www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:•A look at Russia’s Ukrainian problem — page 2. • Profile of Rukh candidate for Verkhovna Rada — page 3. • Ukraine’s Olympians welcomed home — page 9. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVI HE KRAINIANNo. 10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 1998 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine ConstitutionalT Court rulesUKuchma defends agreementsW signed in Moscow by Roman Woronowycz Kremlin President Kuchma said, “We the border. Kyiv Press Bureau have taken a big step towards each other.” Regarding the Black Sea Fleet, the two on Ukraine’s election law President Yeltsin said Ukraine and Russia sides declared the need for developing by Roman Woronowycz KYIV — Two days after his return now share a strategic partnership. closer interaction between the Russian from Moscow from the first state visit by Kyiv Press Bureau The two leaders’ discussions during the navy and the naval forces of Ukraine. a Ukrainian president to Russia, President official three-day visit covered a broad On the cultural front, the two presidents KYIV — Ukraine’s Constitutional Leonid Kuchma defended a series of range of topics, including a long-delayed agreed to continue to fund cultural Court ruled on February 26 that certain agreements that he says will strengthen formal demarcation of borders, including provisions of the country’s new election economic and political ties between the exchanges, including the “Days of rights to the Sea of Azov; naval coopera- law are unconstitutional, but decided that two countries and bring badly needed Ukrainian Culture,” held for the first time tion in the Black Sea; joint production of a the needed changes could take effect investment money into Ukraine. this past October, and the upcoming military airplane, the AN-70; the status of after the upcoming elections to the The agreement has been the subject of “Days of Russian Culture” set for May of Verkhovna Rada. much criticism in Ukraine from politicians the Transdniester region; and relations this year in Kyiv. In a unanimous vote, Ukraine’s high- and much of the Ukrainian media, which with NATO. But, more importantly, they agreed that est constitutional authority declared 21 have painted the trip as an economic sell- In a joint statement summing up the an official Ukrainian-language newspaper provisions in the law unconstitutional. out of Ukraine and perhaps even the first meeting, the two sides called for “further and a television network should be estab- Most notably it decreed that candidates step to reunion. perfection of the system of trade and eco- lished in Moscow and similar Russian- cannot run simultaneously in single man- During his February 26-28 summit in nomic relations for coordinating the restruc- language media in Kyiv. date electoral districts and on national Moscow Mr. Kuchma and Russian turing of the economy of Ukraine and of Also, they decided that a Russian con- party lists. However, that change will not President Boris Yeltsin formally signed a Russia and for possible harmonization of sulate-general will be established in become effective until the parliamentary 10-year economic cooperation agreement, the national laws of both countries to that Symferopol, the capital of Ukraine’s elections in 2002. which Russia’s Prime Minister Viktor end.” The statement cited the need for free Crimean Autonomous Republic. Candidates will retain “All the rights Chernomyrdin has said would increase by access to each other’s markets and for “the The two sides also reached agreement they had according to the law prior to the two and a half times the amount of trade intensification of investment policies on a on expansion of cooperation in science, Constitutional Court’s decision,” between the two countries by the year 2007. mutually beneficial basis and the creation of education and information. explained Chief Judge Ivan Tymchenko. The agreement includes increased ties in transnational financial industrial groups.” In international affairs, the joint state- “So those registered in both single man- aircraft manufacturing, and in the fuel, ener- The statement also called for stepping ment pointed to the need for strengthened date districts and on party lists are legal, gy, metallurgy, space, missile and chemical up negotiations on the delineation of the cooperation within the framework of the but from this moment and into the next industries. It also calls for joint coordination Russian-Ukrainian border and for devel- Commonwealth of Independent States, elections it will be illegal.” of economic reforms and for cooperation in oping “a mechanism for cooperation” on although no specifics were mentioned. Many candidates who were included restructuring the social insurance systems the issue of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Regarding relations with Europe, the on the registered lists of political parties still intact from Soviet times. Strait. Both sides have been unbending in two sides presented a proposal for build- decided to double up their bet by also After the signing of the accord on their negotiations as to ownership of the registering in local districts, where a February 27 at St. George’s Hall in the two bodies of water and how to demarcate (Continued on page 3) winner is declared by a simple majority of votes. Of the 4,259 candidates running for office in single mandate districts, 37 Ukrainian pavilion at EPCOT gets first funding percent are also on party tickets. Final registration for candidates in the March by Natalia Warren $40,000 non-refundable deposit. “George Ukrainian diaspora, I am certain they 29 election ended on January 27, so Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Kalogridis personally met last week with would be even more willing to come up those who registered for both parts of the one of our potential sponsors and knows with the funds,” he noted. elections did so legally. LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Upon that the Ukrainian community is very “All the people I have spoken with In Ukraine’s new mixed electoral sys- receiving a $10,000 deposit, George excited about this pavilion, so he gave us over the last few months understand tem, which was approved by the Kalogridis, vice-president of EPCOT, a 60-day extension instead,” explained exactly what a Ukrainian pavilion at Verkhovna Rada in September, each granted Taras (Jason) Harper, president of Mr. Harper. EPCOT would mean to those of us who voter will choose two candidates for the Ukrainian Project Fund and a Walt “The contract with Disney is currently are always coming across people who Verkhovna Rada: one from among those Disney World employee, a 60-day exten- being signed and that gives us until about have never even heard of Ukraine,” he running in local electoral districts and a sion to find sponsorship for the EPCOT the first week of May to line up the spon- added. second candidate from one of 30 politi- Millennium Celebration – Ukraine sors,” he continued. But Mr. Harper is not counting only on cal parties registered for the elections. Initiative. Mr. Haper who is a TV studio manager money from the Ukrainian diaspora to The 450 legislative seats in the The $10,000 was delivered to Mr. at the Disney Institute, was appointed by find the project. On March 7, Marta Verkhovna Rada are divided so that half Harper from the offices of a prominent Mr. Kalogridis to represent Disney’s Kokolskyj, who since 1990 has worked as the representatives will be selected from Ukrainian American businessman who Ukraine Initiative. a consultant bringing American industry the 225 electoral districts of Ukraine and has been considering partial sponsorship From October 1999 until January and technology to Ukraine, will be travel- the other half chosen from party rosters of the Ukrainian pavilion since he was 2001, the EPCOT theme park, part of the ing there, devoting the first two weeks of based on the percentage of the vote that contacted about the project in January. 44-square-mile Walt Disney World com- her trip to drumming up support for the each registered party receives. “I would love to reveal his name plex in Florida, will host a Millennium pavilion. The Constitutional Court sidestepped because, personally, I think that everyone Celebration with the theme “Hope for a Ms. Kokolskyj, who will be meeting the most controversial aspect of the law will consider him a hero,” explained Mr. Better World.” Joining the current display with very high ranking government offi- that it was asked to review: whether or Harper, “but I just have not been able to of countries at EPCOT will be dozens of cials and directors of large agricultural not a requirement that a party must attain confirm that he is ready to go public and I new pavilions that will showcase the and industrial complexes, pointed out that at least 4 percent of the electoral vote to need to respect that,” he continued. many different aspects of each nation in there are certain agricultural and industrial be represented is constitutionally accept- The $10,000 deposit, which Mr. support of the overall theme. The pavil- businesses in Ukraine that are doing very able. The court ruled that the issue is a Harper forwarded to Mr. Kalogridis on ions will average 3,000 square feet in size well and could possibly be in a position to political matter for the Verkhovna Rada March 2, has in effect purchased an extra and cost between $800,000 and $2 mil- finance the pavilion. to decide and left the 4 percent threshold 60 days for finding sponsorship for the lion each. “Ukraine is the largest producer of in place. pavilion and is fully refundable. With approximately two months to sugar beats in Europe and the second “We considered the issue very care- Mr.