Orange Revolution left indelible mark on Ukraine

THE Orange Revolution may be dead after the Ukrainian parliament turfed its leadership last week, but its pro-democracy ghost will haunt Ukraine for a long time, says a Winnipegger who helped nudge the country in that direction.

"Ukraine is developing -- warts and all -- as a democratic system where everyone more or less plays by the rules," said Ostap Skrypnyk, who was among hundreds of Canadians who served as election observers in Ukraine in 2004.

"I think five years ago was the first time people really took charge of their lives and played a really active role in the political life of the country and that probably hasn't changed," said the former executive director of the Winnipeg-based Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

The 2004 vote was held after Ukrainian citizens took to the streets en masse wearing bright orange scarves to protest the fraud-tainted presidential election of pro-Russian, Kremlin-friendly Viktor Yanukovych.

Ukraine's Supreme Court overturned his election. A new vote, with more than 500 election observers from Canada, ended in defeat for Yanukovych and a win for pro-Western reformer Viktor Yushchenko.

Yulia Tymoshenko became his prime minister, but their relationship eroded and nearly paralyzed Ukraine's government as it struggled with the global economic downturn.

The Ukrainian parliament ousted the government of Orange coalition leader Tymoshenko in a non-confidence vote last week.

She lost last month's presidential election to the Orange coalition's foe, Yanukovych. He narrowly won the presidential election, which international observers called mostly free and fair.

"That's one of the legacies," said Skrypnyk, who believes the Orange Revolution deserves some of the credit. "On the whole, (the election) was more or less free and open."

Orange may be out, but it left an indelible mark on Ukraine, he said.

"There's an active civil society in Ukraine. Freedom of the press was one of the major achievements of the revolution... Some of these things are still with us -- they're not going to go backward with that."


Source:winnipegfreepress.com/

Ukraine, Russia dominate biathlon medals

Canada's biathletes didn't come away with any medals on Day 1 of the 2010 Paralympic Games.

Victories were other story.

There was 45-year-old Smithers, B.C., school teacher Jody Barber placing 10th in the women's threekilometre pursuit (standing). She's only been on skis for three years.

From the other end of the country and the age span came Springton, P.E.I.'s Mark Arendz. The face of the War Amps organization in television ads, he's 20 and now a face of the Paralympic program after a seventh-place finish men's three-km pursuit (standing).

And then there were the McKeevers, Brian, the cross country ski stud who also made the 2010 Canadian Olympic team and his guide, brother Robin. They reached the final in the men's three-km pursuit (visually impaired) despite battling the flu for the past week.

Six gold medals were handed out Saturday. Russia won three of them, Ukraine two and Germany one.

Ukraine's won gold from Vitaliy Lukyanenko with guide Volodymyr Ivanov in the three-km pursuit (visually impaired) and from Olena Iurkovska in women's 2.4-km pursuit (sitting). Russia won gold from Kirill Mikhaylov in the men's three-km pursuit (standing), Irek Zaripov in men's 2.4-km pursuit (sitting) and Anna Burmistrova in women's threekm pursuit (standing).

Para-alpine events delayed

Whistler / Fog, a persistent problem at Whistler Creekside throughout the 2010 Winter Olympics, wreaked havoc with the opening day of para-alpine skiing.

Men's and women's downhills were scheduled for Saturday in all categories -- visually impaired, sit ski and standing -- but after some early morning sunny breaks did allow the standing men to get in a required training, fog rolled in.

The racing was to have started at in the late morning, but several delays pushed the start time back.

By the middle of the afternoon, fog had covered most of the hill and it appeared very unlikely that racing would go at all, which was eventually confirmed by the Vancouver Organizing Committee.

It is a bad sign for organizers, with only one full off day on the alpine schedule to reschedule the events.

Super-G races are set to go in all categories today, but the weather forecast isn't good through Tuesday.

Canada had a realistic shot at four medals in the downhill, with visually impaired skiers Chris Williamson and Vivianne Forest and women's standing competitor Lauren Woolstencroft having dominated their categories on the World Cup circuit. The other medal possibility would have come in men's sit ski, where Josh Dueck of Vernon, B.C., is the reigning world champion.

With files from Gary Kingston

Source:edmontonjournal.com/

Ukraine is not on the verge of default - FinMin

The government pension fund alone is short of 25 billion hryvnais ($3.1 billion), and investors worry Kiev might have problems repaying its short-term domestic debt, which it has been issuing in increasing volumes and at sky-high yields as an economic crisis takes its toll.

"The previous government has masked that the financial state of the country was on the brink of catastrophe ... I assure you there is no (threat of default)," Yaroshenko said.

Ukraine needs to find $3-5 billion a quarter to cover budget spending and Yaroshenko confirmed the government will stick with its social obligations despite empty state coffers and rising public debt. [ID:nLDE628276]

He did not specify the potential sources of the funds the country needs to make up for the budget shortage.

The Ukraine's new Prime Minister Mykola Azarov earlier indicated the government could seek to renegotiate the IMF programme agreed by the former government.

The International Monetary Fund has already said it would consider Ukraine's request to restart its $16.4 billion loan programme, suspended last year in the run-up to presidential elections.

Source:reuters.com/

IMF Staff Team To Visit Ukraine On March 15 To 21 For Technical Meetings On Budget

International Monetary Fund staff team will be visiting Ukraine from March 15 to 21 to take part in technical consultations on budget issues, reads a statement made by the IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine.

"... an IMF staff team will visit Kyiv next week to join the Resident Representative office in technical meetings on the budget," said IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine Max Allier after a meeting with Vice Prime Minister for Economy Serhii Tihipko on March 12.

As to Allier, Tihipko voiced the wish to resume political discussions with the IMF Mission.

"I indicated that the Fund stands ready to support Ukraine in its endeavor to return to a sustainable growth path," he said.

Allier assured, he would relay the request for a mission to the IMF headquarters and consult on next steps.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, President Viktor Yanukovych ordered Foreign Affairs Minister Kostiantyn Hryschenko jointly with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and the National Bank of Ukraine to take measures for ensuring Ukraine's cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and with the World Bank.

Tihipko thinks that for Ukraine resumption of cooperation with the IMF is of higher priority than drawing bilateral loans from various states.

The IMF pronounced readiness for continuing cooperation with Ukraine.

Source:un.ua/

Ukraine's foreign minister to visit Russia on March 16

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Hryshchenko will arrive in Russia on March 16 for a two-day working visit, Ukrainian UNIAN news agency reported on Sunday, citing a Russian diplomatic source.

The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday approved a new government on presentation from Ukraine's new President Viktor Yanukovych. The 450-seat Supreme Rada carried the decision with 240 votes against a required minimum of 226.

During his visit to Moscow Hryshchenko, who worked as Ukrainian ambassador to Moscow before his appointment as the foreign minister, will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, the diplomatic source said.

"After negotiations, the ministers will sign a plan of cooperation between the foreign ministries of both countries," the diplomatic source said.

Yanukovych who was sworn in on February 25, succeeding Viktor Yushchenko, a leader of the 2004 pro-Western "Orange Revolution," has repeatedly said he wanted to improve relations with Russia.

Yanukovych has pledged to steer a more balanced policy towards Russia than Yushchenko, whose policies, including a bid to take Ukraine into NATO, saw a rapid deterioration in bilateral ties.

The new Ukrainian leader also said that "by actively cooperating with each other in all areas," Russia and Ukraine could make a return to the good relations they "always had."

Source:en.rian.ru/

Ukraine to hold no confidence vote in govt on wed

New elections possible if coalition can't be formed

* PM Tymoshenko: parliament to speak on country's path


(Updates with Tymoshenko quote, Yanukovich in Brussels)

By Yuri Kulikov

KIEV, March 1 (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliament will hold a vote of no confidence in the government of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Wednesday as newly elected President Viktor Yanukovich seeks to consolidate power in the assembly.

Analysts say the fact that party leaders agreed to hold the vote showed Yanukovich's Regions Party were confident they would have enough support to pass the motion. Previous votes last month showed Tymoshenko's bloc no longer controls a majority.

If the vote succeeds, Tymoshenko and her government will remain until a new cabinet replaces them. Parliament faces weeks of horse trading to replace the ruling coalition and create a new government.

Tymoshenko lost to Yanukovich in a run-off presidential election on Feb. 7 that is expected to tip the country of 46 million people back towards Russia.

The fiery prime minister, who has refused to accept Yanukovich's victory, was in typically combative mood, telling a cabinet meeting the vote should
be held as soon as possible.

"I insist that everything be made clear in parliament," she said.

"Who in parliament supports the anti-Ukrainian, anti-democratic, anti-European development of the state with all its corruption of oligarchs, and who is for the development of democracy, the development of Ukraine's European path, the strengthening of its independence and sovereignty."


BRUSSELS, THEN MOSCOW

A new government will have to tackle a financial crisis that saw the economy contract 15 percent in 2009 and will need to restart talks with the International Monetary Fund on a suspended $16.4 billion bailout package.

If the vote passes and the Tymoshenko-led alliance formally collapses, the various parliamentary factions have 30 days to form a new coalition and 60 days to form a new government.

If this proves impossible, President Yanukovich has the right to call a new parliamentary election.

Ukraine is desperately in need of political stability after years of bitter infighting between the leaders of the pro-Western Orange Revolution of 2004.

Yanukovich has pledged to balance his country between Europe and ex-Soviet master Russia, the source of the gas that runs through Ukraine to the West.

Underscoring the point, Yanukovich made his first foreign trip as president on Monday to Brussels, where the European Union called for rapid progress on the modernisation and restructuring of Ukraine's gas sector.

The new president travels to Moscow on Friday. (Reporting by Natalya Zinets; Writing by Sabina Zawadzki and Matt Robinson; Editing by Myra MacDonald)

Source:Reuters.com

Ukraine seeks better ties with EU, Yanukovych says

Mr Yanukovych is seen as closer to Russia than his predecessor Viktor Yushchenko was - yet his first foreign visit as head of state is to Brussels.

"European integration is a key priority," he said after talks with EU leaders on Monday.

Mr Yanukovych said the talks focused on a planned association deal with the EU that would allow free trade.

His defeated rival, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, now faces a vote of no-confidence on Wednesday in the Ukrainian parliament.

She was an Orange Revolution ally of Mr Yushchenko, the former president whose pro-Western stance, including the ambition to join the EU and Nato, angered Moscow.

Mr Yanukovych pledged to "enhance" relations with Russia to ensure reliable deliveries of Russian gas to the EU via Ukraine. A dispute with Russia over gas prices disrupted supplies to the EU in January 2009.

The BBC's James Rodgers - a former Moscow correspondent - says Russia sees in Mr Yanukovych a friendlier partner than Mr Yushchenko, but its reaction to his victory has been quiet, not triumphalist.

Ukraine's foreign policy is no longer a simple question of East or West, our correspondent says. Europe also wants Ukraine and Russia to get on well.

Mr Yanukovych, who was sworn in as president last week, will head to Moscow on Friday.

Reviving the struggling Ukrainian economy is another big challenge that lies ahead of him.

The International Monetary Fund has suspended part of a $16.4bn (£10.8bn) loan for Ukraine, demanding that the government implement economic reforms.

Source:bbc:co.uk