Chornobyl Victims Demand Their Privileges Be Kept and Mitiukov Be Fired

On October 10 nearly 5,000 Chornobyl Ukraine Union representatives from all parts of Ukraine and Kyiv picketed the Verkhovna Rada building. According to Interfax- Ukraine, participants demanded that allocations of UAH 4 million be provided for in the 2001 budget and all Chornobyl victims’ privileges be preserved. The money is intended by Chornobyl Ukraine Union for social protection of Chornobyl accident victims. The political demand “that Finance Minister Ihor Mitiukov be fired” was also put forth.

According to the pickets, the action was provoked by the fact that the budget bill does not provide for Chornobyl victims’ pensions and indemnity for their undermined health, which have not been indexed since 1996. No full debt payments to Chornobyl victims are anticipated, and it is planned to eliminate the privileges of the widows and orphans of those who took part in the cleanup. Local authorities are also entitled to abolish such privileges as free medicine, free public transportation, as well as utility and housing subsidies. Representatives of Shchyt (Shield) also attempted to join the action but after a brief tussle thought better of it.