www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Ukrainian American Veterans march in New York parade — page 4. • An introduction of Svoboda’s new editor-in-chief — page 5. • Furor over article targeting Shevchenko monument in D.C. — page 6. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVIII HE No.KRAINIAN 47 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2000 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine Politicians of various stripes voice support for Yuschenko New foreignT aid bill U W by Roman Woronowycz government has only come under sys- Kyiv Press Bureau temic attack.” provides less funding Mr. Oliinyk, who has separated him- KYIV – Politicians from varying polit- self on several occasions from his ical leanings stepped forward on Communist brethren to make a point on for new independent states November 13-14 to support the work of specific issues, supported Mr. Syrota’s by Michael Sawkiw Jr. the government of Viktor Yuschenko Ukrainian National Information Service remarks even as he made it clear that he after the prime minister implied last did not intend to give wholesale approval WASHINGTON – Nearly four weeks week that he was tired of the persistent to the government’s economic policies. after the end of the 2000 federal fiscal criticism and pressure from political “While we do not support the policies year, Congress finally passed the FY opponents. of Yuschenko, we support him as a clean 2001 foreign aid bill and appropriated On November 13 an ideologically politician,” said Mr. Oliynyk. funds for U.S. foreign assistance to diverse political coalition of lawmakers, Meanwhile, Mr. Pynzenyk and his fel- countries throughout the world. including Borys Oliinyk of the low party members – whose political ide- In what turned out to be a major vic- Communist Party, Stepan Khmara of the ology can be said to be nearly identical to tory for proponents of increasing U.S. Conservative Republican Party and the prime minister’s – came out in foreign assistance amounts, the funds Mykhailo Syrota, a centrist who is con- unqualified support of the government’s federally mandated for foreign aid total sidered the father of the Constitution, program, while stating that certain busi- $14.9 billion – a $1.4 billion increase called a press conference to express their ness oligarchs were putting stumbling over last year’s budget. The bill passed satisfaction with the work of the blocks on the government’s path to force with an overwhelming majority on Yuschenko government to date. it out of office. Yaro Bihun October 25 in both houses of the U.S. The next day, leading members of the Serhii Soboliov said he believes spe- Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko Congress – Senate: 65-27; House: 307- Reform and Order Party, led by cific members of the ruling business 101. President Bill Clinton signed the Chairman Viktor Pynzenyk, presented elite, who wield much power in the reform to repeated accusations that it has bill into law on November 6 at a White economic figures that supported the gov- Verkhovna Rada and with President inflated figures that point to the begin- House ceremony. ernment’s claim of a substantive econom- Leonid Kuchma, are pressuring the gov- ning of an economic resurgence. Much of the other criticism has been As part of the FY 2001 Foreign ic upsurge. ernment to either resign or cater to its directed at Vice Prime Minister Yulia Operations Export Financing and Mr. Syrota cited a litany of accom- desires and wishes, especially in the Tymoshenko, who was appointed by Mr. Related Programs Appropriations Act, plishments in the last year as a clear indi- energy sector. Yuschenko over widespread criticism $810 million in funding was allocated cation that the prime minister is on the “A key question for the new year is because of her close connections to for the Freedom Support Act (FSA) – right track, including the spectacular rise whether the same methods of blackmail that part of the bill designated for coun- in economic indicators including a 5 per- and intimidation will continue to be used (Continued on page 21) tries once part of the Soviet Union. This cent growth in the GDP and an 11.7 per- -– and I don’t mean from the side of the amount represents a decrease of $29 mil- cent increase in industrial output for leftists – for the sole purpose of forcing lion from last year’s funding for the new 2000, as well as the retirement of large the prime minister’s resignation,” he independent states. The Foreign pension and wage arrears, the $2.3 bil- said. Operations Export Financing and lion decrease in foreign debt and cessa- Mr. Yuschenko’s Cabinet of Ministers Ukrainian Canadians Related Programs Appropriations Act for tion of electrical blackouts in towns and has come under criticism of one kind or FY 2001 included an earmark of assis- villages. another almost from the first day of his target justice minister tance to Ukraine in the amount of $170 “We would think that such accom- appointment by President Kuchma in million. Of that amount, specific sub-ear- plishments would be worthy of general December 1999, for everything from the marks were also allocated for the praise,” observed Mr. Syrota. “But the way it has proceeded on administrative in federal elections Ukrainian Land and Resource CALGARY – The Ukrainian Management Center ($5 million), while Canadian community is angered by “not less than $25 million should be Austria agrees to settlement Justice Minister Anne MacLellan’s made available for nuclear reactor safety promotion of a “two-tiered justice” initiatives.” The remaining $140 million policy toward naturalized Canadian will be set aside for programs the U.S. for Nazi-era forced laborers citizens, reminiscent of another Agency for International Development injustice in the country’s history, (USAID), in consultation with the by Myroslaw Smorodsky the Austrian negotiations did not require noted the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Ukrainian government, believes are nec- that all claims be settled immediately as Liberties Association. essary to continue Ukraine’s progress on VIENNA, Austria – In an official sign- part of one settlement package. Instead Ms. MacLellan is up for re-elec- the road to economic reform, as well as ing ceremony at the Federal Chancellery the signed agreements contemplated the tion in the federal elections on develop a strong civil society. of Austria, the governments of the United immediate completion of the slave/forced November 27. Other countries that received ear- States, Austria, Belarus, the Czech repub- labor component, and development of a Delegates from across Canada marks of assistance under the Freedom lic, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine, as well structure toward negotiating the complex met in Alberta on the Remembrance Support Act (FSA) include Armenia and as the lawyer-representatives for Nazi-era property claims in the near future, with Day (November 11) weekend and Georgia, respectively $90 million and slave/forced labor victims, signed a series the aim of completing these property described the mounting anger felt $92 million. There is a stipulation in the of agreements whereby the laborers negotiations by year’s end. because of this issue. Speakers Georgian earmark that “$25 million forcibly deported to the territory of The Austrian settlement documents underlined that Ms. MacLellan’s should be made available to support bor- Austria 55 years later would receive some signed on October 24 provide for com- justice policy treats people who der security guard and export control modicum of compensation for their suf- pensation in amounts similar to that of choose to be Canadians in a differ- initiatives” pertaining to border controls fering. the German settlement. However, unlike ent way than people who are born and monitoring of the fighting in the Thereafter, at a separate ceremony at the German settlement, the Austrians Canadian. Specifically, Canadian- breakaway Russian republic of the office of the federal president of immediately agreed to pay compensation born citizens accused of crimes are Chechnya. Austria, Dr. Thomas Kestil apologized to to persons who labored on farms and for presumed innocent until proven Other initiatives for the new inde- the victims for the suffering they had private industry in Austria. Slave labor- guilty, and have the right to a crimi- pendent states include $20 million for endured. He also acknowledged that these ers will receive 105,000 Austrian nal trial. Naturalized citizens do not assistance to the Russian Far East and victims were never compensated in the shillings; industrial workers, 35,000 currently have that right. Instead, $1.5 million to “meet health and other past, nor was their suffering properly rec- Austrian shillings; and farm and private assistance needs of victims of trafficking ognized. (Continued on page 16) in persons.” Unlike an earlier German settlement, (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2000 No. 47 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS The myth of Russophone unity in Ukraine Prodi pledges cash for Chornobyl closure EFF tranche exepcted by end of year by Taras Kuzio Moreover, a large proportion of Ukrainians, RFE/RL Newsline perhaps even the majority, are bilingual and KYIV – European Commission KYIV – First Vice Prime Minister Yurii therefore cannot be characterized as either President Romano Prodi assured President Yekhanurov announced that he expects In the second round of Ukraine’s July purely Ukrainophone or Russophone. Mr. Leonid Kuchma in Kyiv on November 6 Ukraine will receive $250 million (U.S.) 1994 presidential elections, the incumbent, Kuchma himself, for example, uses that international donors will stick to an ear- under the International Money Fund’s EFF Leonid Kravchuk, won the majority of Ukrainian in public but has a Russian wife lier pledge to compensate Ukraine for the (extended fund facility) program by the end votes west of the River Dnipro and his main and almost certainly speaks Russian in the loss of energy following the closure of the of the year, based on the preliminary con- challenger, Leonid Kuchma, the majority private sphere.