www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • “2006: THE YEAR IN REVIEW” – pages 5- 41. HE KRAINIAN EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXXV No. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2007 $1/$2 in Ukraine Party of the Regions national deputy Top issues for Ukraine in 2007: may stay on as rights ombudsman WTO, borders and real estate by Yana Sedova by Zenon Zawada groundless, irrelevant document. Special to The Ukrainian Weekly This year will also determine whether Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV – The Ukrainian government’s a pro-Ukrainian, Western-oriented Mr. leading defender of human rights may KYIV – Joining the World Trade Yushchenko will be able to coexist with a well continue to be Nina Karpachova, a Organization (WTO), demarcating the pro-Russian coalition government, or if national deputy highly active in the Party Russian-Ukrainian border and regulating the Party of the Regions’ aggressive cam- of the Regions, which has a history of the exploding real estate market will be paign of usurping power will lead to an violating the law and human rights. among the top issues in Ukrainian politics attempt at impeaching Mr. Yushchenko. Ms. Karpachova’s candidacy to for 2007. The Communist Party of Ukraine become the Verkhovna Rada ombudsman On January 10, Ukraine’s three most announced on January 10 that it will sub- for human rights has support from the powerful leaders – President Viktor mit for the Verkhovna Rada’s review in coalition government – despite criticism Yushchenko, Prime Minister Viktor February a bill to impeach Mr. from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Yanukovych and Verkhovna Rada Yushchenko. Council of Europe (PACE) that she is Chairman Oleksander Moroz – met at the The Party of the Regions stated the compromised politically. Presidential Secretariat on Bankova same day that it’s not ready for impeach- “To our deep regret, former Street for five hours to discuss this year’s ment proceedings and wants to work with Ombudsman for Human Rights Nina agenda. the president. At the top of their list was the ongo- Karpachova took an active role in party ing debate on future constitutional WTO entry activities in conflict with her oath to act reforms to further define and clarify independently and unbiased,” wrote 2007 will be the year Ukraine joins the powers within the new parliamentary- Hanna Severinsen, a reporter with the WTO. presidential republic. PACE Monitoring Committee, in a letter Anything short of that goal will be a Zenon Zawada “Undoubtedly, the principal issue is to Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksander political debacle for President Verkhovna Rada Ombudsman for distributing authority and responsibility Moroz published on January 10. Yushchenko, given that he set numerous Human Rights Nina Karpachova is within the branches of power,” Mr. PACE called on the Verkhovna Rada 2006 deadlines for WTO entry – each of expected to remain in her position, Yanukovych said. “I agree with Viktor to elect a human rights ombudsman who which failed either because they were despite criticism from Europe about her Andriyovych [Yushchenko] that we doesn’t belong to any political party, unrealistic, or because the pro-Russian active role in the Party of the Regions. absolutely, in the soonest time, will carry pointing out that the post in European coalition government intentionally all this out in accordance with Ukrainian countries demands “a politically inde- delayed membership. Ms. Karpachova, on the other hand, law and the Constitution. We will discuss pendent person who can maintain this The Parliament passed all the legisla- has moonlighted as the Rada’s ombuds- those issues which truly need changes or independence both in relations with tion necessary for Ukraine’s WTO acces- man for human rights while serving as a improvement in the Constitution.” authorities and different political forces.” sion last year, and the government has Party of the Regions national deputy fol- Mr. Yanukovych has spent much of his Furthermore, the ombudsman is pro- signed all the necessary bilateral proto- prime ministership instigating a battle for hibited from any political activities. (Continued on page 51) cols with WTO members, with the excep- authority within the Ukrainian govern- tion of Kyrgyzstan. ment, particularly at the Ministry of That country’s government claims Foreign Affairs. Ukraine owes a $27 million Soviet-era He and the president remain in conflict debt. Ukrainian World Congress seeks renaming over that ministry and have yet to reach a Given that the disagreement is unrelat- resolution as to whether Borys Tarasyuk ed to WTO bilateral trade rules or regula- will remain as foreign affairs minister. tions, it may come under review at a of Kyiv street to honor Metropolitan Lypkivsky Mr. Yushchenko announced another future WTO ministers conference, TORONTO – Acting upon the request Kyiv Commission on street naming and roundtable discussion for February 14 and according to Agro Perspective, a Kyiv- of the Metropolitan Vasyl Lypkivsky site designation, Serhii Bilokin informed 15 to form a 2007 political roadmap based based agricultural consulting project Ukrainian Orthodox Brotherhood from the brotherhood that the commission had on last year’s Universal of National Unity, Northport, Fla., the Ukrainian World decided unanimously on January 25, which most political observers view as a (Continued on page 42) Congress has written to Mayor Leonid 2006, to rename Uritsky Street in honor Chernovetskyi of Kyiv requesting that a of Metropolitan Lypkivsky. street in Kyiv currently named Uritsky However, recommendations by the Street be renamed Metropolitan Vasyl commission were non-binding on the VOA axes Ukrainian radio show Lypkivsky Street in honor of the co- Kyiv City Council and no further action was taken. by Roma Hadzewycz Voice of America radio broadcasts to founder of the Ukrainian Autocephalous The UWC says it now plans to pursue Ukraine are now down to one hour daily: Orthodox Church. this matter vigorously. PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The Friday, two 15-minute segments broadcast at Moisei Uritsky, for whom the street is January 5, broadcast of Voice of currently named, was a Bolshevik revo- Metropolitan Lypkivsky, born on March 6:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Kyiv time, and a 19, 1864, in Popudnia, Lypovets county of America’s Ukrainian morning radio show half-hour evening show at 11 p.m. lutionary who headed the Communist was its last. An announcement that the secret police in Petrograd. He was born the Kyiv gubernia, was one of the founders According to the VOA website, the and the first leader of the Ukrainian program, known as “Rankova Prohrama” Ukrainian Service also has TV shows in Cherkasy, Ukraine, and studied at the and popularly referred to as the University of Kyiv. Autocephalous Orthodox Church. that are broadcast on various channels in After studying at the Uman Theological “Breakfast Show,” would no longer be Ukraine: the daily program “Chas-Time,” The Orthodox Brotherhood had origi- aired was made on the show a mere two nally requested that Uritsky Street be School, the Kyiv Theological Seminary and the weekly shows “Vikno v and the Kyiv Theological Academy, he days before its suspension. renamed in January 2003 but received a Ameryku” (Window on America) and was ordained in 1891 and at first served as A news release about the cut was post- negative response from Deputy Mayor “Nove! Innovatsiyi Plius” (New! dean of the cathedral in Lypovets and ed on January 4 on the VOA website’s M. Poshyvanov. In April 2004 the broth- Innovations Plus). supervisor of the county’s schools. Ukrainian section (http://www.VOA erhood repeated its request that the street By all accounts, the Ukrainian In 1903-1905 he taught canon law in News.com/Ukrainian). It was published “Breakfast Show,” which aired daily at 7 be named in honor of Lypkivsky in a let- the Kyiv Church Teachers’ School. He in the Ukrainian language only. The news a.m., was the most popular of VOA’s ter to Mayor Oleksander Omelchenko was removed from the position for his release did not cite a reason for the radio and again in August 2005. show’s elimination. (Continued on page 47) In February 2006, a member of the (Continued on page 3) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2007 No. 2 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS A possible energy solution President vetoes land sale moratorium in Ukraine,” Our Ukraine parliamentary caucus leader Viacheslav Kyrylenko said. KYIV – President Viktor Yushchenko Arsenii Yatseniuk, first vice-chairman of in the coal beds of Ukraine has vetoed a bill passed by the Verkhovna the Presidential Secretariat, said the by Roman Kuchinsky While initiative is not lacking, foreign Rada in December to prolong a moratorium Verkhovna Rada’s decision may be chal- on farmland sales for one year, until RFE/RL Belarus, Ukraine investment, modern technology and lenged in the Constitutional Court. This January 1, 2008, Ukrainian media reported was the first time the Verkhovna Rada of and Moldova Report expertise are. Ukraine has taken steps to remedy on January 3. Mr. Yushchenko said in his the fifth convocation had overridden a In the wake of Ukraine’s announced this. In October 2006 the government veto that prolonging the land-sale ban presidential veto. (RFE/RL Newsline) plans to reduce its dependence on began to explore the possibility of allow- would only widen the use of legal loopholes imported natural gas by using more coal ing Florida-based Itera Energy to develop and shadow-economy schemes in redistrib- Yushchenko to veto Cabinet law for power generation, Ukraine’s own a pilot project for extracting methane in uting farmland in Ukraine, as well as limit KYIV – The law on the Cabinet of enormous reserves of methane have been Ukraine’s Donbas coal-mining region.