“Ukraine in Focus”, March 3 - 9 2008

The Democratic Initiatives Foundation keeps track of political events in Ukraine for monitoring pre-election pledges of leading political forces having entered the Parliament as a result of the September 30, 2007 pre-term elections to the Verkhovna Rada. The survey is conducted with the framework of the project “Where do political leaders lead us to?”

March 3

Russia carried out its threat to cut down gas deliveries to Ukraine by 25%. The intermediary company RosUkrEnergo made the public statement that the cut down of gas supplies to Ukraine would affect neither European gas market, nor Ukrainian commercial gas consumers but would have direct influence upon Naftogas Ukrainy, Ukrainian national gas company.
In his turn, Ukrainian vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov stated that Gasprom is in debt to Ukraine for gas transit of 2007.

Parliamentary faction leaders failed to sign the Protocol of Understanding prepared by the workgroup for unblocking parliament’s work. The Party of Regions delivered a new ultimatum demanding to consider the issue of cutting down gas supplies to Ukraine and to make Ukrainian Prime Minister report on the issue. Coalition members regarded the statement of the Party of Regions as ignoring all previous agreements reached by the workgroup. Nevertheless, the coalition promised to immediately start working on the issue in the session hall.

March 4

Gasprom halved gas deliveries to Ukraine, stated Serhey Kupriyanov, official Gasprom representative. He also warned that if Ukrainian party does not enter into negotiations on the issue on Wednesday, March 5, Gasprom will cut down gas supplies to Ukraine again. Kupriyanov stressed that European consumers would receive full gas deliveries from Gasprom.

March 5

Russian Gasprom resumed full gas supplies to Ukraine, after negotiations between heads of boards of Naftagas Ukrainy and Gasprom as a result of telephone talk of Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The parties agreed that Naftogas Ukrainy would pay debts to Russia for the consumed gas from January 1, 2008 till March 1, 2008 by the scheme valid for the beginning of the current year. In accordance with the agreement, transit of Russian-origin gas to European consumers will be made to the full through Ukrainian pipe-lines.

March 6

The Parliament restarted its work after almost the two-month blockade. Faction leaders signed the Protocol of Understanding. The Parliament approved the Enactment “On Resolution on Ukraine’s entering NATO” supported by 248 out of 423 MPs registered in the session hall (in particular, 175 MPs from the Party of Regions; 34 MPs from the YTB; 19 MPs from the NUNS bloc; 20 MPs from the Lytvyn bloc. The CPU faction did not participate in the vote with its full complement. The project stipulates that decision regarding Ukraine’s joining NATO will be made as a result of all-Ukrainian referendum that may be conducted on national initiative in accordance with the Law “On all-Ukrainian referendum”. The document also stipulates that speaker should inform NATO General Secretary on the decision of Ukrainian parliament.

There is no unanimity among NATO members regarding perspectives for Ukraine and Georgia of entering the Alliance. NATO countries’ Foreign Ministers having arrived to Brussels for the first Bucharest Summit preparatory meeting made the decision to continue their discussion on the issue. At the same time, NATO General Secretary stated that Tbilisi and Kyiv are sure to receive positive signals regarding the issue.

Leader of the NUNS faction Viacheslav Kyrylenko urged MPs to start considering bills on eliminating prosecutorial immunity from members of parliament. As he said, all the documents had been already prepared, and the procedure could be started by roll-cal vote. Kyrylenko also suggested that all the urgent bills submitted by President should be put on the agenda as well.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko informed Victor Yushchenko that she does not agree to some of the conditions of his agreement with Vladimir Putin. In her letter to Ukrainian President she stressed that the Cabinet of Ministers can not agree to the condition that in the first quarter of 2008 Ukraine should prepay $315,6 per 1000 cubic meters of Russian-origin natural gas. Besides, Prime Minister presses ahead with arranging direct deals between Naftogas and Gasprom. Tymoshenko also objects to changing one intermediary company by another one by establishing joint enterprises.

March 7

Members of the Presidential Secretariat assume that Ukrainian Prime Minister is not aware the President’s directions issued for Ukrainian delegation for their talks with Russia regarding the issue of transition to direct schemes of cooperation in gas field, stated Oleksandr Shlapak, the first Deputy Head of the Presidential Secretariat. As he said, the gas prices that Yuliya Tymoshenko referred to in her letter to Victor Yushchenko, had not been mentioned in the President’s directions. Mr.Shlapak underlined that President instructed the delegation that Ukraine should pay $130 per 1000 cubic meters for natural gas it consumed last year, and that Naftogas and Gasprom should have direct relations and the gas price should be kept as $170 per 1000 cubic meters.

The NUNS bloc faction leader Viacheslav Kyrylenko presented the bill on eliminating prosecutorial immunity from MPs. The coalition members suggest abolishing of deputy’s immunity except situations connected with MPs’ political activities. At the same time, Kyrylenko stated that the coalition is against eliminating prosecutorial immunity from Ukrainian President as President of Ukraine is Guarantor of State Sovereignty as stipulated by Ukrainian Constitution. In its turn, the opposition suggests to eliminate prosecutorial immunity from President, MPs, and judges only to some extent.

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