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UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT TO NOMINATE DONETSK GOVERNOR FOR PREMIERSHIP. Leonid Kuchma intends to nominate Donetsk Governor Viktor Yanukovych as a candidate for prime minister, a source close to the presidential administration told Interfax on 14 November. The source indicated the president will hold final consultations with caucus leaders and the parliamentary majority groups on 15 November. A measure to dismiss the current government has already been prepared, and Kuchma will announce his decision on 15 November, the source suggested, adding that Kuchma intends to submit Yanukovych's candidacy to the legislature soon to allow for a vote on 21 November. Ukraine's parliamentary majority has proposed four candidates for prime minister, including Yanukovych, current Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh, First Deputy Prime Minister Oleh Dubyna, and State Tax Administration chief Mykola Azarov (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 29 October and 5 November 2002). AM
MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT TELLS OSCE THAT CUSTOMS UNIFICATION IS KEY TO RESOLVING TRANSDNIESTER CONFLICT. President Vladimir Voronin told an OSCE delegation on 14 November that the "creation of unified customs [procedures] is a task of utmost importance for resolving the Transdniester conflict," Infotag reported. The delegation visited several border-crossing points on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border -- particularly those located in Transdniester -- that Moldova claims are used for smuggling purposes. On 13 November, the Transdniester separatists prevented members of the delegation from reaching the Ukrainian side via the separatist region, ITAR-TASS reported. The separatists said the decision was prompted by the fact that Moldovan officials accompanied the delegation. The visiting delegation is to make a report to the OSCE Standing Committee in Vienna. MS
CARTOONISTS STRENGTHEN NETWORKS IN EASTERN EUROPE. Cartoonists may be more prone to attacks due to their higher public profile, according to a recent Cartoonists' Rights Network (CRN) workshop. CRN sponsored a workshop in Romania for cartoonists from nine countries, including Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Ukraine. The workshop was convened to strengthen CRN support for an affiliated cartoonists' network in Eastern Europe. In December, CRN plans to hold another workshop in Ukraine. (IFEX Communique, 12 November).
UKRAINE
TV REPORTER RESIGNS TO PROTEST CENSORSHIP. Oleksandr Piddubny, a well-known reporter for the First National TV station, announced his resignation on 9 November. He attributed his decision to differences with the station's policies and to censorship of Ukrainian television. After Piddubny signed a manifesto on censorship in the Ukrainian media, he was reprimanded by the station's management and then removed from a program because, the managers alleged, he had taken bribes for favorable coverage. ("Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations CIS Weekly Report," 4-10 November)
MEDIA COVERAGE OF PARLIAMENT EASED. Last week, President Leonid Kuchma signed amendments to the law on media procedures for reporting on national and local government officials, including lifting restrictions on coverage of parliament. The amendments will take effect on the day of its official publication. ("Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations CIS Weekly Report," 4-10 November)