News as of October 23rd-24th, 2006

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People's Union Our Ukraine to hold congress

KIEV, October 21 (RIA Novosti) -- The Ukrainian pro-presidential party People's Union Our Ukraine will hold its third congress Saturday, the party press service said.

It said the congress will be addressed by President Viktor Yushchenko, who is honorary chairman of the party.

Party Executive Committee Chairman Nikolai Katerynchuk said the congress will send a clear signal to society that the party is reforming itself and has a coherent strategy now that it has moved into opposition.

Ukraine's pro-presidential parliamentary bloc Our Ukraine officially announced Tuesday that it is switching to the opposition.

Relations between the bloc and the Russian-leaning government of Viktor Yanukovych, which came to power in August, have worsened as the government has dragged its feet on the president's key pro-Western policy goals. The bloc vowed October 5 to form a radical opposition, and called on its ministers to quit the Cabinet.

Ministers from the Our Ukraine bloc tendered their resignations Thursday.

The move signals an end to efforts at forming a grand coalition by President Viktor Yushchenko's six-party bloc and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's pro-Russian Party of Regions and its allies, the Socialist and Communist parties.

After two months of talks, the two political factions still disagree on a series of crucial issues, including Yushchenko's drive to join NATO.

Our Ukraine said earlier it intends to form a shadow government.

The Our Ukraine bloc was part of the 'Orange' coalition, which emerged after the inconclusive March parliamentary elections, along with the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, which won 129 seats, and the Socialists.

The alliance collapsed when the Socialists defected to join the Party of Regions, led by President Viktor Yushchenko's former rival in the 2004 election and the current prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych, and the Communist Party, to form an 'anti-crisis' coalition.

Yanukovych said Tuesday he has agreed with President Yushchenko to continue working on a broad parliamentary coalition.

On Wednesday, however, President Yushchenko said his ministers have to be consistent and resign, abiding by the party's instructions.

Ukraine's president criticizes his partyKIEV

Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko said on Saturday that his political party had been weakened by personal ambitions and called for a reshuffle of its leadership. "Our Ukraine, as a political organization, endures a serious internal crisis," Yushchenko said at the party's congress. He criticized Our Ukraine for a "mistaken policy, blindness through ambition... which led to intrigues, adventurous activities." As the party leader, Yushchenko won the 2004 presidential campaign amid the Orange Revolution street protests against election fraud by his Moscow-backed rival. But his team broke apart quickly amid political infighting which eventually allowed the party of Yushchenko's election rival, Viktor Yanukovych, to win the most votes in parliamentary elections and the prime minister's job. After months of negotiations, no agreement was reached for Yushchenko's Our Ukraine to join the governing coalition led by Yanukovych's Party of Regions, and Our Ukraine said earlier this month it was moving into opposition.

Children From Ukraine Arrive in Utah

It was a very special evening for many Utah families. They welcomed into their homes orphaned children from Ukraine.

The youngsters arrived Sunday morning after a long journey. For many of them, this visit may turn into something more.

Last year about the same number of orphans, 25, came to Utah to get aquainted with host families and American culture.

Over 90 percent of those children available for adoption have been or are in the process of being adopted through the "Save a Child Foundation," which was started by a Utah couple.

Now more families are interested in doing the same. They were at the airport this morning to welcome the children, many of whom have dreamed of one thing-- having a mother and father.

In the moment before they meet the orphans, host families have only a name, and a heart full of anticipation.

Janet McDougal/ Host family: "It's like Christmas. We didn't sleep last night. I didn't go to sleep! I didn't close my eyes."

The orphans have probably been wide awake too, wondering about the families waiting for them, and thinking just maybe, this far away place could finally be a real home.

It happened for Elizabeth and her sister Emily. They were adopted by Nanette and Vern Garrett. Nanette and Vern started the Save a Child Foundation.

Elizabeth Svetland/ Adopted from Ukraine: "Most of the time, [I] dream to have both parents. Excited for the kids. Smiling faces, just exciting not to worry about their lives because they'll have both parents."

Twenty four orphans will stay with Utah host families for two weeks. If there is a connection, many will start the process of adoption.

Eldie Howick/ Host Family: "These are incredible young people. Incredible young people. They really bless our homes. We are the lucky ones! We are the lucky ones."

And that's a feeling that needs no translation.

Michelle Reynolds/ Host family: "I recognized her and saw her name tag and ran right up to her and hugged her. She hasn't let go of me since."

Michelle Reynolds: "I can't explain it. It's the most wonderful, amazing feeling. No words to explain it."

The Save a Child Foundation is also sponsoring a concert to raise public awareness and assist in funding needs. "Power of a Dream" is the title. It will be held at Skyline High School on October 30th.

Ukraine: Worries about the nation▓s future

A decade later there are less than 47 million Ukrainians left as this former Soviet republic has hemorrhaged the equivalent of the population of Denmark to emigration, alcoholism and low birth rates.
⌠The figure itself is not catastrophic, but the tendencies are alarming■, said Ella Libanova, deputy director of Ukraine▓s Institute of Demography and Social Research.
According to official statistics, the Ukrainian population has dropped by 678,039 people in the last two years. At 62, male life expectancy is higher than in Russia but still well below that in neighboring countries that joined the European Union in 2004 such as Hungary and Poland.
⌠Thirty percent of 40-year-old men will die before they are 60 and there is no hope that the situation will change soon■, said Libanova.
Mass migration adds to the demographic crisis: according to some estimates between three and five million Ukrainians work abroad illegally -- those in the east of the country head for Russia, those in the west go to the European Union.
Emigrants like Olga Dufin, a 63-year-old nurse from Kiev who has been caring for patients in Italy for four years, have no intention of returning.
The 700 euros (870 dollars) that she makes each month in the northern Italian town of Forli make it possible for her to help her two sons, one of whom is unemployed, and to pay university fees for her daughter-in-law.
⌠Here in Forli, I meet Ukrainians aged between 20 and 40 everywhere■, she said by telephone. ⌠The engineers work in construction, the doctors wash dishes. Some make 1,500 euros■ -- almost 10 times the average wage in Ukraine.
⌠The most active and dynamic leave■ -- especially those from the many small towns that in Soviet times built up around single mines or factories, according to sociologist Irina Bekeshkina.
⌠Ageing European countries, which need labor, will continue to soften their employment legislation and this flow will only increase■, said Libanova.
For Irina Pribitkova of Ukraine▓s Institute of Sociology, the crux of the problem is a falling birthrate and a mortality rate that continues to rise despite calls from the government▓s critics to reform the inefficient health system.
Between January and August this year, Ukraine saw 70 percent more deaths than births, with 511,338 deaths and 301,208 births.
Over 10 years the birth rate has fallen from 1.6 to 1.2 children per woman, while the natural replacement level would be 2.2, Libanova said.
⌠As in Europe, Ukrainians do not want to be baby machines and children have ceased to be economically necessary■, she commented.
⌠Women have emancipated themselves over the last 10 years, but discrimination means that they must work twice as much as their male colleagues to build a career. They can▓t allow themselves to have children■, Pribitkova averred.

My Comments - To me, the article about the orphans is the best. It looks like a very nice event. Please comment!