status of eight-year- of 1998, said it had information that as conference organized here on October 9 old independent Ukraine. many as 30 changes to the election law are by the Ukrainian Professional and “We expected that, overnight, Ukraine being prepared by Verkhovna Rada com- Business Group of North California and would be a democratic and prosperous mittees, ostensibly to fine-tune what is the Ukrainian Medical Association of state; without idealism of that sort there North America with the support of the widely regarded as weak legislation. would not have been a movement for that Commonwealth Club of California. However, with just more than two weeks to to happen,” the ambassador began. the elections, any changes approved would Participants arrived not only from However, he continued, there are other only cause uncertainty and chaos among northern parts of the state, but also from facts and factors that affect Ukraine’s election commissions on all levels, from the southern California, Nevada, Arizona, transformation into the sort of country precinct to the national level. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and that all would like to see. He cited the fact Yevhen Radchenko, a member of the ad Washington, as well as the Canadian that “Those people who dominated hoc citizens’ committee, said that, except provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Ukraine [during the Soviet period] for a provision clarifying under what terms Quebec. They heard speakers address a remained in Ukraine after independence,” a candidate’s name may be stricken from diversity of topics, from relations and noted that “we did not know who the ballot, most of the proposed changes are between Ukraine and the West, with a were the 8 percent of the population who insignificant. focus on the United States; to doing busi- did not vote for Ukraine’s independence “Most of the rest are of a technical ness in Ukraine and with Ukrainians; and [in the national referendum of December nature and are simply there to confuse local the status of the Ukrainian American 1, 1991]. We did not know who they were election commissions,” said Mr. diaspora. Radchenko. The range of topics was in keeping and how powerful they are.” He explained that the inability of elec- with the stated aims of the Ukrainian He urged his audience to take a look at tion commissions to agree on what laws Professional and Business Group of the population of Ukraine: fully one-third Dr. Ihor Fedoriw govern in certain situations that may arise Northern California, which was founded are retired people. No other former repub- Ambassador Anton Buteiko, the on election day could render the precincts in 1993 “to help develop a proactive dia- (Continued on page 4) keynote speaker. (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1999 No. 43 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Ukrainian opposition candidates Belarusian opposition leader visits Kyiv the elections. If, in place of Kuchma, a left- ist candidate comes to power, they will pur- KYIV – Syamyon Sharetski, chairman sue policies just as destructive as fail to present a united front of the opposition Belarusian Parliament, Kuchma’s.” (Eastern Economist) by Lily Hyde their choice several times, saying they who is now residing in Lithuania, visited Kuchma faces impeachment threat RFE/RL Newsline feared physical attacks on the chosen can- Kyiv last weekend at the invitation of Rukh, Interfax reported on October 18. Rukh didate. Finally on October 15, Mr. Moroz’s ZAPORIZHIA – Presidential candidate KYIV – When four candidates team announced that Messrs. Tkachenko spokesman Dmytro Ponomarchuk said Mr. announced in August that they were join- Sharetski traveled to Kyiv “to warn Ukraine and Socialist Party leader Oleksander and Oliinyk would support Mr. Moroz, Moroz stated on October 16 that in the ing forces in the Ukrainian presidential against repeating the Belarusian experi- while Mr.