UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER GEARS UP FOR ELECTIONS. The third congress of the Popular Democratic Party, which took place in Kyiv on 25-26 October, named Valery Pustovoytenko to head its list of candidates for the 1998 parliamentary elections, Russian agencies reported. Addressing the congress, Pustovoytenko called on parliamentary deputies to vote in favor of the government's planned tax reform, which he said is necessary to augment budget revenues. He also pledged to "spare no effort" to pay wage and social security arrears.

UKRAINE OVERRULES CRIMEA ON MOSCOW TIME. President Leonid Kuchma has issued a decree overriding the Crimean parliament's 15 October decision to switch clocks to Moscow time, Reuters reported on 25 October, citing Ukrainian media. The decree said the move was unconstitutional. Crimea observed Moscow rather than Kyiv time between 1994 and early 1997.