http://zik.com.ua/ Independent Information Agency http://zik.com.ua/im/logo-zik-rss.gif http://zik.com.ua/ http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/09/05/149037 The true reason for coming to Ukraine by US Vice President Richard Cheney is to save the face of the Republican party back home ahead of presidential election. His visit to Ukraine has not solved any serious issue, political expert and director of Sofia think tank Andry Yermolayev told ZIK Sept. 5. Politics Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:06:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/09/05/149032 If Pres Yushchenko resorts to radical unconstitutional steps, the response will be the formation of a united coalition in Verkhovna Rada, Holub told ZIK Sept. 5. Politics Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:10:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/09/04/148874 Under the law on the prosecution passed by VR on Sept. 4 by 373 lawmakers, the president will now appoint and dismiss prosecutor generals only given the consent of VR. Before, the prosecutor general was appointed by the president given the consent of VR and dismissed by the incumbent himself. It made prosecutors wholly dependent on the president. Government Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:35:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/09/04/148873 Pres Yushchenko has appointed Chief of General Staff and Chief Commander of Ukraine’s Army Serhy Kyrychenko to sit on the National Defense and Security Council. The incumbent has also announced plans to inspect how Interior Ministry troops are being reformed, Pres Yushhenko’s website reports. Politics Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:00:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/09/04/148871 Regions up-and-coming lawmaker Yury Miroshnychenko claims none of the laws passed by VR this week was directed against the president. When forming a new coalition, he says, talks should not be limited to the PR and BYUT – other parties can also join in, he told ZIK Sept. 4. Politics Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:36:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/09/03/148733 Speaker of the parliament of Georgia David Bakradze has voiced his serious concern over mounting political tension in Ukraine. After Georgia, he warns, Ukraine is Russia’s main target, the Novosti-Gerogia site quotes him as saying. Politics Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:05:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/09/03/148669 The parliamentary union of BYUT and NUNS can still be saved, political expert Volodymyr Tsybulko believes. If, following Sept. 2 BYUT vote against the president, Tymoshenko gets sober and her faction does not vote with the Regions to override Yushchenko’s veto on Sept.2 laws as well as back NUNS-proposed resolution in support of Georgia, the coalition can survive. Politics Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:30:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/09/03/148588 VR lawmakers elected Regions’ lawmaker Oleksandr Lavrynovych as first deputy speaker and BYUT’s Mykola Tomenko as vice deputy speaker. The motion was supported by 340 deputies, The Ukrayinska Pravda says. Politics Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:00:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/09/02/148587 “Russia is a new axis of evil. Russia is doomed to be isolated politically. There is no place for it in WTO or G-8. If Ukraine doesn’t get MAP, we must seek military/political cooperation with Poland, USA, the Vishegrad group and Baltic states, says VR NUNS lawmaker Vladyslav Kaskiv, Pora’s Sept. 2 press service release runs. Politics Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:02:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/09/02/148586 EU Commissioner for Foreign relations and European Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner says that Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova can count of EU in matters of keeping their territorial integrity Politics Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:42:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/08/29/148345 No ammunition stored in Arsenal No. 61 in Lozova, Kharkiv oblast, was sent to Georgia, says Ukrspetsexport general director Serhij Bondarchuk, speaking in his Aug. 29 press conference at UNIAN. He commented on the allegations linking the fire at the depot with the reported shipments of ammunition to Georgia. Government Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:48:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/08/29/148343 Interior Minister Yury Lutsenko believes the American system of presidential elections with which he got acquainted in Denver, Colorado and which includes primaries and party conventions should be adopted by Ukraine, People’s Self-Defense press service reports Aug. 29. Politics Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:11:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/08/28/148206 Yushchenko’s office says some European countries have not implemented the agreements signed with Ukraine on easy travel, deputy chief of staff Andry Honcharuk said, speaking in a briefing Aug 28. Society Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:05:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/08/28/148204 The stand-off between Yushchenko and Tymoshenko is detrimental for both of them. Surprisingly, it also affects the Party of Regions as the disillusionment of Ukrainians with the president and premier tells on all other parliamentary political parties, Regions prominent young lawmaker Yury Myroshnichenko told ZIK Aug. 28. Politics Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:53:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/08/27/148071 “I felt bitter observing the cynicism of Ukrainian politicians at the funeral of Mykhailo Syrota, the author of the Ukrainian constitution and prominent VR lawmaker,” the leader of Pora Yevhen Zolotaryov said. Coming to his funeral, those who consider themselves part of the country’s political elite engaged in reckless driving scores of meters away from Syrota’s coffin,” Pora Aug. 27 press service release quotes Zolotaryov as saying. Society Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:39:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/08/27/148070 While Yushchenko is still president, there is no future for Ukraine on its way to Europe due to his ill-considered foreign policy statements and stand-off with the cabinet, renowned Kyiv-based political expert Kost Bondarenko told ZIK Aug. 27. Politics Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:56:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/08/27/147962 Contemporary geopolitical crises echo global and institutional ones. It would be a simplification to reduce them to Russia-West confrontation. Simultaneously, a confrontation with Russia might rehabilitate the idea of a united Europe which is now in decline, political expert and Director of Sofia Center for Sociological Research Andry Yermolayev told ZIK Aug. 26. Politics Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:08:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/08/26/147960 Kyiv oblast police started a criminal investigation into a car accident that killed Mykhailo Syrota, Professor of Law, VR lawmaker and one of the authors of the Ukrainian constitution. Society Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:06:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/08/26/147959 Contemporary geopolitical crises echo global and institutional ones. It would be a simplification to reduce them to Russia-West confrontation. Simultaneously, a confrontation with Russia might rehabilitate the idea of a united Europe which is now in decline, political expert and Director of Sofia Center for Sociological Research Andry Yermolayev told ZIK Aug. 26. Politics Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:38:00 +0300 http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2008/08/23/147798 According to Bohdan Sokolovsky, Pres Yushchenko’s energy secusity aide, the hurdles to reverse the Odesa-Brody oil pipeline have been removed. Yushchenko signed a decree on May 22 to pump oil from Odesa northward. Politics Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:53:00 +0300