/? Л І НН published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association! Ukrainian Weekl Y Vol. LIX No. 23 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 9,1991 50 cents Khmara trial is postponed; Republican Party re-elects Lukianenko courtroom scene is turbulent Threatened|split in party is averted by Marta Kolomayets a November 7, 1990, scuffle involving by Marta Kolomayets Kiev Press Bureau Dr. Khmara and Ihor Hryhoriev, a Kiev Press Bureau plainclothes militiaman, has refused the KIEV — "The farce continues," services of his appointed lawyer, KIEV — The Ukrainian Republican Stepan Khmara, people's deputy and Oleksander Shcherbak. He told the Party, the first officially registered radical opposition leader, told a crowd court that he chooses to be his own political party in Ukraine, will remain of 500 supporters as he emerged from counsel or asked that either Viktor Bed undivided as it continues to pursue its the Kiev City courthouse on Wednes­ or Oleksander Yemets, both deputies in ultimate goal — a free and independent day morning, June 5, and informed the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet, Ukraine. them that his trial has been postponed represent him. Although there were many rumors of for the fifth time in the past two months. The presiding judge decided that the a split in this party, whose founders The scene inside the courtroom was court would seek out Mr. Shcherbak to included members of the Ukrainian turbulent as special forces of the Ukrai­ clarify why he did not appear in court. Helsinki Group, the second convention nian Ministry of the Interior dragged Dr. Khmara took the opportunity to of the Ukrainian Republican Party, Dr. Khmara's five co-defendants out of inform the judge that no summons had held in Kiev on Saturday and Sunday, the courtroom after Supreme Court been issued for the June 5 court date June I and 2, concluded with the party Judge Vasyl Bilousenko adjourned the and those who did appear in the court­ remaining intact. hearings and rescheduled them for house that morning did so only because Despite differences in tactics and Monday morning, June 17. they had read about the case in the direction between two party leaders, He explained that this newest delay press. Levko Lukianenko and Stepan Khmara, was due to the absence of a co-defen­ Judge Bilousenko informed those these two strong forces in the opposition dant's lawyer. Oleksander Kovalchuk, present that he would seek out Mr. jYaroslav Kulynych movement overcame personal diffe­ one of the five political prisoners who Shcherbak and see that medical atten­ Lev Lukianenko, newly re-elected rences for the good of the party, which has spent the last seven months in tion is provided for Mr. Kovalchuk chairman of the Ukrainian Republican currently numbers over 8,000 members. prison awaiting charges stemming from (Continued on page 11) Party. (Continued on page 12) Archbishop Volodymyr Stemiuk describes legal status of Ukrainian Catholic Church by Roma Hadzewycz Greek-Catholic Church should be re- -. bishops in Ukraine and all over the right now, there is a shortage of clergy JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Archbishop turned to their rightful owners." These USSR, in Siberia and Kazakhstan, and due to the fact that for nearly 50 years Volodymyr Sterniuk, who is currently churches, the archbishop continued, even in the Priashiv (Presov) region of the Ukrainian Catholic Church func­ visiting the United States and Canada, "are in poor physical condition, dilapi­ Czecho-Siovakia." tioned illegally, underground." toured the headquarters of the Ukrai­ dated and in sore need of renovation." "We hope that the next synod of the To date, he said, "We have not been nian National Association and the However, as it now stands, Arch­ Ukrainian Catholic Church will be in given a place for a seminary. Right now offices of Svoboda and The Ukrainian bishop Sterniuk explained, the UCC "is Ukraine, and then it must be decided we are renting a former Komsomol Weekly on May 16, the day after his not even legalized or registered with that Ukraine should send its bishops sanatorium in Lviv (for a seminary). arrival in this country. those rights to which a legal entity is throughout the USSR — wherever they And, some of the sponsors have even The 84-year-old senior bishop of entitled. Meanwhile, the Soviet authori­ are needed, even to Byelorussia. But, (Continued on page 4) Ukrainian Catholics in Ukraine was ties (dealing with such matters) are the escorted by Bishop Basil Losten of same, and they continue to sow inter- Stamford, Conn. confessional discord." At the UNA Home Office, Arch­ The spiritual leader from Lviv also bishop Sterniuk consented to a meeting touched upon the discord among with executives and employees of ithe bishops and clergy in Transcarpathia fraternal organization and its publica­ where, he said, "there are strong tions. After being officially welcomed Magyarophile tendencies among the by Supreme President Ulana Diachuk, priests." fin fact, Bishop Ivan Semedij Archbishop Sterniuk shared his and Auxiliary Bishop Yosyf Holovach thoughts on the renewal of the Ukrai­ of Uzhhorod have argued that the nian Catholic Church and prospects for Eparchy of Mukachiv should be under its legalization, as well as on relations the direct jurisdiction of the Vatican as with other denominations in Ukraine. are Greek Catholic eparchies in Presov The Ukrainian Catholic Church, he (Czecho-Siovakia) and Hajdudorog noted, is now registered in three western (Hungary), and not subordinate to the oblasts of Ukraine — Lviv, Ternopil Lviv Archeparchy.J and Ivano-Frankivske — but not Archbishop Sterniuk revealed that throughout Ukraine. "There is no Cardinal Myroslav Lubachivsky, major juridical status that would allow us to archbishop of Lviv, had traveled to expand our activity throughout U- Transcarpathia to deal with these kraine and the entire USSR," he com­ problems, but, he added, "I don't know mented, "though we have made efforts if he will have any success." Bishop toward that goal." Losten interjected that, though some of The status of the UCC is such that, the clergy are separatists, "the people "The Church is not registered; it is not there (in Transcarnathia) are patriotic rehabilitated. There is a new law on Ukrainians " freedom of conscience that was recently Turning to the matter of the Ukrai­ passed which provides that those nian Catholic Church's growth, Arch­ Archbishop Volodymyr Sterniuk of Lviv addresses employees at the UNA Home churches once part of the Ukrainian bishop Sterniuk emphasized, "We need Office, On the left is Bishop Basil Losten of Stamford. Conn. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JUNE 9,1991 No. 23 For the redord Helsinki Commission hears Landsbergis, Baltic leaders' joint statement to Bush Estonian and Baltic prime ministers WASHINGTON - During a meet­ time these attempts have met opposi­ ing at the White House on May 8 the tion and have been obstructed by Soviet by Adrian Karmazyn not been returned to the Lithuanian leaders of Lithuania, Latvia and Esto­ diplomatic pressure and the dissemina­ UNA Washington Office government. All this amounts to a nia presented President Bush with a tion of misleading propaganda. There­ "creeping occupation," he said. joint statement, reported the Washing­ fore, the leaders of the Baltic states have WASHINGTON - Lithuanian Pre­ In his presentation, Estonian Prime ton office of the Lithuanian Informa­ resolved to issue the present statement sident Vytautas Landsbergis, Estonian Minister Savisaar encouraged the U.S. tion Center. The text of the statement during their visit to the capital of the Prime Minister Edgar Savisaar and to maintain pressure on the USSR on follows. United States of America in May 1991. Latvian Prime Minister Ivars God- the issue of Baltic independence. Any None of the three Baltic states is a manis spoke at a public hearing con­ aid to the Soviet government should be part of the USSR; they were occupied vened on May 7 by the Commission on given only on the condition that Mos­ in 1940 and therefore none of them is Security and Cooperation in Europe cow restart negotiations with the Baltics In the spring of 1990, after a 50-year "seceding" or "implementing a transi­ (Helsinki Commission). At the hearing, on restoration of their independence, he annexation by the USSR, significant tion" from the absence of statehood to held in the Rayburn House Office said. political and legal changes took place in the acquirement of statehood. Despite Building, the leaders of the Baltic Mr. Savisaar added that an even Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Demo­ differences in their constitutional nations discussed their ongoing efforts better approach would be to channel cratically elected Parliamentsof these orders, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for realizing independence, as well as any U.S. aid directly to the republics states adopted acts of independence, are states that have preserved and re­ measures taken by the Soviet govern­ and to reform-oriented institutions, and other documents pertaining to the asserted the legal independence they ment to stifle the independence move­ which show much more promise for the restoration of their state independence. enjoyed and which received interna­ ments. They also described the current future, than does the central govern­ The plebiscites and referendum held in tional recognition. At present they are state of negotiations between Moscow ment. This point was reiterated by all the Baltic states in the spring of 1991 restoring their full independence. This and the Baits on this issue. three Baltic leaders throughout the confirmed the irrepressible determina­ process is irrevocable, should be posi­ The commission chairman, Rep. course of the hearing. tion of the Estonian, Latvian and tively appraised and should receive Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) opened the hear­ In his statement before the Helsinki Lithuanian peoples to restore the inde­ recognition; it must be given effective ing by introducing the three Baltic Commission, Latvian Prime Minister pendence of their states, lost during international support and protection.