President Kuchma on elections and more
The recent press conference of Pres. Kuchma was dedicated more to politics than the economy, which is only natural, considering the great number of both foreign and domestic political challenges Ukraine had to face in the past month.
Still the president started his discussion with the journalists with an economic issue. According to him, this year Ukraine’s economy is expanding more dynamically than last year. Simultaneously, Pres. Kuchma warned against complacency, pointing out that the positive developments have only set off the real problems, the low competitive level of the national economy being the major problem.
ON POLITICAL DAMS
Moving on to discuss the domestic and foreign policy, the president stressed that a difficult situation in the foreign arena cannot but affect the domestic situation. Speaking of the Tuzla affair, which has of late dominated Ukraine’s foreign politics, Pres. Kuchma pointed out that “some forces are attempting to build their own political dam on Tuzla.” Simultaneously, the head of state reiterated his stand on the division of the waters in the Sea of Azov in general and in the Kerch Strait in particular. “Tuzla is Ukrainian territory. The border between Ukraine and Russia should be clearly delimited. We believe that the state maritime border should be delimited on the bottom and surface, dividing the Sea of Azov into the territorial waters of Ukraine and Russia,” Pres. Kuchma stated. He also expressed confidence that Ukraine and Russia will be able to solve their differences over Tuzla in a civilized manner. Simultaneously, the president insisted that the problem of the Russo-Ukrainian border should not affect the issue of the Single Economic Space involving Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. He further stressed that Ukraine is interested in “the deepest possible cooperation with the Russian Federation” as well as other CIS countries, in particular Belarus and Kazakhstan. “If we manage to make the first step toward a free trade zone without any exemptions, this will be a major victory for us,” the president said. He emphasized the need to look for new markets in connection with EU enlargement, as a result of which some markets will be closed to Ukrainian exporters. Aside from the CIS, the president named among Ukraine’s major prospective partners such countries as Brazil and Libya, which he visited recently. Speaking of the prospects of Ukraine’s European integration, Pres. Kuchma stressed the positive results of the Ukraine-EU Summit in Yalta: “During the Yalta Summit it was stated for the first time that Ukraine can integrate with the EU in principle.” Answering the journalists’ question as to whether it is advisable for Ukraine to switch back to its nuclear status, the president said quite unambiguously, “What’s done can’t be undone.”
ON TERMS AND CONDITIONS
I n what has become a tradition, the future presidential elections are the key topic of all presidential press conferences. This time around many journalists inundated the president with questions as to whether he plans, contrary to what he said previously, to run for a third term in office. Asked whether there are conditions under which he could be reelected for a third term, the president answered laconically: “There are none,” adding “Please relax.” Simultaneously, he did not answer the question as to whether he considers his current term in office to be his first or second, calling it a tactless question. Pres. Kuchma also opined that it is inexpedient to nominate a single candidate from the pro-government coalition a year before the elections.
Speaking of the political reform, the president expressed his belief that a constitutional reform will be effected late this year or early next year. “I’m certain that this year we will adopt [the reform bill] with 226 votes, and in February-March we will adopt its final version,” he said. Simultaneously, Pres. Kuchma stressed that it “should be a result of political arrangements among the key political players in the parliament,” adding that unless it is effected now, there will be “no reform at all.” Asked about his opinion of the constitutional amendments that envision the election of the head of state by the parliament, Pres. Kuchma noted that the constitutional reform is the province of Verkhovna Rada and reminded that he had recalled his bill from the Constitutional Court. “This decision is up to the parliament, and I don’t want to take it over from them. It’s all about the arrangements made among the forces in the parliament,” he stressed.
ON REPLACEMENTS, PROVOCATIONS, AND INTERPRETATIONS
Commenting on the probability of replacement of certain government members, the president insisted that this process should be coordinated with the parliamentary majority. He spoke against the division of the seats of First Vice Premier and Finance Minister currently occupied by Mykola Azarov between two officials. Such a step could adversely affect the budgetary process, the president is convinced.
Meanwhile, the president called an absurdity all talk of the possible replacement of Verkhovna Rada leadership. As for the dismissal of Oleksandr Zinchenko as deputy speaker, according to the president, “the United Social Democrats have every right to raise this issue, since it falls within the quota of the SDPU(O).” Commenting on the violations that occurred during the failed attempts of Our Ukraine to organize congresses in Donetsk and Sumy, Pres. Kuchma stressed that any political force that is acting within the limits of the law is entitled to hold its meetings wherever it finds necessary. Simultaneously, the president noted that “the sides in the conflict offer diametrically opposite interpretations of the Donetsk events,” adding that he has instructed the Internal Affairs Ministry and the SBU to find out the truth and officially report their findings via the mass media. At the same time, he called on those present not to seize on the situation in Donetsk as an opportunity to berate the powers that be: “Don’t raise an uproar over this and don’t use it as an opportunity to sling another portion of mud at the power.” Simultaneously, Pres. Kuchma criticized the fact that the opposition has started an election campaign a year before the elections. “Those forces would do better to show an example of moral behavior. They should act in a moral and tolerant way in keeping with the law. The law states specifically the time when the election race should begin. It can’t begin a year before the elections,” the president said. “Which country starts an election campaign a year before the candidates are officially nominated? I posed this question to both the Europeans and Americans. Is this not a political provocation?” the president asked rhetorically.
