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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Pressure Mounts on Chernivtsi Opposition Press

20 July, 1999 - 00:00

By Marianna KHODYKINA, Center for Journalistic Research
The Chernivtsi oblast print shop has for the past five weeks refused to
print the local weekly newspaper Chas (Time). Four times the newspaper
came off the presses courtesy of the Shukhevych Print Shop in neighboring
Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, but last week the readers of this most popular
Bukovynan periodical received no copies and could buy none at city newsstands.
The formal reason for refusing to print it is debt, of course, yet losing
customers (not numerous but basically solvent) toward the end of the subscription
period makes no sense. The more so that other Chernivtsi newspapers have
arrears twice as much as Chas, but are still printed.

There is a difference between this and other local periodicals, of course,
because Chas openly supports presidential candidate Yevhen Marchuk
and carries features criticizing the oblast state administration - and
the rest of the top officials.

Another Chernivtsi newspaper, Doba (Epoch) has no liabilities
toward the print shop and does not support Yevhen Marchuk, but nor does
it support the current President, particularly his local appointees. The
results of such a policy were quick to display themselves: a slander case
initiated by the Chernivtsi garrison's military prosecutor, Col. L. Melnykov.
Doba reporter Halyna Tarasiuk tried to sort out the problems forcing
a young conscript to desert. The claim was filed in April, but nothing
happened. Local analysts believe that the event coincided in time with
Doba lashing out at the oblast state administration.

According to Doba editor Volodymyr Stepanets, the newspaper responded
to such "sanctions" with an editorial describing exactly how the local
state administration's head of the information committee "managed" local
postal workers, instructing them to get people to subscribe for the "right
kind" of periodicals campaigning for the "right" presidential candidate
(the article's title: "Will there be a Ghetto for 'Unwelcome' Newspapers
in Chernivtsi?").

Meanwhile, Chas is firmly resolved to continue appearing.

 

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