www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Conference on the Holodomor in the Kyiv Oblast – page 3. • Ukraine’s gold-plaited comeback kid – page 4. • Art by Futurist Burliuk at The Ukrainian Museum – page 13. THEPublished U byKRAINIAN the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW associationEEKLY Vol. LXXVI No. 43 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2008 $1/$2 in Ukraine ELECTION NOTEBOOK: Vote Political turmoil exacerbates likely to be delayed until January financial crisis in Ukraine by Zenon Zawada until after the holiday season, said Kyiv Press Bureau Volodymyr Fesenko, board chairman of the Penta Center for Applied Political KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko Research in Kyiv. on October 20 postponed the pre-term “The elections will either be held on parliamentary elections to December 14, December 21, or more likely at the end though political observers said the vote of January,” he said. will likely be delayed until late January. Both Mr. Yushchenko and opposition Mr. Yushchenko issued a decree can- leader Viktor Yanukovych have insisted celing the December 7 election date, ver- the elections be conducted before the bally proposing a December 14 election new year. later that day before criticizing the Yulia However, the Cabinet of Ministers led Tymoshenko Bloc for attempting to by Ms. Tymoshenko on October 14 undermine the election. denied financing of the elections from its “Blocking these elections, not financ- reserve fund. ing the elections, raids on courts and The Tymoshenko Bloc spent the next other structures are destructive policies,” week blocking the parliamentary rostrum he said, following an October 20 meeting to prevent any vote to earmark election of Ukraine’s National Security and financing in an amended 2008 budget, Defense Council. including the October 23 session at which In response, Central Election such legislation was scheduled for Commission Vice-Chair Andrii Mahera approval. said two days later his commission won’t Mr. Mahera also said he expects the Oleksander Synytsia/ UNIAN be ready to hold the elections on presidential election will be held on Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc deputies block the parliamentary rostrum on October 21 December 14, a statement that was sup- December 27, 2009. Other dates under in order to prevent legislation to finance the pre-term parliamentary elections ported by Tymoshenko Bloc National consideration include January 17 and 31, called by President Viktor Yushchenko. Deputy Andrii Portnov. 2010. “We believe the presidential team’s actions are geared toward further eco- * * * by Zenon Zawada his own four-point plan to combat Ukraine’s nomic destruction of Ukraine,” Mr. Kyiv Press Bureau crisis, consisting of debt restructuring for The Our Ukraine – People’s Self- suffering businesses, sharp cuts in budget Portnov said. “We will use all possible Defense bloc is dissolved, its leader legal means so that this election process KYIV – Ukraine’s political woes threat- spending, state support for investment proj- Viacheslav Kyrylenko said October 19, ened to exacerbate the nation’s burgeoning won’t even begin on December 14.” ects and increasing state guarantees for sav- and will likely be transformed into the financial crisis as the nation’s warring lead- Only 52 calendar days are left until ings deposits. Viktor Yushchenko Bloc consisting of ers proposed their own anti-crisis measures December 14, Mr. Mahera said on Meanwhile, Finance Minister Viktor Our Ukraine and the Ukrainian People’s this week but failed to reach any consensus. October 22, and the election period must Pynzenyk pulled all-nighters preparing anti- Party. President Viktor Yushchenko, Prime consist of 54 to 60 days. crisis legislation, which the Cabinet of “We created a bloc of nine parties, all Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition Given that the president only verbally Ministers submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of which promised to unite into a single leader Viktor Yanukovych of the Party of the evening of October 22 for ratification proposed the December 14 election date, Regions all rejected each other’s proposals it’s likely the election will be postponed (Continued on page 17) the next day. to cope with the mounting crisis and failed Expectations that the measures would to pass any legislation. receive quick approval proved to be naïve. Days after Ms. Tymoshenko’s October Opponents to the Tymoshenko Bloc fought 19 proposal that all five parliamentary fac- to place legislation approving financing for tions unite into a coalition to combat the Prime Minister Tymoshenko boasts pre-term elections ahead of the anti-crisis financial crisis and pass legislation, Mr. measures. Yanukovych said his faction wouldn’t sup- of rejuvenated relations with Russia port the Tymoshenko government. Instead In response, Tymoshenko Bloc law- he demanded its resignation and the appoint- makers blocked the Parliament rostrum in by Zenon Zawada eration with Viktor Medvedchuk, the right- ment of a new government. order to pressure Acting Chair Arseniy Kyiv Press Bureau hand man of former President Leonid “The Tymoshenko Bloc proposed today Yatsenyuk to place the anti-crisis measures Kuchma and the person believed to have that it lead the anti-crisis government in its at the top of the agenda, ahead of election This is the second article in a two-part brokered the prime minister’s new relations fight with the crisis which it created,” Mr. financing. series on Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s with the Kremlin. Yanukovych told an October 23 press con- In the evening of October 23 the Party of enhanced relations with the government of Ms. Tymoshenko never denied her coop- ference. Regions joined with deputies from the Our the Russian Federation. eration with Mr. Medvedchuk on both for- “If they had a conscience, they would not Ukraine and Volodymyr Lytvyn blocs in eign and domestic matters. propose such things. First of all, they should approving a schedule for the next day’s ses- KYIV – Throughout her current term, When asked by reporters in May whether recognize what they did with the country sion to include consideration of amend- Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has Mr. Medvedchuk was assisting her in draft- and only after that can we sit with them at a ments to the 2008 budget, specifically boasted of her government’s success in ing a constitutional reform bill, Ms. table and agree on something,” he said. financing the pre-term elections, as well as improving relations with the Russian Tymoshenko responded, “we are directly Mr. Yanukovych insisted on holding the anti-crisis legislation offered by the Party of Federation. cooperating with all political forces.” pre-term parliamentary elections, “and Regions. During the Easter holiday in late April, From their end, Russian leaders contin- immediately after the elections, the political “The economic crisis can’t be resolved she signed a protocol with Russia on eco- ued expressing their antipathy to negotiating force which is capable of resolving this cri- apart from the political crisis and vice nomic cooperation between the two coun- with President Viktor Yushchenko as part of sis will come to power.” versa,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said. “These are tries in the global marketplace. interrelated matters, and no one can deceive a lengthy strategy to chip away at his Among the measures proposed by the As it became apparent she was gaining anyone else today. Either we unite around authority, particularly in the eyes of the Party of Regions is creating a stabilization concessions from the Russians, the resolving the economic and political crises Ukrainian electorate. fund and increasing the state guarantees for Presidential Secretariat of Ukraine directed savings deposits. and find a common exit, or not a single leg- media attention to Ms. Tymoshenko’s coop- (Continued on page 5) That same day Mr. Yushchenko offered islative package will be approved.” 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2008 No. 43 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Civil-military relations President postpones early elections amendments to the 2008 national budget. After a break was announced, national KYIV – Ukrainian President Viktor deputies of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc come under strain in Ukraine Yushchenko said after an extraordinary faction blocked the parliamentary rostrum meeting of the National Security and and presidium. (Ukrinform) by Taras Kuzio National Security and Defense Council. Defense Council on the evening of Eurasia Daily Monitor The president’s misuse of law enforce- October 20 that he is postponing pre-term President: no personal conflict with PM ment agencies, especially the MVS parliamentary elections from December 7 Like the political crisis in the spring of troops, has turned a majority of parlia- to December 14 due to the government’s KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko 2007, the crisis unfolding since September mentarians away from his proposals for failure to implement his decree. He added said on October 22 that he has no person- has placed great strains on law enforcement security reform. His proposed Draft Law that he has called for the Parliament to al conflict with Prime Minister Yulia agencies (see Eurasia Daily Monitor, June 1317, outlining the re-establishment of a resume its work for several days so that Tymoshenko. At the same time, he said 1, 2007). On April 2, 2007, and now again National Guard based on MVS Internal anti-crisis laws and laws necessary for the actions by the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc in on October 8, the president disbanded Troops was overwhelmingly rejected by holding of the elections are passed. the Verkhovna Rada were aimed at dis- Parliament. the Verkhovna Rada (www.rada.gov.ua, Therefore, the Verkhovna Rada, which mantling democratic values. “A boycott In the spring of 2007 the Internal Affairs January 11). the president dissolved by his decree of of the election is an unlawful and non- Ministry (known by its Ukrainian acronym Anatolii Hrytsenko, head of the parlia- October 9, will continue working in a democratic position,” Mr.