Crimean news 61.

(Mass Media survey for 6-10 June 2000).

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

 

Financing condition is unsatisfactory.

About the urgent measures of solving the deported citizens' problems.

Position of the Autonomy Verkhovna Rada remains the same.

Work of the League has been very highly evaluated.

Chechenian children are again in the Crimea.

Ukrainian-and-Uzbek agreement will help 62 thousand deported get the Ukrainian citizenship.

News from Mejilis.

The title of a national trainer has been asserted.

 

Politics.

 

Financing condition is unsatisfactory.

The sitting of the Autonomous Republic Crimea Presidium was held on June 6. It was devoted to the consideration of some problems, proposed to discuss at the plenary sittings of the Republic Parliament on June 21-23.

They paid a great deal of attention to considering of urgent problems related to the deported citizens. The Solution project of VR of ARC Presidium was adopted on this problem. Before the document was adopted, the chairman of Verkhovna Rada, L.Grach had emphasized that the Crimean Tatars had experienced great changes in their lives during last 13 years. He said the following: "We have come through the times of misunderstanding, when the Crimean Tatars' houses were destroyed by bulldozers and when we were scared of having a Crimean Tatar neighbor. Now, we have to live in a friendly neighborhood, learning our cultures. We need a constructive way but not the way of ultimatums". The first point of the solution mentions that the Crimean Ministry Council conducts an unsatisfactory way of financing the program of the deported accommodation. Thus, only 1,5 million grivnas out of 10 million, foreseen by the Crimean budget for the program implementation, have been allocated so far. That's why the Ministry has been proposed the following:

1.        Making up the graphic of overcoming the delay in stable financing of these measurements until June 12;

2.        Presenting proposals concerning the problem of giving land plots to the deported in two weeks time.

R.Bulat, "Golos Krima", #24 (343), 9 June 2000, p.1.

 

About the urgent measures of solving the deported citizens' problems.

The sixth point of the solution mentioned that, taking into consideration the necessity of regulating relations between nations and providing the Crimean Tatar and other ethnic communities leadership in Verkhovna Rada of the Crimea, there was an opinion of possibility to conduct elections into the Verkhovna Rada of ARC according to the proportional electoral system, taking into account the principals of equal and direct electoral rights by means of a secret election.

Thus, Mejilis, having registered in the order according to the Ukrainian legislation, could take part in the elections of Verkhovna Rada of ARC together with other Crimea regional branches of the Ukrainian parties and non-governmental organizations.

In this case, if Mejilis uses an unanimous support of the Crimean Tatars and defends its interests. Then they may elect 12 deputies to the VR of ARC.

Apart from that, the VR of ARC Presidium thinks that it is necessary to note that currently 573 Crimean Tatars have been elected to the councils of all levels in the Crimea. This number makes up 8,6% of the total number of village, district and city councils deputies. 7 Crimean Tatars are the assistants of district state administration chairmen and city mayors. 30 Crimean Tatars head administrations and branches in the organs of local councils and district state administrations.

"Krimskiye Izvestiya", #103 (2107), 7 June 2000, p.1.

 

Position of the Autonomy Verkhovna Rada remains the same.

The VR Presidium made a decision "About urgent measures of solving the problems of the deported" on June 6.

As far as the land reform is concerned, the position of parliament has remained the same on this aspect. Ministry Council and the Republic Committee of Land have to present proposals on solving the problem of giving land to the deported, living in the rural zone. It has to be conducted in accordance with the current legislation.

One of the most interesting points of the document is the one, which mentions "providing some quotas for the Crimean Tatars in the VR of ARC and the possibility of conducting elections according to the proportional electoral system taking into account all the principles of nation-wide equal and direct electoral right by means of a secret election".

We asked the Crimean Tatar nation's Mejilis chairman assistant, Djulvern Ablyamitov that very point of Verkhovna Rada Solution. He answered that L.Grach's proposals "didn't touch the main idea of the problem". By proposing participating in elections according to the proportional system, he makes up term for Mejilis to register as a party or a non-governmental organization: It's impossible since the Crimean Tatar nation's Mejilis is not a nation-wide Ukrainian party, consequently can't have regional branches. Besides, the Crimean Tatars' representatives organ is not anon-governmental organization either. 12 deputies from the Crimean Tatars - is rather a way of quotas but not the principal of proportionality. If the proportion system is launched, then it won't be the Crimean parliament speaker's job to decide how many Crimean Tatars will be in Verkhovna Rada of the Crimea. It's the electorates' job.

Asan Osmanov, "Avdet" ("Returning"), #11 (245), 8 June 2000, p.3.

 

Work of the League has been very highly evaluated.

The Crimean Tatar women's League held a report-and-electoral conference on June 3. 26 representatives of regional branches took part in its work. The conference delegates evaluated the work of the Crimean Tatar women's League work, which was done during 1996-2000 very highly. That's why they didn't conduct any elections and the conference only justified the plenary powers of the League chairman, Safinar Djemileva and nine Board members. But they elected two additional members - Lentara Halilova and Elmira Umerova. Tatyana Uspenskaya, the correspondent of "Krimskaya Svitlitsya" paper came out at the conference. She said she was eager to enter the Crimean Tatar women's League. "I was born in the Crimea and spent my childhood with the Crimean Tatar tragedy. I am the Crimean Tatar in my soul"- she said. Tatyana Uspenskaya was unanimously accepted to the organization and became a respected member of the Crimean Tatar women's League Board.

Summing up the results, achieved during the reported period, Safinar Djemileva focused on the following: "Our main achievement is the establishment of strong contacts with the publicity. We are aware of all the events, which occur in the Crimea and know the situation in each region. We have created a database about orphans, families having many children, and aged persons living in asylums. And the most important point is that the Crimean Tatars women are united by a general idea. They get great deal of satisfaction from what they do and manage to "keep up with the level" in our hard times".

The Crimean Tatar women's League has been working in the Crimea since 1994. These women organize children holidays and charity concerts, annual summer camps for children. They also hold some educational work among women, and measurements aimed to restore culture, national, family customs of the Crimean Tatars and traditional handicrafts.

In conclusion, the conference delegates adopted a resolution, which, in particular, mentions the necessity of developing contacts with foreign funds and organizations. The forum participants also adopted an address to the President and the Ukrainian and Crimean governments' heads. They demanded adopting laws "About restoring rights of the Crimean Tatar nation" and "About restoring national-and-territorial autonomy". The women also demanded that they should provide rights for the guaranteed and effective representatives of the Crimean Tatars in organs of state power, Crimean government and security structures, equal and proper functioning of the Crimean Tatar languages together with the Ukrainian and Russian languages in socio-political life of the Crimea. They also demand the Crimean Tatars' right for land on equal terms with others and social protection of the Crimean Tatar women in accordance with the international norms.

E.Sedvapova, "Avdet" ("Returning"), #11 (245), 8 June 2000, p.4.

 

Chechenian children are again in the Crimea.

One more group of Chechenian children arrived in Simferopol on June 6. Fund "Krim", established by the Crimean Tatar nation's Mejilis was the action organizer.

Its Director General, R.Shevkiyev informed that the fund of repressed peoples had helped from the Russian side. He also informed that one hundred Chechenian children, who had arrived in the Crimea and were between 7 and 10 years old, would be accommodated in the Crimean Tatar families for two months.

We asked R.Shevkiyev if the action had been agreed with the Russian powers because such trips might possibly be considered differently by legislation. His answer was as follows: "None of the laws can prevent bringing children here. But we will address to the Russian embassy if there are some families wishing to adopt orphans and if the relatives agree upon that. And only then we will be discussing the ways of finding adoption mechanisms according to the Ukrainian and Russian legislation.

A.Nejivoy, "Krimskoye Vremya", #103 (970), 8 June 2000, p.3.

 

Ukrainian-and-Uzbek agreement will help 62 thousand deported get the Ukrainian citizenship.

The term of Ukrainian-and-Uzbek agreement, asserting the order of simplified giving up the Uzbek citizenship and the further confirmation of the Ukrainian citizenship for the deported, who arrived from Uzbekistan ended on 31 December 1999.

Despite that, documents from Uzbekistan, proving that people are giving up the Uzbek citizenship go on coming to the visa-and-passport department of the Crimea. As the head of the passport, registration and migration service of SA MIA of Ukraine in the Crimea, Colonel of militia N.Poyarkova informed, it is described by the three-month document consideration. And only then the visa-and-passport service of the Crimea can state that 62 thousand Crimean Tatars, wishing to become the citizens of Ukraine that they would realize their right. Currently, the SA MID is expecting the last thousand of applications.

O.Shastun, "Krimskoye Vremya", #102 (969), 7 June 2000, p.2.

 

News from Mejilis.

The meeting the current Mejilis chairman, R.Ablayev and the leader of politics-and-lawful department of Mejilis, N.Bekirov with a group of German journalists was held in the Mejilis office of June 1.

Correspondents, representing TV-Radio company "Doyche Velle" ("German Wave"), studio "Berlin", "Gessensk radio", "Berliner Saytung" ("Berlin paper") visited the Crimea in order to learn the political and economic situation in the Crimea and prepare materials for publishing in the German Mass Media means.

During the meeting R.Ablayev and N.Bekirov told the guests about the history of the Crimean Tatar national movement, Mejilis structure and also about the political and economic problems of the Crimean Tatar nation. The guests wondered if the Crimean Tatars were represented in legislative and executive organs of power of ARC and if the problems related with the land division were being solved.

After the meeting the guests visited the "camp town" near the VR of ARC.

Mejilis Press-Service, "Golos Krima", #24 (343), 9 June 2000, p.2.

 

Culture.

 

The title of a national trainer has been asserted.

Fund "Crimean Tatar Initiative" conducts seminars in the Crimea and beyond it. A.Osmanov was the international trainer at the seminars held in Azerbaijan and Georgia. The seminar organizers in the Caucasus are the USA funds "Idea" and "Renaissance".

Seminars for the leaders of Georgian non-governmental organizations were held in the end of March. The center of young leaders of Azerbaijan, Democracy Fund, organizations that deal with the problems of women's role activation in policy took part in the seminars. The main goal of the seminars is to give some knowledge to the organizations leaders and work together.

Seminars for women non-governmental organizations were held in Georgia on March 12-14. This has been the third time that the Crimean Tatars, in particular, A.Seitosmanov and the chairman of teachers Council, D.Seitveliyeva are invited as trainers. There are Georgians, Azerbaijainians, Armenians, Abkhazs, and Chechenians among 32 particiupants.

Interest for the Crimean Tatars has considerably increased in the result of these seminars.

But the leaders of "Crimean Tatar Initiative" fund strive for giving their knowledge to the Crimean Tatars at first. The think that people don't have to hope for the state, but they have to strive for something themselves.

Thus, A.Seitosmanov and the Director of "The Restoring of the Crimea" went to the Crimean village schools and made their training seminars in order to help the Crimean Tatar national schools.

S.Abdurahmanov, "Kirim" ("The Crimea"), #25 (574), 10 June 2000, p.4.

 

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