INSIDE:• Ukrainian-Russian row worsens — page 2. • An update on baseball in Ukraine — page 8. • UNA’s Teaching English in Ukraine program — page 10. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXIV HE No.KRAINIAN 50 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1996 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada takes action KuchmaT sacksU Tabachnyk W by Roman Woronowycz Kyiv Press Bureau against Russian claims to Sevastopol KYIV — Dmytro Tabachnyk, who at by Roman Woronowycz final vote was delayed after Russian the age of 31 was the wizard that put Kyiv Press Bureau political leaders from the other branches together the election campaign that pro- of government stepped in, and after con- pelled Leonid Kuchma into the presidency, KYIV — The Russian Federation sultations with the Communist Party of was unceremoniously sacked as the presi- Council, the upper house of the Russian Ukraine, according to that party’s leader, dent’s first in command on December 10 Parliament, did on December 5 what the Petro Symonenko. Meetings also at the age of 33. lower house had been threatening for occurred between representatives of the Mr. Kuchma, who rewarded Mr. weeks: it passed a resolution that ques- Duma and the Verkhovna Rada. Tabachnyk’s effort as campaign manager tions the status of the city of Sevastopol The Duma did, however, pass a reso- in 1994 with the post of chief of staff, in Crimea . lution that talks on dividing the fleet had become more and more removed The Federation Council issued a state- must be halted, which was vetoed by from his right-hand man, whom many ment that “unilateral actions by the Russian President Boris Yeltsin on Ukrainian side aimed at severing from had called the president’s shadow in the December 2. Russia a part of her territory are not only first years of the Kuchma administration, Among other things, the Federation illegal from any viewpoint of internation- but lately had started referring to as the Council resolution states that firmness in al law, but are detrimental to Russia’s “second president.” upholding national interests, a well- security.” President Kuchma signed the decree that weighed attitude and adherence to law Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada responded would help in “defending and strengthen- dismissed Mr. Tabachnyk from his posi- on December 6 with a resolution of its own tion. It is not clear why he was dismissed, ing Russian statehood,” according to Dmytro Tabachnyk and the introduction of a bill on the removal Interfax-Ukraine. although Reuters quoted a Ukrainian of foreign troops from Ukrainian soil. It said that actions by Ukraine “ham- Television news announcer as stating that dent’s decision “not a political move.” For weeks the Russian Duma, the per the development of good neighborly the chief of staff was replaced “in connec- He said, “The president has the right to lower house, had been simmering with and mutually beneficial relations tion with his transfer to another job.” release any member of his administra- disenchantment that the Black Sea Fleet between the two fraternal peoples and are Volodymyr Horbulin, chairman of the tion. To me this is not an unusual move.” would leave the city of Sevastopol, locat- detrimental to the international prestige National Security Council, dismissed that Political or not, the controversies that ed in the Crimean autonomous region of of the two countries.” reasoning when he explained at a regular have surrounded the 33-year-old boy Ukraine, with an agreement between the The proposal to issue a statement on presidential administration press briefing wonder lately made him a political liabil- executive branches of both governments the status of Sevastopol was initiated by that Mr. Tabachnyk had expressed no ity for the president. seemingly near at hand. It had passed the the powerful mayor of Moscow, Yuri plans for the near-term future, except that He had been bickering with the first reading of a resolution that would Luzhkov, who had declared in October he had not had a vacation in two years Verkhovna Rada over alleged dealings have brought the city under the bud- that Sevastopol is and will be a Russian and was ready for an extended one. getary responsibility of the Duma and Mr. Horbulin also called the presi- (Continued on page 3) officially declared it a Russian city. The (Continued on page 17) Consular official Pynzenyk leads public relations campaign to push reforms by Roman Woronowycz The latest press conference, held on the October figure to reach no more Kyiv Press Bureau November 29, involved the 15 top gov- than 1.5 percent. “We all understand, charged in Toronto ernment economic specialists and was however, that if we do not raise the by Andrij Kudla Wynnyckyj KYIV — The Cabinet of Ministers, led by Mr. Pynzenyk, who has become level of economic production, the stan- Toronto Press Bureau led by Vice Prime Minister Viktor the country’s master craftsman of eco- dard of living will never rise for most Pynzenyk, has recently mounted a pub- nomic reform. The economic reform people,” he explained. TORONTO — A recently arrived lic relations campaign to push through Ukrainian consular official has become team released a series of documents The economic growth package will an extensive package of tax and eco- that give a clearer picture of just what embroiled with the police and the courts, reinvigorate the Ukrainian economy, nomic reforms to better the business the government will attempt to do in and since the first week of December has according to Mr. Pynzenyk, by reducing investment climate in Ukraine. 1997 to bring Ukraine out of the eco- drawn the local media’s notice. the tax burden on proprietors, stimulating Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has nomic gutter. The World Bank has pre- businesses to create jobs and bringing the Olexander Yushko, 32, who was to resisted acting on the budget package dicted that if the package is passed into gray economy into the official economy. assume a post as Ukraine’s vice-consul submitted by the government in law by the Verkhovna Rada and imple- He said the package is not merely a in Toronto, was charged on October 26 October and has kept the bills in com- mented properly by the government tax package, although at first the aim with two counts of drinking and driving, mittee while requesting clarifications Ukraine could see a 1.7 percent growth was for tax relief. “When the working one count of possession of stolen goods, and rewrites. A major concern is how in its GDP in 1997, which could reach group (which includes representatives and one count of attempted bribery of a to assure the viability of the budget 10.9 percent by the year 2000. from the Verkhovna Rada, the presi- police officer. According to a staffer of numbers without first putting in place Mr. Pynzenyk said he realizes the dential administration and the Cabinet the Clerk’s Office of the Ontario the new tax package. package on tax reform and economic of Ministers) got together, we realized Provincial Court, charges of attempting In the last several weeks Mr. growth – dubbed “Economic Growth – that a whole series of reforms was to administer a noxious substance and Pynzenyk, Minister of the Economy ‘97” – which contains seven draft laws, needed to make the tax reform viable,” attempted abduction are pending. Vasyl Huriyev, Minister of Finance is a complicated piece of legislation he explained. However, Mr. Yushko is refusing to Valentyn Koronevsky, Chairman of the and that the Cabinet is ready to work A key element of the tax reform is to appear in court, or to adhere to condi- National Bank of Ukraine Viktor with the Verkhovna Rada to explain the include those businesses on the fringes tions of bail, claiming that he has diplo- Yushchenko and presidential economic package and move it through commit- of the legal economy who avoid paying matic immunity. aide Valerii Lytvytsky have all appeared tees to the Parliament floor. taxes by sheltering profits or simply Ukraine’s consul general in Toronto, before the press and on television to Mr. Pynzenyk said a level of maintaining illegal transactions. Mr. Viktor Borovyk, has told a number of explain and press for the new 1997 bud- “macroeconomic stability” has been Pynzenyk announced a comprehensive reporters that this situation could have “a get and extensive reforms, including a reached, inflation is under control and national system of registration. The drastic effect on relations between restructuring of the current tax system the hryvnia is relatively stable. In structure would give partial tax relief Ukraine and Canada,” but has refused to and a narrowing of the social protection September 1996 inflation was held to 2 network. percent, and the government expects (Continued on page 17) (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1996 No. 50 NEWS ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Russian-Ukrainian row worsens NATO members agree to expand the “EU Action Plan” for Ukraine on by Taras Kuzio Boris Yeltsin’s appointees. Prime Minister December 6. The plan, which consists of Chernomyrdin, not for the first time, BRUSSELS — Foreign ministers from The vote on December 5 by 110:14 in six main points, includes support for: demanded on December 3 (only two days the 16 NATO countries met here on macro-economic reform, 538 million the Russian Federation Council, the upper prior to this latest vote) that Ukraine recog- December 10 and agreed that invitations house of the Russian Parliament, to issue a ECU earmarked for 1996-1999; transfor- nize the “illegality” of its sovereignty over will be extended to “one or more” of 11 mation of civic and political life, includ- statement and resolution declaring the city Sevastopol, using nationalist language and East European countries, former Warsaw of Sevastopol “part of Russian territory” ing the system of education, civil protec- rhetoric usually reserved for the extreme Pact allies, to join NATO.