Crimean
news 59.
(Mass
Media survey for 22-27 may 2000).
(All the material is given in an abridged form).
Crimean Tatars
invited the autonomy to a dialogue. Will it be carried out?
L.Grach
"has no intention to accept any ultimatums" from the Crimean Tatars.
They say: Fund
"Krim"* but mean: Mejilis.
"A man
sounds great!" Provide good accommodations to the man.
Stop the
discrimination of a whole nation!
President will
decide whether the solution is lawful.
President will
do anything to preserve stability.
Photographers'
gift for the deportation anniversary.
Politics.
They discussed the problem of the Resolution realization at the widened
sitting of the Crimean Tatar nation's Mejilis Presidium on May 19. The
Resolution was adopted at the meeting, devoted to the 56th
anniversary of the Crimean Tatars' deportation.
In the course of the sitting it was decided that the "tent
town", formed in front of the Crimean Parliament after the mourning
meeting would remain until May 24. The plenary sitting of the 5th
session of the Crimean Parliament was planned on that day. If the Crimean
Parliament members ignore Crimean Tatars' demands and don't make specific
decisions, the protest actions will continue. Forms of actions will be
considered at the sitting of the Crimean Tatar nation's Mejilis.
"Avdet",
#10 (244), 23 May 2000.
Crimean Tatars invited the
autonomy to a dialogue. Will it be carried out?
The Crimean Tatars initiated a "tent town" after the meeting,
held in front of the Verkhovna Rada on May 18. The national deputy of Ukraine,
Refat Chubarov called the protest actions as "an invitation of the Crimean
Parliament to a dialogue with the Crimean Tatars".
The picket participants demand that they should create Draft Law
projects of Ukraine "About introducing additions and changes into the Law
of Ukraine", "About the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic
Crimea" and "About the elections to the Verkhovna Rada of ARC".
There are following slogans hung on the tents: "Grach is the initiator of
hatred between Crimean people", "We demand a direct presidential
government in the Crimea", "Dismiss the Verkhovna Rada of ARC - the
source of anti-Crimean Tatar hysteria".
46 people, including women and children from the Crimea live in 13
tents. Initiating the "tent town" has disturbed regular square
visitors, who are fond of threatening passers-by by emotional disputes on
politics. In order to avoid troubles, which can be provoked from outdoors,
"Avdet" party members defend the "tent town".
Such protest actions are also held in front of district state
administrations in Djankoy, Nijnegorsk, Alushta and Simferopol.
Elmas
Sedvapova, "Avdet", ("Returning"), #10 (244), 23 may 2000,
p.2.
L.Grach "has no intention
to accept any ultimatums" from the Crimean Tatars.
The chairman of Supreme Council of the Crimea, Leonid Grach has no
intention to accept "any ultimatums, which oppose the general mood of the
Crimean dwellers and don't meet legislation.
He declared this in his interview with journalists, commenting the
mourning meeting participants' demands in Simferopol.
L.Grach believes that the meeting participants, who gathered on May 18
under the leader ship of Mejilis, today represent neither Crimean dwellers nor
the Crimean Tatars".
Interfax-Ukraine,
"Krimskiye Izvestiya", #92 (2096), 23 May 2000, p.1.
They say: Fund
"Krim"* but mean: Mejilis.
The deputy of the Crimean Parliament, Oleg Rodivilov** blamed the power
of Ukraine and Crimea to agree with the Crimean Tatar nation's Mejilis. He said
that it had been manifested by the Crimean Parliament resolution project about
donating a two-story building, located on 2 Shmidta St to the fund
"Krim".
According to O.Rodivilov's words, that Fund "Krim" is only
"a cover of non-legalized and anti-law organization - Mejilis". Thus,
powers, planning to donate the building on Shmidta St to the above-mentioned
Fund support unlawfulness themselves. O.Rodivilov informed the Crimean
Prosecutor about that.
Moreover, the Crimean official powers, O.Rodivilov stated, sabotage the
problem of creating Russian culture Center in Simferopol. In his opinion, the
solution of this problem is intentionally delayed. The Parliament and the
Crimean powers prevent the project, developed by Russian community in the
Crimea. These are the projects of creating of schools with advanced studying of
Russian and also decision to create a Russian national library based on
Jukovskogo library in S.
V.Danilov,
"Krimskaya Pravda", #91 (22504), 23 may 2000, p.3.
Our information:
*Fund "Krim" is the public charity organization that implements
programs of assisting the Crimean Tatars (in particular, TIKA is one of the
programs).
**Oleg
Rodivilov is also the leader of Russian Community's Youth Center. Its office is
located in a prestigious building of Yevpatoriya library. Some time ago he
addressed letters to the City Culture administration demanding explanations
regarding the location of the Crimean Tatar cultural center "Yashlik"
("Youth") in one of Yevpatoriya libraries (it was the Crimean Tatar
club until 1941).
Our commentaries:
more than 85% of the Crimean library funds are in Russian, more than 90% out of
600 schools are in Russian. (There is only one Ukrainian gymnasium in
Simferopol and nine Crimean Tatar national schools in the Crimea). A new
Russian culture Center has recently been opened in Zuya village of Belogorsk
district.
"A man sounds
great!" Provide good accommodations to the man.
Urojaynoye village dwellers blocked the building of village council*. The
Russians, Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars showed their being unsatisfied by the
actions of powers: cutting electricity (17 hours a day), delays in salaries and
pensions. This protest action has been provoked for along time. After blocking
the village council, people having marched six kilometers cordoned the highway
and were willing to cordon the railway road should their demands have been
ignored. They have had several meetings with the head of district state
administration during last months. Land division is carried out unlawfully.
Moreover, there is neither water, nor electricity available.
The head of Simferopol district administration and oil and energy
Minister went to the place of road blocking in some hours. Teachers, pupils and
pensioners submitted their claims to the powers. The school administration had
to stop the educational process for two months in winter due to the absence of
proper central heating. Teachers again have got the same problem: delays in
salary. All these problems were told to the village council and Simferopol
administration but no one paid attention to them.
Village dwellers were promised to stabilize the system of electricity
cutting and solve the rest of problems at the citizenry's meeting.
Leylya
Alyadinova, Riza Seitmemetov, "Golos Krima", #20 (341), 26 May 2000,
p.2.
Our information:
*Village council is the organ of local authorities.
Our commentaries:
such a condition is observed in the whole Crimea.
Power organs were introduced some demands of the Crimean Tatar nation,
which are concerned with the solution of its problems. These demands were
adopted as a Resolution on May 18. Nation representatives initiated "tent
town" in front of the Verkhovna Rada of the Crimea in order to get a
positive result from the Parliament.
More than 1000 Crimean Tatars held a picket near the "tent
town" on May 24. Mejilis members, non-governmental organizations members,
writers and veterans of the Crimean Tatar movement, who came out at the picket
decisively supported the requirements adopted on May 18. These requirements
include the following: solving the problem of the Crimean Tatar national
status, fair land division, Crimean Tatar representatives in power and
authorities organs, creating a working group with Mejilis representatives and
Crimean deputies for solving these problems.
S.Abdudarhamanova,
"Kirim", #23 (572), 27 May 2000, p.1.
*
* *
Meanwhile there were last preparations for the meeting, some other play
began in the Crimean Parliament: Mejilis Chairman deputy, Refat Chubarov
submitted his application to the session secretariat asking to let him come
out. After that, according to his words, mediators from the speaker L.Grach
started coming to him trying to find out what exactly he was gong to speak about
from the tribune. Finally, Leonid Ivanovich* declared the sitting closed.
Deputies went on working without journalists and visitors. And after having
spoken under his situation control, Grach let Chubarov come out. R.Chubarov
announced the requirements of Mejilis. There was no official reaction after
that, the session went on its formerly planned agenda.
We asked Refat Chubarov what specific system of Parliament completing he
insisted on:
There have been several
approaches, allowing providing adequate Crimean Tatar representatives in the
Crimean Parliament. These are either national quotes, or national electoral
quotes, which were once mentioned by Grach, or proportional system of elections
(when people vote for lists of parties and public organizations, but not for
each candidate - A.N.). We are not speaking about any specific electoral
system. We have to hold negotiations and discuss various variants, in order to
reach one that would suit everyone.
But there have been no
specific negotiations on that problem. I don't even know which of the variants
Grach prefers.
We should also add that the proportional system would suit not only
Mejilis but also many other political systems. Russian public organizations
would also be able to offer their candidates. The point is, no one takes a risk
to support it openly even though seeing the real profit for his system.
Alexey Nejivoy, "Krimskoye Vremya",
#93 (960), 25 May 2000, p.3.
Our information:
*Leonid Grach is the speaker of the Crimean Parliament and the head of Crimean
communists.
Stop the discrimination of a
whole nation!
Colons from Yevpatoriya, Sevastopol and other Crimean cities came to the
mourning meeting.
Mejilis chairman assistant, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deputy, Refat Chubarov
stated that abolishing of the "tent town" depended on how the powers
would satisfy their demands, picket participants' wants and Mejilis
requirements.
They also offered the Crimean Tatars' demand, which caused extreme
debates when discussing the Crimean government's report on its activity.
Deputies showed their distrust to the government after a prolonged discussion
and in result dismissed it having 68 voices of support.
F.Tarsinova,
"Golos Krima", #22 (341), 26 May 2000, p.2.
Is the "tent town" to blame for the
governmental dismissal?
Crimean Parliament deputies recognized the work of Sergey Kunitsin's
government as unsatisfactory by the Constitutional majority in 68 voices. They
showed their distrust and dismissed it.
The dismissed Prime Minister, Sergey Kunitsin, refused to give any
comments reffering to the necessity to contact with the President:
-
All the regulation norms have been violated because A
Prime Minister has to be dismissed by a secret election.
The speaker Leonid Grach blamed the Crimean Tatars for what had
happened. It's curious: Would Sergey Kunitsin have saved his position if the
"tent town" in front of the Crimean Parliament had been removed?..
Kira
Ivanova, "Krimskoye Vremya", #93 (960), 25 May 2000, p.3.
Since the unexpected dismissal of Ministry Council is explained by the
Parliament speaker Leonid Grach as follows: deputies' decision was influenced
by a very tolerate relation of Ministry Council to Mejilis we have addressed to
Refat Chubarov for comments:
-
I've analyzed claims, submitted to the government.
They are all concerned not with the relation with Mejilis but some other
problems. Now, Grach needs justification from the Parliament: if the Crimean
Tatars hadn't created a tense situation, which destabilized deputies they would
have done as I proposed, because I was against. But I'm sure that Grach
entirely controls actions of communistic fraction and all the fractions that
have joined them. So, all that has happened is Grach's will.
I'm
also sure that we would have initiated a "tent town" not in front of
the Parliament by the Ministry Council. It would have also been accepted as
governmental fault. They would have said that they couldn't make contacts with
Mejilis.
I'm,
as an analyst, interested not in the dismissal itself but the play, prepared by
Grach. I think he has born a great risk. He thinks he has become such a great
Ukrainian politician that can decide things without discussing with the
President. According to the Crimean Constitution, if 2/3 of deputies vote for
Ministry Council's dismissal the President can't reject it. And if the
Constitution differs from the Ukrainian one, they follow the last one.
-
If
the government is changed, how will it result on the further policy of Mejilis
and its relationship with the Crimean powers?
-
There is only one thing that can prevent reasonable
solution of the Crimean Tatars' problems: avoiding all the possibilities
providing dictatorship in the Crimea. It's necessary whether the Parliament
will work constructively. If the communists head the Parliament - there will be
a constant destruction, not only in the relation of the Crimean Tatars.
Kunitsin's
government wasn't very strong, but still an obstacle on the way of Grach's
personal power establishment.
Alexey
Nejivoy, "Krimskoye Vremya", #93 (960), 25 May 2000, p.3.
President will decide whether
the solution is lawful.
The sitting of the Crimean government, devoted to the decision made by
the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea was held in Simferopol. They adopted an address to
the President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma. Sergey Kunitsin focused on the
following in the address: "We draw your attention to some constitution
violations, caused by that decision".
Sergey Kunitsin said that the reason for such a Parliamentary is the
following: "We have interfered with serious financial and economic
interests. Firstly, they tried to dismiss us due to the problems of spring
works in fields, but we came up with that problem. Then they wanted to blame us
for problems in referendum* organization, but we fulfilled our task correctly,
they also wanted to blame us for increasing of costs for dwelling services, but
we didn't increase them. And the fourth position is they wanted to oppose us
with the Crimean Tatars and wanted to make the May 18 event go out of control,
and then it would be possible to blame the government and the Prime Minister. But
I accepted the political responsibility on solving this problem and none of
above-mentioned events have happened.
Press-service
of Ministry Council of ARC, "Krimskaya Gazeta", #394 (15950), 26 May
2000, p.1.
Our information: See
"Crimean news 54 " about the referendum.
President will do anything to
preserve stability.
The President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma has got all reasons "to
abolish the resolution" about distrust to the government and send corresponding
address to the Constitutional Court - stated the head of Presidential
administration.
He also emphasized that if the Crimean Parliament "didn't
demonstrate its kind will and comprehension of the situation, then the
President will do anything necessary in order to provide stability in the
Crimea. He wants the work of power organs to be aimed for solving economic
problem but not the political disputes".
Interfax-Ukraine,
"Krimskaya Gazeta", #95 (15951), 27 May 2000, p.1.
Culture.
Photographers' gift for the
deportation anniversary.
Ministry council press-service and the association of Crimean professional
photographers organized a photo exhibition "A long way home", devoted
to the 56th anniversary of the Crimean Tatar nation's deportation.
Thirty photos, taken by the Crimean photographer-reporters of a high
class are presented there. The photos reflect the ten-year period of the Crimean
Tatar nation's returning to its homeland.
S.Vetrov,
"Krimskoye Vremya", #91 (958), 27 May 2000, p.6.