Crimean news 77.

(Mass Media review for 25-30 September 2000).

Articles are abridged.

 

For a journalist's protection.

Ministers that announced their retiring have been proposed to be explained*.

We will be electing according to a proportional system.

News from Mejlis.

Cotton won't come out if you just shake your hands.

Visit of a British ship.

Crimean Tatar library celebrates its 10-year anniversary.

With Gasprinskiy to the 21st century.

 

 

Politics.

 

For a journalist's protection.

On September 22, Crimean Center of independent political researchers and journalists, Crimean informational press-center IREX-ProMedia, Association of free Crimean journalists within the framework of the Program of transatlantic initiative USA\EC of assistance to forming a civil society in Ukraine held a "workshop" entitled "The role of nongovernmental organizations in ensuring freedom of the press in Crimea". In the course of its work two journalists had to take part in it. One of them is the leader of the Center of protection of independent journalists, Georgiy Gongadze and the other is the editor of Internet-issue "Ukrainskaya Pravda" ("Ukrainian Truth"), Alyena Pritula.

In the connection with the fact that G.Gonganze has been obscurely missing, they held a meeting of Crimean journalists entitled "About the threat to the freedom of word in Ukraine and journalistic solidarity" within the frameworks of the "workshop". Roughly 50 journalists representing practically all the republic and a part of local mass media means of Crimea, Crimean correspondents of overseas issues and central mass media means, representatives of Crimean nongovernmental organizations and power structures of Crimea took part in the meeting.

Meeting and "workshop" participants discussed the situation formed in the connection with the freedom of word in Ukraine. They discussed problems that the Crimean journalists have faced. They adopted several addresses: to the President of Ukraine calling to make all the possible efforts in order to find G.Gongadze, to the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine Anatoliy Korneychuk and to the public prosecutor Alexander Dobrorez demanding to assist an objective investigation of the cases of journalist's deaths and criminal cases having any relationship with journalists.

After the meeting had ended journalists held a brief picketing of the Representatives of the President of Ukraine in Crimea.

Vladimir Pritula, "Krimskaya gazeta" ("Crimean newspaper"), #177 (16033), 227 September 2000, p.1.

 

Ministers that announced their retiring have been proposed to be explained*.

In the connection with information published in mass media means about the fact that seven ministers have left the Crimean government, the prime minister, Sergey Kunitsyn gave an order to create a commission for conducting of an official investigation.

The commission proposed Sergey Kunitsyn to address to Leonid Grach** with an official inquiry - asking whether Verkhovnaya Rada*** has received ministers' written statements about leaving membership of the government.

In accordance with the commission's decision the above-mentioned ministers have been handed written notifications. "Following the Law of Ukraine, says the document, <…> we are asking you to submit explanations on your announcing retiring to the commission in a three-day term".

Press-service of the Council of Ministers of ARC, "Krymskaya gazeta" ("Crimean newspaper"), #177 (16033), 27 September 2000, p.1.

Our information: *See "Crimean news 76" on this issue.

** Leonid Grach is the speaker of Crimean parliament, he is also the head of the Crimean communists.

***Verkhovnaya Rada (or Soviet) is the parliament of Crimea.

 

We will be electing according to a proportional system.

Even though there is much time till elections of a new composition of Verkhovna Rada of Crimea, specialists already give a thought  how it will be. It mostly depends on what kind of corresponding legislation we will have. Meanwhile, the law draft related to election of deputies to the Crimean parliament, based on a proportional system has already been proposed to be discussed at the session of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Presumably, the new Verkhovna Rada of Crimea will account for 100 deputies. They are elected according to the lists of political parties and national societies. Those that don't get over a four-percent barrier will be deprived of their representatives. The rest divide seats proportionally to the number of votes they have achieved. Parties and societies are proposed to recall deputies that have achieved a seat in the parliament according to their lists.

Anatoliy Vlasenko, "Krymskaya gazeta" ("Crimean newspaper"), #178 (16034), 28 September 2000, p.1.

 

News from Mejlis.

 

On September 22, the chairman of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev welcomed in his office the expert of Parliament Assembly of EC Marcel Tsvambony who has arrived in Crimea aiming to study the process of returning, housing and restoration of Crimean Tatar people's rights in its motherland.

Tsvambony informed that the data he had gathered would be used at the "workshop" dedicated to the problems of Crimean Tatar people, which will be held in Kyiv.

M.Dzhemilev, answered guest's questions and handed to him some material on Crimean Tatar people's problems in the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages.

Mejlis Press-service.

 

*      *      *

On September 23, they held a sitting of the presidium of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people dedicated to consideration of some current issues. The issue about how President's commissions on land reform were being done caused a long discussion. The sitting participants paid a special attention to the proposal to create a land fund for the Crimean Tatars, who haven't received their land plots yet. "It is necessary to develop a special mechanism of creating such a fund, and work at it carefully" - Mejlis presidium members have come to such an agreement. But to solve this hopeless problem, like the practice has proven, a special President's decree is necessary. Discussion of this issue will be carried on at the widened sitting of Mejlis.

They discussed the schedule of reporting-electoral conferences of regional mejlises, preparations for the third session of Kurultay 3 of Crimean Tatar people.

L.Alyadinova, "Golos Kryma" ("The Voice of Crimea"), #40 (359), 29 September 2000, p.1.

 

Land reform.

 

Cotton won't come out if you just shake your hands.

The issue of allotting land plots to the deported Crimean Tatars was considered at the meeting held this week in the Council of Ministers of Crimea.

The meeting was aimed at considering of performing decisions and commissions of the President introduced at both (April and May) meetings with the representatives of the council of Crimean Tatar people.

 They passed a joint record of proceedings, which mentions everything that is to be done in the near future. They have also determined terms and officials responsible for that. The President of Ukraine is coming to Crimea in October again in order to consider these issues and give a maximum satisfaction to the demands put forward by the Crimean Tatars.

Nataliya Panasenko, "Krymskaya gazeta" ("Crimean newspaper"), #179 (160350, 29 September 2000, p.1.

 

International collaboration.

 

Visit of a British ship.

After a successful ending of international and multinational exercises called "Kazatskaya step 2000"* ("Kosak steppe 2000") held from September 11 till September 21 near Feodosiya, ship-dock "Sir Gallagher" of the British Military Navy force made a friendly visit to Sevastopol.

Guests familiarized themselves with the memorials of history and culture of Sevastopol. They visited the Katkartoviy mount , where the cemetery of dead English military ships that perished during the Crimean war of 1853-1856 is situated.

DINAU "Krymskaya Pravda" ("Crimean truth"), #177 (22590), 27 September 2000, p.1.

Our information: *See "Crimean news 74" about this.

 

Culture.

 

Crimean Tatar library celebrates its 10-year anniversary.

On September 25, they held a solemn meeting dedicated to the ten-year anniversary in the Republic Crimean Tatar library of Ismail Gasprinskiy. The chairman of Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev, government members, directors of libraries, culture and art activists came to the meeting in order to congratulate the library collective with such a significant date.

Currently, the fund of the library accounts for 16 thousand units of storage, including more than 4,5 thousand books in Crimean Tatar and more than two thousand of specially valuable issues. The library welcome more than two thousand visitors annually.

"Avdet" ("Returning"), #17 (251), 28 September 2000, p.1.

 

With Gasprinskiy to the 21st century.

This measure has been traditionally held in the eighths time. It will continue until the 150-year anniversary of the great Crimean Tatar educator.

On September 21, Crimean Tatar writers gathered for a memorable ceremony. When the measure - "With I.Gasprinskiy to the 21st century" had ended flowers were laid to his memorial.

M.Medzhitova, "Yany dunya" (*"New World"), #39 (540), 30 September 2000, p.8.

 

 

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