No. 52 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27,1992 5 1992: A LOOK BACK from the old democratic opposition Ukraine: a year of transition like lvan Drach, the first head of Rukh; Dmytro Pavlychko, the first by Dr. Roman Solchanyk (personified by Mr. Kravchuk) for head of the Ukrainian Language Society; Mykhailo Horyn, also a RFEjRL Research institute the sake of Ukrainian independent statehood. Mr. Ryabchuk had in long-time political prisoner and now Ukraine's first year as an inde– mind primarily developments within head of the Ukrainian Republican pendent state witnessed a funda– Rukh, which emerged during the Party; Larysa Skoryk, earlier one of mental realignment of political period of perestroika and served as the most outspoken critics of Mr. forces within the country that result– an umbrella organization bringing Kravchuk in the Parliament; and ed in the division of the democratic together the democratic opposition other key figures in the Rukh central forces into two basic camps, both to the Communist regime, in the leadership. The point of departure committed to the same over-all goal course of 1992, Rukh split into two for this group is the defense and of consolidating independence, but camps. The fault line was the poli– consolidation of Ukrainian state- with differing views on how best to cies and persona of Mr. Kravchuk, hood, which is identified with Presi– achieve that end. A key issue se– who, as the ideological secretary of dent Kravchuk. parating the two camps is the atti– the Communist Party of Ukraine, Moreover, the Ukrainian leader tude towards the policies and per– had previously been the nemesis of has skillfully courted the opposition, sona of President Leonid Kravchuk. the democrats. in his speech to the opening meet– in spite of these differences, U– On one side of this fault line is ing of the Fifth Session of the Parlia– kraine remains politically tranquil, vyacheslav Chornovil - a promi– ment in January, Mr. Kravchuk showing few if any signs of the deep nent former political prisoner, the called for a roundtable of political political divisions that have beset first head of the democratically parties, groups, movements and several of its newly independent elected Lviv Oblast Council, and trade unions to discuss the forma– neighbors, including Russia, and runner-up to Mr. Kravchuk in the tion of a government of popular which, in some cases, have led to December 1991 presidential elec– accord and emphasized that Rukh civil war and armed conflict. tions - who enjoys the support of could play the leading role in such At the same time, the Ukrainian the overwhelming majority of Rukh an undertaking. When the round- experience has once again shown organizations in the oblasts, parti– table convened in February, the that politics and economics are cularly in western Ukraine. president advanced the idea of tightly interwoven. The steadily Mr. Chornovil insists that a demo– creating a State Duma (Council), worsening economic situation com– cratic society cannot be created the leadership of which was subse– bined with the government's inability without an opposition, and he has quently staffed almost exclusively or, as critics have argued, unwilling– taken it upon himself to lead what he by prominent figures from the oppo– ness to press ahead with economic calls a "constructive opposition" to sition. Representatives of the latter reform resulted in the forced resig– the political and economic policies have also been named to important nation of Prime Minister vitold associated with President Krav– posts in the state administration, Fokin and his Cabinet. The new chuk. Specifically, Mr. Chornovil government and the diplomatic government, headed by an ex– points to what might be termed the corps, in short, President Kravchuk perienced representative of the "unfinished revolution" in Ukraine, has succeeded in coopting both the industrial lobby, has pledged to criticizing the Ukrainian president's Rukh program and many of its top move towards a market economy at reliance on the old Communist leaders. a steady pace, but without resorting Party apparat in the state adminis– The split between the two Rukh to "shock therapy." For the time tration and the hesitation on the part camps was visible for all to see at the being, the opposition is prepared to of the executive branch to fully organization's third Congress on let the new government demon– commit itself to radical market- February 28-March 1. Although the strate what it can do. oriented economic reform. No majority of delegates supported Mr. Much depends on Ukraine's rela– doubt there is an element of per– Chornovil's line of "constructive tions, both political and economic, sonal conflict between Mr. Chorno– opposition," a formal split was avert– with Russia. After an initial period of vil and President Kravchuk that can ed by electing three co-chairman confrontation, the tensions between be traced to the presidential cam– (Messrs. Chornovil, Drach and the two most important members of paign. it came to the surface at the Horyn) and agreeing on a compro– World Forum of Ukrainians in Kiev mise resolution that characterized the ClS have subsided. І Tamara D Miller President Kravchuk and Russian in August, which witnessed a biting Rukh as being in opposition, but at President Boris Yeltsin held two attack on Mr. Chornovil by the the same time supporting President Celebrations of Ukraine's first anni– summit meetings in 1992 to iron out Ukrainian president. Kravchuk's policies insofar as they versary of independence found their differences, but it would be On the other side of the barri– do not conflict with its platform. many personal expressions. Above a naively optimistic to suggest that cades are many prominent figures Subsequently, Mr. Horyn left the "babusia" in Kiev manifests her joy. the Ukrainian-Russian relationship has suddenly undergone a funda– mental transformation. The basic q uestion of whether Russia is able to abandon its view of Ukraine as an integral part of Russia, which has been conditioned by several cen– turies of history, remains open. Moreover, there are any number of practical problems stemming from the collapse of the Soviet Union that the two sides have yet to resolve. One of these is the disposi– tion of the strategic nuclear weap– ons on Ukraine's territory. Although Ukraine has pledged to become a non-nuclear state, there is a grow– ing pro-nuclear lobby in the country that cannot be ignored. This, in turn, is a problem of utmost interest to the West,and one that directly impinges on Ukraine's relations with the out- side world. Political landscape in a recent article, the well-known literary critic and commentator Mykola Ryabchuk portrayed the current situation in the Ukrainian democratic camp in terms of the Faust-Mephistopheles syndrome. ^ St^ Khristma Lew The suggestion, of course, is that a in Kiev, crowds gathered to celebrate the first anniversary of Ukraine's independence in a festival-like atmosphere pact had been made with the devil on independence Square on August 24. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27,1992 1992: A LOOK BACK triumvirate to take over the leader- tracking on economic reform. ship of the Ukrainian Republican By ail accounts, Mr. Symonenko Party. Mr. Drach, on the other hand, was President Kravchuk з first while formally retaining his post as choice to succeed Mr. Fokin, against co-chairman, simply stopped play– whom the opposition mounted a ing an active role in the Rukh leader- determined campaign in the sum– ship. mer. After an unsuccessful attempt At the fourth congress, which was on June 3 to place a vote of no- held December 4-6, Mr. Chornovil confidence on the Parliament's assumed full control of Rukh and, in agenda, on July 7 the Parliament effect, transformed the organization placed the question of confidence in into a political party. The delegates the government on its agenda. The voted to annul the institution of co- prime minister responded by citing chairmen and went on to elect Mr. President Kravchuk's support and Chornovil as sole head of the orga– reading a prepared statement de– nization by an overwhelming vote of manding that either the lawmakers 423-8. accept his terms or assume respon– Thus, by the end of 1992, Rukh, sibility for the situation in the coun– armed with a new program of state- try; thereafter, most of the ministers building adopted at its congress, left the hall. Parliament, in turn, was transformed into a political before recessing for the summer, base for Mr. Chornovil's expected Prime Minister vitold Fokin (center) was forced to resign his post, and his passed a resolution proposing that candidacy in the next presidential Cabinet was dismissed following a vote of no confidence by the Parliament. the president submit new candi– elections. With about 50,000 card- dates for ministerial posts. carrying members and many more campaign to lift the ban on the between proponents of a radical At the same time, more than 20 supporters and sympathizers, it is Communist Party. reform package and traditionalists political parties and groups formed the largest and most important With a membership of close to wary of the market. At the same a coalition called "A New Parlia– political grouping in Ukraine. 30,000, the Socialist Party of Ukraine time, the country was experiencing ment for an independent Ukraine" in the meantime, the Rukh mino– cannot be ignored as a political a steady deterioration of the econo– which demanded the government's rity formed its own organization on force. But even their numbers do not mib situation characterized by a resignation, new parliamentary August 2 called the Congress of tell the full story.