Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Moroz says he was responsible for formation of anti-crisis coalition with Regions Party and Communist Party
Presidential candidate and leader of the Socialist Party of Ukraine Oleksandr Moroz has said that in 2006 he was responsible for the formation of the anti crisis coalition with the Regions Party and the Communist party and, according to him, this was the only possible way to save Ukraine from chaos, lawlessness, and economic recession. He said this at a press conference in Uman, the press service of the Socialist Party reported on Nov. 30."I'm not ashamed but proud of the fact that I managed to halt the crisis of power. The economy operated normal and, the parliament adopted 80% of the laws [it considered] by a constitutional majority of votes. We were close to the decentralization of power. That's why Tymoshenko and Yuschenko's supporters forced the president to dismiss the parliament and remove me and my political forces illegally," the politician said."But today people see who is who, [and] that's why 40% of citizens do not trust the authorities. I expect their support," Moroz said.
Yushchenko says to provide 24-hour security to presidential candidates during campaign
Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko has charged the security services with providing twenty-four-hour security for presidential candidates during the period of the presidential campaign. The relevant decree was signed by Yuschenko on Nov. 30 and posted on his official Web site.In particular, the president charged the State Security Department of Ukraine with providing security for presidential candidates.Moreover, the head of the state charged the Interior Ministry of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and other law enforcement agencies within their competence, together with the State Security Department, with providing security for candidates.The president also charged the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the regional administrations and Kyiv and Sevastopol City State Administrations with assisting the State Security Department in providing security to presidential candidates for the period of the election process in line with the Constitution and the laws of Ukraine.The law comes into effect from the day of its publication.
Central Election Commission registers first 110 observers to monitor Ukraine's presidential elections in 2010
The Central Election Commission has registered the first 110 international observers who will monitor the presidential elections in Ukraine. According to the Central Election Commission, one representative from Kyrgyzstan, 33 representatives of the For Fair Election international non-governmental organization for the support of election technologies as well as 76 representatives of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have been registered.These are first official observers registered by the Central Election Commission for monitoring the presidential elections in Ukraine.
Presidential debates to take place on January 4-15 in Ukraine
The Central Election Commission has adopted the procedure of holding the television debates between the candidates for Ukraine's presidency, which will be financed from the state budget's funds assigned for the National Television Company of Ukraine. The Central Election Commission passed a relevant decision on Tuesday.Central Election Commission member Ihor Zhydenko reminded that according to legislation, each pair of candidate will be given 60 minutes of air time during the first round of election, and 100 minutes during the runoff.The order of the candidates' appearance in the television debates will be determined through the drawing of lots in the Central Election Commission.At the same time, if one of the candidates does not attend the debates, he will be given half of the air time for campaigning.In the second round, however, if one of the candidates fails to appear in the debates, his time will be given to his rival.According to Zhydenko, the National Television Company has already scheduled the debate for January 4 through 15 from 19:00 until 22:00.
Ukrainian museum claims it owns a Titian portrait
The director of a Ukrainian museum claimed Tuesday that a portrait of a Venetian Doge in its collection is a work of Titian, even as an expert warned that art historians are best placed to make that call. Vladimir Ostrovsky said the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, conducted chemical and X-ray analyses that prove Titian's authorship.The portrait is part of a collection at the Museum of Western and Eastern Art in the Black Sea port of Odessa, headed by Ostrovsky, where in July 2008 Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ, also known as Judas' Kiss, was cut from its frame and stolen. That painting is still missing."Now we are nearly 100 percent certain that God has compensated us for the terrible loss that we suffered last year," Ostrovsky said in a telephone interview.But Sergei Androsov of the Hermitage's department of western European art said that only art historians can determine whether the painting is Titian's."The analysis shows that the canvas matches Titian's historical period, that the paint used matches his paint, that certain technical attributes match up," Androsov told The Associated Press. "But based on that it is impossible to judge whether the painting is a Titian. That is the work of art historians, not technical experts."Alexander Kosolapov, head of the Department for Scientific and Technical Examination at the State Hermitage, said the painting was given to the Odessa museum from the State Hermitage about 25 years ago."We know it is a 16th century Venetian painting, most likely either by Titian or Tintoretto," Kosolapov told the AP. "But right now it is not fully clear."Ostrovsky said the museum has invited art scholars from Moscow to further analyze the work. He did not allow the painting to be photographed in Odessa, but provided photos of what he said was the painting, showing a signature with the capital letter "T''.After the theft of the Caravaggio the museum is taking extra security precautions with the painting, but will still send it for exhibition abroad if its authenticity is confirmed, Ostrovsky said."Some people told us not to do anything with the Titian. But as they say, you can never stroll in the forest if you're always afraid of wolves," he said.
Ukrainian Parliament Fails To Override President's Veto Of Flu Bill
KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada (parliament) has failed to override President Viktor Yushchenko's veto of legislation to provide more money to fight the flu epidemic in Ukraine, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reports.
A total of 231 out of the 316 parliamentarians present voted to override the veto, but 300 are needed. The proposal was supported by 152 members of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, 32 members of Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc, 27 Communist Party members, 19 from the Lytvyn Bloc, and one indepedent deputy.The opposition Regions Party abstained. The Verkhovna Rada also rejected five presidential amendments to the law and returned it to the budget committee for revision.On November 3, the Verkhovna Rada first adopted amendments to the state budget which provided for an increase of 1 billion hryvna ($125 million) for flu prevention and treatment, but Yushchenko vetoed the law two weeks later. He said he supports putting additional funds toward fighting the flu, but was against the way the government wanted to finance the increase.He said the law could also lead to the devaluation of the hryvna. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko criticized Yushchenko for this move and said he bears full responsibility for flu casualties in Ukraine.The number of flu and respiratory disease patients in the country reached some 500,000 and some 400 flu deaths were reported, many of them attributed to swine flu.
A total of 231 out of the 316 parliamentarians present voted to override the veto, but 300 are needed. The proposal was supported by 152 members of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, 32 members of Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc, 27 Communist Party members, 19 from the Lytvyn Bloc, and one indepedent deputy.The opposition Regions Party abstained. The Verkhovna Rada also rejected five presidential amendments to the law and returned it to the budget committee for revision.On November 3, the Verkhovna Rada first adopted amendments to the state budget which provided for an increase of 1 billion hryvna ($125 million) for flu prevention and treatment, but Yushchenko vetoed the law two weeks later. He said he supports putting additional funds toward fighting the flu, but was against the way the government wanted to finance the increase.He said the law could also lead to the devaluation of the hryvna. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko criticized Yushchenko for this move and said he bears full responsibility for flu casualties in Ukraine.The number of flu and respiratory disease patients in the country reached some 500,000 and some 400 flu deaths were reported, many of them attributed to swine flu.
European Observers See Corruption, Media Bias, Public Disappointment Marring Ukraine Vote
KIEV, Ukraine -- European lawmakers issued scathing criticism of Ukraine's electoral system Thursday as they began a mission to observe a January presidential vote, saying the election will likely be marred by corruption, media bias and widespread public disappointment.
The election is being closely watched by Europe and the U.S. Five years after the Orange Revolution street protests helped propel a pro-Western leader to power over a Russian-backed rival, the front-runners - Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych - appear likely to focus on reinvigorating troubled ties with Moscow.Matyas Eorsi of Hungary, who is leading the observer mission from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, or PACE, told a news conference the election is not expected to meet the organization's standards.Eorsi suggested democratic practices could be swept aside by the bitter rivalries among prominent candidates, who also include incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko."We are worried that political cynicism will be on the rise. We understand that here in Ukraine, the political struggle is widely regarded as a struggle of personalities, ambitions and financial interests rather than a competition of political ideals," he said.Eorsi added that corruption and the media's role are serious concerns. "The media, many of the media, are also under strong financial influence, and very often this financial influence is created by the candidates," he said.Tadeusz Iwinski of Poland, another PACE observer, said Ukrainian election laws lack transparency and urged politicians to heed the group's recommendations for reform. "The problem of electoral laws makes for a permanent challenge," he said.A Central Election Commission spokesman, Konstantin Khivrenko, and a commission member, Mikhail Okhendovsky, declined to comment to The Associated Press on the observers' remarks.The assessment, unusually pessimistic for observers speaking two months before the vote takes place, contrasted with comments from the head of the monitoring mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which also got under way Thursday with a news conference. Heidi Tagliavini said the OSCE mission, which will field more than 600 observers for the Jan. 17 vote, would reserve judgment until they have analyzed the situation."We have arrived here with no preconceived ideas or hidden agendas," Tagliavini said. "We will let the facts speak for themselves."Claims of electoral fraud led to the Orange Revolution - massive protests that erupted after Yanukovych, who had open support from then-Russian President Vladimir Putin, was declared the winner of a 2004 presidential vote. The Supreme Court threw out the election and Yushchenko, who advocates NATO membership for the ex-Soviet republic, won a rerun.After years of political gridlock and economic trouble, Yanukovych is leading in the opinion polls, followed by Tymoshenko - Yushchenko's ally in the Orange Revolution but now his foe.
The election is being closely watched by Europe and the U.S. Five years after the Orange Revolution street protests helped propel a pro-Western leader to power over a Russian-backed rival, the front-runners - Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych - appear likely to focus on reinvigorating troubled ties with Moscow.Matyas Eorsi of Hungary, who is leading the observer mission from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, or PACE, told a news conference the election is not expected to meet the organization's standards.Eorsi suggested democratic practices could be swept aside by the bitter rivalries among prominent candidates, who also include incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko."We are worried that political cynicism will be on the rise. We understand that here in Ukraine, the political struggle is widely regarded as a struggle of personalities, ambitions and financial interests rather than a competition of political ideals," he said.Eorsi added that corruption and the media's role are serious concerns. "The media, many of the media, are also under strong financial influence, and very often this financial influence is created by the candidates," he said.Tadeusz Iwinski of Poland, another PACE observer, said Ukrainian election laws lack transparency and urged politicians to heed the group's recommendations for reform. "The problem of electoral laws makes for a permanent challenge," he said.A Central Election Commission spokesman, Konstantin Khivrenko, and a commission member, Mikhail Okhendovsky, declined to comment to The Associated Press on the observers' remarks.The assessment, unusually pessimistic for observers speaking two months before the vote takes place, contrasted with comments from the head of the monitoring mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which also got under way Thursday with a news conference. Heidi Tagliavini said the OSCE mission, which will field more than 600 observers for the Jan. 17 vote, would reserve judgment until they have analyzed the situation."We have arrived here with no preconceived ideas or hidden agendas," Tagliavini said. "We will let the facts speak for themselves."Claims of electoral fraud led to the Orange Revolution - massive protests that erupted after Yanukovych, who had open support from then-Russian President Vladimir Putin, was declared the winner of a 2004 presidential vote. The Supreme Court threw out the election and Yushchenko, who advocates NATO membership for the ex-Soviet republic, won a rerun.After years of political gridlock and economic trouble, Yanukovych is leading in the opinion polls, followed by Tymoshenko - Yushchenko's ally in the Orange Revolution but now his foe.
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