INSIDE:• UNWLA celebrates 75th anniversary — pages 4 and 6. • Arabesky drama troupe from Kharkiv on U.S. tour — page 13. • UKELODEON: For the next generation — pages 22-23. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVIII HE KRAINIANNo. 11 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2000 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine Yuschenko says gains in economy T U Ukraine’s CabinetW submits new plan indicate beginning of growth for economic development to Parliament by Roman Woronowycz Ukrainian economy finally may be by Roman Woronowycz Without agreement on a debt swap, Kyiv Press Bureau poised for expansion. Kyiv Press Bureau Ukraine would have to default on many of “Our economy is beginning to show the commercial loans that it has taken in KYIV – Ukraine’s Prime Minister stable tendencies of growth,” explained KYIV – The Cabinet of Ministers recent years, which could leave it economi- Viktor Yuschenko on March 7 announced Mr. Yuschenko. approved a plan for economic development cally isolated and bankrupt. the first gains in Ukraine’s economy in Since his re-election last November on March 3 that should give impetus to its Another risk, maintained Mr. Tyhypko, nearly nine years of independence when President Leonid Kuchma has taken deci- effort to join the World Trade Organization is that the plan, which foresees the liquida- he told a group of foreign diplomats that sive and long-awaited measures to reform and eventually find a spot in the European tion of many privileges enjoyed by govern- the country’s gross domestic product had the agricultural sector, cut bureaucracy, Union. ment workers, will not find support in the risen by 3.5 percent in January over the complete privatization of the state sector The program, called “Reforms for Verkhovna Rada, which must endorse it. same period during the previous year. and stimulate the private sector. Prosperity,” is a 105-page, five-part plan If it does pass political muster, the econ- He added that industrial output had Another breakthrough for reforms has developed from the state of the nation omy minister said the program would help risen nearly 5 percent over the last year been the establishment of a parliamentary address presented by President Leonid Ukraine join the World Trade Organization in the January-February time frame and majority in the Verkhovna Rada, which Kuchma to the Verkhovna Rada on because many of its goals meet WTO that the rise in industrial production from has begun to move a logjam of economic February 22. requirements for membership. In turn, that January to February was some 10 per- bills that were frozen by a previously The program’s aim is “to increase the would help pave the way for Ukraine to cent, while the agricultural sector report- politically uncooperative legislative body. economic independence of the citizenry and achieve associate membership in the ed a 1.6 percent increase in productivity. Adding to the optimism that is increas- to promote entrepreneurial activity,” said European Union. The numbers are the first concrete ingly evident in economic circles is a Minister of the Economy Serhii Tyhypko. Mr. Tyhypko indicated that the program indicators that – after a decade-long study released on January 25 by the U.S. If fully carried out, it envisages an even- would assure deficit-free budgets, and even downturn of drastic proportions – the Agency for International Development tual 1.3-1.4-fold rise in real incomes for surpluses, for Ukraine, which would lead to and Ukraine’s State Committee for Ukrainians and an annual average increase repayment of wage and debt arrears, a radi- Entrepreneurial Development, which of 6.5 percent in the country’s gross domes- cal reduction in the country’s debt load and shows that the Ukrainian economy has tic product beginning in 2002. For the fis- a stable currency. A longer term goal Group seizes finally developed a critical mass of small cal year 2000 it forecasts a GDP increase of addressed in the plan is the eventual priva- and medium-sized businesses – generally 1 to 2 percent. tization of land and a resurgence of the considered a necessity before economic Mr. Tyhypko said a major obstacle fac- agricultural sector. CPU headquarters growth begins. ing the program is the large foreign debt One specific aspect of the plan by Roman Woronowycz The report, based on a stratified ran- that Ukraine faces. “One of the main risks announced by Mr. Tyhypko is the elimina- Kyiv Press Bureau dom sample of state data and a survey of is the foreign debt. We are talking about its tion of export quotas, which he said hinder restructuring. If we fail to do that, it will KYIV – As The Weekly was preparing 10,000 members of households, estab- the development of Ukraine’s foreign trade. lished that slightly more than 3 million hinder the fulfillment of the government’s Ukraine has received much criticism – to go to press on March 9 members of a program,” said Mr. Tyhypko. previously unheard of political organiza- businesses are currently operating in mostly from the European Union, which Ukraine. The overwhelming majority of The government, headed by Prime has called for the removal of quotas – for tion forcibly occupied the headquarters of Minister Viktor Yuschenko, has imposed a the Communist Party of Ukraine and pre- them, some 2.65 million, are small busi- its control over the large domestic sun- nesses with a single employee, while deadline of March 15 to restructure foreign flower market and its regulations on how sented a list of demands, among them that commercial debt of about $2.6 billion the government ban all Communist Party (Continued on page 3) (U.S.) that it is currently unable to repay. (Continued on page 4) activity in Ukraine. The group was threat- ening to set fire to the building and them- selves if their demands were not met. Calling itself Independent Ukraine, the group released a statement in which, in A rare success story in the world of trafficking in women addition to the abolition of the Communist by Yaro Bihun from around the world. information to Congressman Christopher Party, it demanded barring present and for- Special to The Ukrainian Weekly And it was the inter-personal and Smith (R-N.J.), who chairs the Helsinki inter-organizational networks established Commission (the U.S. Commission on mer Communist Party members from WASHINGTON – There are no com- during earlier Vital Voices meetings that Security and Cooperation in Europe).” positions in government, the withdrawal pletely happy endings to stories about appeared to have played a role in the According to Maureen T. Walsh, gen- of Ukraine from the CIS and recognition the hellish world of trafficking in successful resolution of the case. for former members of the Ukrainian women, but the recent rescue of seven eral counsel at the CSCE, after it was As Ms. Horbunova recalled, La Insurgent Army and the Organization of young Ukrainian women from a brothel alerted to the situation by the Strada in Kyiv received an urgent appeal Ukrainian Nationalists as World War II in Montenegro comes about as close to it International Human Rights Law Group, veterans. as is possible. in January from the mothers of seven the commission faxed an urgent letter to In its statement the organization cited a The story began, as most similar students who were supposedly hired to the prime minister of Montenegro, Filip historical link to the identically named cases do, with a promise of legitimate be waitresses during the holiday period Vujanovic, on Friday, January 14, relay- in Montenegro but were forced to work radical group headed by Mykola employment outside Ukraine that turned ing the detailed information it received as prostitutes in a brothel there. Mikhnovsky (1873-1924) in the first into a nightmare of forced prostitution. from La Strada about the women and The organization La Strada (The decades of the 20th century. But, unlike most similar cases, it ended their whereabouts. It asked that the Street), with offices in a number of East The group, believed to be students, relatively quickly with freedom, thanks Montenegran government verify this European countries, for the past few which militia officials said numbers six or to a flurry of communications and action information and take appropriate action years has been in the forefront of com- seven, but which witnesses said was closer on the part of their families, for the to help them. bating the spread of trafficking in to 11 individuals, including a female, women, private voluntary organizations A few days later the commission women from this economically deprived entered the Communist Party headquarters and governments. received a fax from the prime minister’s region for sexual and economic exploita- at just after noon. The story came to light during an office, stating that the seven women tion in other parts of the world. After overcoming a guard at the interview with Oksana Horbunova, vice- were found and rescued by Montenegran “We couldn’t find anyone in Ukraine entrance, the group occupied offices and president of La Strada in Ukraine, who authorities that same weekend. They was in Washington in mid-February to who would help them,” Ms. Horbunova demanded that workers leave the building were placed in the care of a non-govern- attend a conference, Vital Voices Global said, “so I contacted the International at once. Militia representatives said mem- mental organization, and on the follow- Exchange, which brought together 15 Human Rights Law Group in bers of the group were armed with mace women activist leaders in various fields Washington, which, in turn, passed our (Continued on page 3) (Continued on page 4) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2000 No.