“232, Including the Speaker”
This was Leonid Kuchma’s reaction to the announcement made to the journalists on registering parliamentary majority in the Verkhovna Rada numbering 231 people’s deputy. President made no secret of his being pleased with this fact, though, in his words, the majority “could be of slightly different configuration and number,” at least, “everything possible was done for this.” The newly formed majority, in the president’s opinion, is to start with passing the Tax Code, introducing changes into tax legislation in order to “prove its existence” and preparedness for work. President Kuchma stated that he does not refuse to keep his promise to give majority a chance for forming the government. However, the president reserves to the parliament the right to decide who is to become its head. “If I call even one name, they’ll say I am making pressure,” he explained.
However, the occasion on which journalists had a meeting with the president was different, and rather pleasant one: opening the Press Center of the Presidential Administration. “Looks not bad, doesn’t it?” Mr. Kuchma said, greeting the journalists in the comfortable hall equipped with a modern conference system. Mr. Kuchma noted that this meeting with the press took place against a very saturated informational background, immediately after the first state visit of the president of Ukraine to India (“For us India is a great prospective”), the Kisinau summit of the CIS leaders (president seemed to be satisfied with its results), etc. Answering the question on the worsening of the American-Ukrainian relationship, Mr. Kuchma said: “It’s a pity the level of the strategic partnership we used to have under Clinton administration has disappeared, not through Ukraine’s fault. It’s a pity our relationship is based on some dubious tape recordings... I can say in front of the TV cameras that I would never give my consent for selling arms to Iraq under any circumstances.” In the president’s words, this would be simply impossible considering rigid control over arms export in Ukraine. Stressing that “today Ukraine has disclosed everything that was possible,” Leonid Kuchma voiced his hope for a prompt solving this problem.
Journalists were also interested in the head of state’s attitude towards Leszek Miller’s offer of Poland’s mediation in starting a dialog between the Ukrainian authorities and opposition. “This looks like interfering into Ukraine’s internal affairs,” Mr. Kuchma said. “We can fix it on our own, let them not hinder into this.”
According to the president, he is also prepared for a dialog with journalists who had recently created a strike committee to fight the political censorship. “I would tell them I’m ready to discuss with them what is their view of the political censorship,” Mr. Kuchma stressed. Since most Ukrainian television channels and other media are private, it is understandable that its owners “dictate their policy” to them, noted Mr. Kuchma. The president recalled that nowadays there are many anti-presidential publications in Ukraine. Besides, the State Tax Administration of Ukraine agreed to conduct even planned examinations in the mass media in the presence of the Reporters without Borders representatives. In a word, the power demonstrates its readiness for a “constant dialog” (which is the major goal of the press center, its organizers claim) and persuades us that it is the other side that holds the matters.
