Crimean news 57.

(Mass Media survey for 8-14 May 2000).

(All the material is given in an abridged form).

 

 

The President is interested in creating good accommodations for the Crimean Tatars.

Roots and crown.

Some words about the election of Kurultay 4 delegates.

International conference in Yalta is over.

Land sufferings.

Sevastopol may become an international trade port.

“Let this name be a symbol of national unity”.

 

 

Politics.

 

The President is interested in creating good accommodations for the Crimean Tatars.

They discussed problems related to the Crimean Tatars' accommodation and returning to Ukraine at the first sitting of the Crimean Tatar representatives' Council. They paid a special attention to the problem of giving land to the Crimean Tatars in the process of land division in Ukraine. The President will give corresponding orders on solving the problem of taking Crimean Tatars' interests into account during the process of land division according to the results of the Council sitting. The orders will include terms of their implementation and specific executives. Mejilis representatives didn't propose to stop land privatization in the Crimea. Crimean Tatars' leadership emphasized that it was interested "in keeping peace and citizenry calm in the autonomy". They also added that " the land problem wouldn't prevent it".

During the meeting they also discussed the problems of Ukraine's and CIS* foreign relationship in solving the problem of the Crimean Tatars' returning. Crimean Tatars' representatives reminded that the term of the agreement reached by Ukraine and Uzbekistan, which had simplified the procedure of giving up the Uzbekistan citizenship by the Crimean Tatars had ended by the end of 1999. The President of Ukraine ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hold negotiations with Uzbekistan representatives on the necessity of prolongation this agreement and prepare analogous projects of agreements with other CIS countries, where the Crimean Tatars are returning from.

They also discussed the problem of the Crimean Tatars' studying at higher educational establishments, the problem of creating a bank, where the foreign facilities, aimed for the Crimean Tatars' accommodation would come.

The Council of the Crimean Tatars' representatives was created in May 1999. It is a consulting-and-deliberating organ with the President of Ukraine. It includes Mejilis members, leaders of President's administration, government and Parliament of the Crimea.

Interfax-Ukraine, "Krimskiye Izvestiya", #86 (2090), 13 May 2000, p.1.

Our information: CIS* - The Commonwealth of Independent States, which includes almost all former republics of former USSR.

 

Roots and crown.

 The problem of repatriates' accommodation and their integration into the Ukrainian community has two main aspects - the politico-lawful and an economic one. It has become one of the most urgent problems to be solved after the Parliamentary hearings in Verkhovna Rada and recommendations, which had been adopted. So, what is more important: social accommodation of 260 thousand Crimean Tatars, who have got no place to live after they returned to the Crimea or legislative registering of their status in order to plant their roots, which were forcefully taken out more than 50 years ago?

-         I wouldn't divide these two spheres - politico-lawful an economic, because they are in the same plane, - believes Refat Chubarov, deputy of Ukraine. The absence of lawful regulating extremely decreases the efficiency of practical measures on accommodation of people who are returning.

-         Suppose, the law of the status of the native nation will be adopted. Will it add any money to the budget?

-         On the one hand there is an approach that the present legislation provides total equity of all citizens and there is no need to change anything. It's formally true. But the real life proves that the absence of balancing mechanisms based on law doesn't allow providing the equity of these rights. I've analyzed the staff composition of Crimean executive power and the apparatus of representative power. There is only one Crimean Tatar official, working as a translator in the secretariat of the Crimean Verkhovna Rada. The chairman may say that he chose people according to their professionalism. But why should he look for professionals among his ethnos only? That's why we need balancing mechanisms, which would enable Crimean Tatars' integration into the organs of power. As for me, the most suitable variant is creating a proportional (non-ethnic) principal of electoral system, so that national-and-cultural societies and organizations could propose their candidates in accordance with it. Say, Kurultay would propose its list and could get 12 mandates in the Crimean Parliament.

-         Will it be necessary to introduce any changes into the Constitution of the autonomy in order to begin the proportional principal?

-         Defining of the electoral system is not regulated by the Constitution, but by some other norm-and-lawful acts.

-         The recommendations of Parliamentary hearings on repatriates' problems mention developing of the law project of Ukraine about concept of state ethnic-and-national policy. Do you think it's necessary to adopt a law about the Crimean Tatars' status in addition to this?

-         The concept of ethnic-and-national policy must establish principal state approaches to solving national problems in Ukraine in the whole. And the law projects, related to the Crimea must be apart of them.

-         What is your opinion on giving land to the repatriates?

-         I certainly disagree with those who say that the problem of land division is pulled into the political sphere on purpose. It is a political sphere. There are enough reserves in order to give land to the repatriates in accordance with law. I think that the land division has been held extremely unfair in relation to some categories of Ukrainian population. And if we take into account the specialty of the Crimea then the unfairness doubles. Moreover, 70% of the repatriates have settled down in the rural zone after they had returned to the Crimea. I've made analysis in my surroundings. 49% of non-Crimean Tatar adults take part in land privatization and only 7% of the Crimean Tatar adults take part in it.

-         By the way, how will May 18 be held this year?

-         Why are you so frightened of May 18? Why does the Crimean powers blame Crimean Tatars for worsening of the health resort season and absence of considerable investors? But I hear some other thing: non-stability of the leadership, its political speciality…

Yelena Gornaya, "Krimskaya Gazeta", #84 (15940), 12 May 2000, p.1-2.

 

 

 

Some words about the election of Kurultay 4 delegates.

The next in turn sitting of temporary Working group for developing "Conditions on electing the delegates of the Crimean Tatar nation's Kurultay 4" was held in the Crimean Tatar nation's Mejilis on May 5.

Some projects of electoral system were proposed for consideration of the working group. They adopted the method of discussing and making decisions on separate points of the electoral system. They made the following decision: all the Crimean Tatars, who are citizens of Ukraine can take part in the electoral campaign of Kurultay delegates. They will elect 250 deputies- 200 of them will be elected by the majority system and the rest 50 deputies will be elected by proportional system.

R.Abdulkadirov, "Golos Krima",#20 (339), 12 May 2000, p.1.

 

International conference in Yalta is over.

The international conference "Yalta-2000. The role of Europe in the century" has finished its work. Scientists, politicians, parliament members, and journalists from 22 countries discussed topical problems, worrying all the Europeans during three days. They made a special focus on the role of Ukraine in Europe, Ukraine's relationships with European countries and its role it will soon have to play.

"Krimskoye Vremya", #84 (951), 12 May 2000, p.1.

 

Land reform and social sphere.

 

Land sufferings.

Crmean Tatars’ meeting-protest was held in the village Kizil Chokrav (Red Field) of Chernomorskiy district. Their main demands were as follows: re-division of lands belongings to the Collective Agriculture Enterprises (CAE) and fair land division in accordance with The Land Code of Ukraine, solution of problems related to water and gas providing, building roads, restoration of historical toponimics and forbidding to divide lands, which are the historic sacred places of the Crimean Tatars. The village leadership was proposed to initiate the problems of land re-division and giving land to the representatives of all categories of rural population including Crimean native nation – the Crimean Tatars.

Veli Ibragimov, “Golos Krima”, #20 (339), 12 May 2000, p.3.

 

 

Economics.

 

Sevastopol may become an international trade port.

Sevastopol is the most favorable place for establishing a foreign port. This was the decision of European bank of reconstruction and development consulting group after it had made an expert evaluation of dynamic characteristics of transport streams in the Black Sea region. Coastal infrastructure of fish, passenger and trade ports, oil terminals and moorings for military ships of high reliability has been formed in Sevastopol.

Interfax-Ukraine, “Krimskiye Izvestiya”, #86 (2090), 13 May 2000, p.1.

 

Major events.

 

“Let this name be a symbol of national unity”.

The name of a glorious Crimean Tatar son, legendary pilot Amethan Sultan has been immortalized in Simferopol. The city municipality has decided to name one of Simferopol squares after the respected pilot-fighter, the winner of State premium of the USSR colonel Amethan Sultan (1920-1971). He was also given a name of a “Respected Crimean dweller”.

The solemn measure, devoted to immortality of hero’s name began with a prayer. Amethan Sultan died 29 years ago when testing a new plane. They’ll celebrate his 80th anniversary on 25 October 2000. Pupils, veterans and relatives lain flowers to the memorial board.

Gulnara Useinova, “Golos Krima”, #20 (339), 12 May 2000, p.1.

 

 

Culture, religion.

 

They have celebrated the birthday of our prophet in the Crimean State Industrio-Pedagogic Institute (CSIPI) during last several years. There is an official week, devoted to the birthday of Mohammed prophet, in the countries where the Moslems live. They have one common aim: introduction people with social, cultural, moral-and-ethnic principals of Islam and Islamic civilization. There are 250 Moslem communities, 50 confessional, religious organizations in the Crimea.

Leylya Alyadinova, “Golos Krima”, #20 (339), 12 May 2000, p.1.

 

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