KUCHMA BACKS REFERENDUM ON CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES. Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and the Union of the Regional and Local Authority Leaders signed a declaration on 27 September to initiate a referendum on the introduction of amendments to the constitution, ITAR-TASS reported. Kuchma is in favor of a bicameral parliament and believes that this issue should be submitted to a referendum. According to Kuchma, the constitution should also be approved in a referendum to put a stop to lawmakers' seeking to "raise the issue of constitutional changes at each parliamentary session." Kuchma also thinks that it is necessary to define more clearly the powers of executive and legislative authorities and give more power to the regions. JM