INSIDE: • VOA explains reasons for Ukrainian radio cutback — page 3. • What will be the fate of stolen Shevchenko statue? — page 4. • Statistical look at Chicago’s Ukrainian physicians — centerfold. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXV No. 3 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2007 $1/$2 in Ukraine First U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Cabinet’s authority enhanced comments on cautious early policies at the president’s expense by Yaro Bihun gration and independence processes were by Zenon Zawada Constitutional Court and all the main Special to The Ukrainian Weekly moving along fairly well on their own. Kyiv Press Bureau institutions of government,” he added. Ambassador Popadiuk discussed these The vote, which overrode a presiden- WASHINGTON – The first Bush years of historic transition on January 10 KYIV – In their most significant vic- tial veto, came just two days after Mr. administration steered a cautious politi- at a Johns Hopkins University School of tory in an aggressive campaign of usurp- Yushchenko had invited Mr. Yanukovych cal-diplomatic course in the waning days Advanced and International Studies ing power, the coalition government led and Verkhovna Rada Chairman of the Soviet Union and during the emer- forum sponsored by The Washington by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych Oleksander Moroz to the Presidential gence of Ukraine and other newly inde- Group, an association of Ukrainian voted on January 12 to significantly Secretariat to begin the new year in coop- pendent countries from its colonial American professionals. He also shed enhance his authority, and that of the eration and leave past conflicts behind. domain, recalled a former U.S. ambassa- some light on the reasoning behind the Cabinet of Ministers, at the expense of “I am convinced that this meeting dor to Ukraine, Roman Popadiuk. infamous “Chicken Kiev” speech, in the Ukrainian presidency. allowed us to remove the acridity of rela- The administration did not want to which President George Bush cautioned If the law stands the test of Ukraine’s tions between the branches of power,” Mr. appear to pressure, gloat or poke a finger against “suicidal nationalism” on the eve Constitutional Court, it will transfer to the Yushchenko said afterwards. “I hope that in Moscow’s eye because it needed its of Ukraine’s independence, and gave his Cabinet of Ministers many powers once Ukrainian politics in 2007 will be harmo- cooperation in resolving other important assessment of recent developments there. belonging to the president, including con- nious and united, and all institutions of international problems, and, besides, Currently Ambassador Popadiuk is exec- trol of government-owned monopolies power should ensure stability and give a according to Mr. Popadiuk, who then utive director of the George H. W. Bush and enterprises, as well as selection of the positive signal to Ukrainian society.” served as the White House deputy press Presidential Library Foundation in Texas. defense and foreign affairs ministers, the During the meeting, Mr. Yanukovych secretary and became the first U.S. He pointed out that as the Soviet Union president’s last domain in the Cabinet. agreed to work with the Ukrainian presi- ambassador to Ukraine, the Soviet disinte- was beginning to show signs of change Besides further reducing President dent in drafting the Cabinet of Ministers through Mikhail Gorbachev’s “perestroi- Viktor Yushchenko’s authority, the law’s law, the president said. ka” and “glasnost” reform policies, the passage signifies that the Ukrainian gov- However, once again the prime minister United States was dealing with such issues ernment will suffer a very turbulent year responded to the extended hand of partner- Kushnariov dies as the reunification of Germany, elections as its warring factions will likely escalate ship and cooperation with a knife to the in Nicaragua, the end of apartheid in South their infighting, political observers said. back, in what is increasingly looking like a Africa, and financial crises in Brazil and “The year will be unstable, but this case of “battered president syndrome,” in after hunting accident Mexico, among others. instability will be in government rather which a victimized president is unable to by Zenon Zawada “So we had to tread very quietly and than society,” said Yurii Yakymenko, a part with an abusive prime minister. political expert at the Razumkov Center Kyiv Press Bureau softly, because in some cases we needed The coalition government passed the Soviet assistance in these things,” the for Economic and Political Research, bill “On the Cabinet of Ministers” with- KYIV – Yevhen Kushnariov, 55, a top ambassador. And, lest one forget, he which is funded by more than 50 interna- out accepting a single one of 42 amend- Party of the Regions leader, died on January added, the Soviet Union was still a tional government and non-governmental ments proposed by the president. 17, one day after he was accidentally shot superpower with nuclear armaments. organizations. “I had an agreement with the prime min- several times by a companion during an ille- “We will see a lot of conflicts and col- gal hunting trip in his native Kharkiv Oblast. (Continued on page 8) lisions with the participation of the (Continued on page 19) Mr. Kushnariov, who spent his life in the Soviet and Ukrainian governments, was a close associate of former President Leonid Kuchma, serving as Presidential Ukraine’s political scene: three forces pulling in different directions Administration chair. He is most remem- bered for his calls for regional secession by Zenon Zawada during the 2004 Orange Revolution, which Kyiv Press Bureau he firmly opposed. KYIV – The Ukrainian folk tale of Mr. Kushnariov was a symbol of the swan, the lobster and the pike may Kharkiv and the city’s Russophile val- best illustrate the current political land- ues, serving both as the city’s mayor and scape in Ukraine. its oblast administration chair with much After all three tied themselves to a public support, though he also faced cart to pull it together, the swan began many accusations of corruption. flying, the lobster marched backwards “It is sad that a talented, bright, and the pike jumped into the river. The extraordinary personality passed away in cart went nowhere. the prime of his life, … [one who] pas- The three concurrent forces within sionately devoted himself to rebuilding Ukrainian politics today are the coali- Ukrainian statehood, creating a civic tion government led by Prime Minister society and the fundamental institutions of democracy,” Prime Minister Viktor Viktor Yanukovych, the Presidential Yanukovych said in a statement. Secretariat led by President Viktor Mr. Kushnariov’s staunch opposition Yushchenko and the parliamentary to the Orange Revolution earned him opposition led by Yulia Tymoshenko. high regard with the Party of the When they cooperate, it’s typically at someone’s expense, as each tugs in its Andrii Mosiyenko/UNIAN Regions, which he joined in October Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych dances with children during a celebration 2005 by merging his New Democracy own direction with its own motives. “We face a year of instability in held for orphans at Kyiv’s Ukrainian Home on January 12 shortly after the Party into the larger structure. Verkhovna Rada voted to enhance his authority. After the 2006 parliamentary elections, political configurations,” said Oles Mr. Kushnariov became the Party of Doniy, chair of the Kyiv-based Center depending on tactical considerations.” the Party of the Regions. Regions’ assistant faction chair and among for Political Values Research, which is Whatever movement occurs, it will Most conflicts will involve the Anti- its most prominent and visible spokesmen. supported by Ukrainian citizens and is almost exclusively revolve around the Crisis Coalition government teaming up Mr. Kushnariov played a critical role seeking international financing. “They center of gravity in the Ukrainian gov- can have any variety and will shift ernment, which is Mr. Yanukovych and (Continued on page 12) (Continued on page 8) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2007 No. 3 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Are early elections an option PM asks prosecutor to oust Tarasyuk pro-Yushchenko Our Ukraine caucus, said that the bill on the Cabinet was written “at for President Yushchenko? KYIV – Prime Minister Viktor the dictate of the Party of the Regions” Yanukovych has asked the Procurator and gives Viktor Yanukovych’s govern- by Pavel Korduban to run for Parliament if an election is General’s Office to take measures against ment an opportunity “to usurp power.” Eurasia Daily Monitor called in 2007, as only parties more than Borys Tarasyuk, whom the Verkhovna Former Internal Affairs Minister Yurii a year old are allowed to run. Most prob- Rada dismissed as foreign affairs minister Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko Lutsenko similarly said that the endorse- ably, Messrs. Katerynchuk’s and but whom President Viktor Yushchenko ment of the law on the Cabinet indicates may opt for an early parliamentary elec- Lutsenko’s movements are aimed at help- has left in office, Interfax reported on tion in order to reverse the 2004-2006 the final usurpation of power by the gov- ing Mr. Yushchenko’s Our Ukraine January 15. The Verkhovna Rada on ernment. (RFE/RL Newsline) constitutional reforms. Reversing the People’s Union (OUPU) drum up popular December 1, 2006, passed a resolution to amendments, which diminished presiden- support for the idea of an early election fire the foreign affairs minister, but the Tymoshenko denies cooperation with PRU tial authority and made it possible for Mr. and possibly build bridges to Ms. president signed a decree four days later Yushchenko’s rivals to quickly return to Tymoshenko. bringing Mr. Tarasyuk back into office. KYIV – Ukraine’s former Prime power, is probably impossible without Of the two, at least Mr.