Leonid Kuchma

Infobox_President|name=Leonid Kuchma
Леонід Кýчма
nationality = Ukrainian

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order = 2nd President of Ukraine
term_start = July 19, 1994
term_end = January 23, 2005
predecessor = Leonid Kravchuk
successor = Viktor Yushchenko
birth_date = Birth date and age|1938|8|9|mf=y
birth_place = Chaikyne, Chernihiv Oblast
death_date =
death_place =
spouse = Ludmila Tumanova
party =
vicepresident =

Leonid Danylovych Kuchma ( _uk. Леонід Данилович Кýчма; born August 9, 1938) was the second President of Ukraine from July 19, 1994, to January 23, 2005. The last five years of his presidency were mired in controversy when tape recordings of him seemingly discussing the possible murder of journalist Georgiy R. Gongadze appeared. Gongadze disappeared in September 2000 and opposition politician Oleksandr Moroz brought them to light two months later in November.

Early life

Kuchma was born in Chaikyne village of Chernihiv Oblast (Ukrainian SSR). His father was killed in a battlefield during the World War II in 1944. Kuchma attended Dnipropetrovsk University and graduated with a degree in rocket engineering. He moved into senior management posts of the Yuzhmash industrial company in Dnipropetrovsk, eventually becoming its top executive, as well as in the Communist Party elite. As such, Kuchma played an important role in Soviet strategic missile and space rocket programs.

Some researchers believe that Kuchma's earlier career was significantly boosted by his marriage to Lyudmila Tumanova, the daughter of a local CPSU chief.

Kuchma was an amateur guitar player in his younger years. He was also known for his skill at the complicated card game preferans.

From 1990 to 1992 Kuchma was a member of the Ukrainian parliament (Committee on Defence and State Security), and became Prime Minister of Ukraine in 1992.

President

Kuchma resigned from this position in September 1993 to successfully run for the presidency in 1994 on a platform to boost the economy by restoring economic relations with Russia and faster pro-market reforms. He was re-elected in 1999 to his second term.

Domestic Policy

In October 1994, Kuchma announced comprehensive economic reforms, including reduced subsidies, lifting of price controls, lower taxes, privatization of industry and agriculture, and reforms in currency regulation and banking. The parliament approved the plan's main points. The International Monetary Fund promised a $360 million loan to initiate reforms.

He was re-elected in 1999 to his second term. Opponents accused him of involvement in the killing in 2000 of journalist Georgiy Gongadze (see also SBU, "Cassette Scandal", Mykola Mel'nychenko), which he has always denied. They also blamed him for restrictions on press freedom. Kuchma is believed to have played a key role in sacking the Cabinet of Viktor Yushchenko by Verkhovna Rada on April 26, 2001.

Kuchma's Prime Minister from 2002 until early January 2005 was Viktor Yanukovych, after Kuchma dismissed Anatoliy Kinakh, his previous appointee.

Foreign Policy

Kuchma signed a "Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership" with Russia, and endorsed a round of talks with the CIS. Additionally, he referred to Russian as "an official language". He signed a special partnership agreement with NATO and even raised the possibility of membership of the alliance.

After Kuchma's popularity at home and abroad sank as he became mired in corruption scandals, he turned to Russia as his new ally, saying Ukraine needed a "multivector" foreign policy that balanced eastern and western interests.

Role in the Crisis of 2004

Kuchma's role in the election's crisis of 2004 is not entirely clear. After the second round on November 22, 2004, it appeared that Yanukovych had won the election by fraud, which caused the opposition and independent observers to dispute the results, leading to the Orange Revolution.

Kuchma was urged by Yanukovych and Viktor Medvedchuk (the head of the presidential office) to declare a state of emergency and hold the inauguration of Yanukovych. He denied the request by admittedly stating in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he refused to pass the government into the hands of an alleged Donetsk criminal. Fact|date=February 2007 Later, Yanukovych publicly accused Kuchma of a betrayal.

Nevertheless, Kuchma refused to officially dismiss Prime Minister Yanukovych after the parliament passed a motion of no confidence against the Cabinet on December 1, 2004.

Soon after, Kuchma left the country. He returned to Ukraine in March 2005.

Post-Presidency

Gongadze

In September 2000 journalist Georgiy R. Gongadze disappeared and his headless corpse was found on 3 November 2000. On 28 November, opposition politician Oleksandr Moroz publicised secret tape recordings implicating Kuchma in Gongadze's murder. In 2005 the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s office instigated criminal proceedings against Kuchma and members of his former administration in connection with the murder of Gongadze. [ [http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/10/09/caseagainstkuchma.shtml Mosnews.com ] ] It is rumoured however that Kuchma has been unofficially granted immunity from prosecution in return for his graceful departure from office in 2005. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/apr/06/pressandpublishing.ukraine Guardian] ]

In 2005 Kuchma started to smoke, first appearing with cigarettes and cigars publicly. It is a return to the habit he quit back in 1992. [http://www.tabloid.com.ua/news/2006/6/2/568.htm]

Politicians closely associated with Kuchma

Aides and advisors that became public figures after or before

*Volodymyr Horbulin - personal friend, aide, later Head of the National Security and Defense Council
*Volodymyr Lytvyn - long-term first aide, later Head of Presidential Administration, then Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament)
*Viktor Medvedchuk - business oligarch, then First Vice Speaker of Verkhovna Rada, Head of Presidential Administration in 2001-2004
*Dmytro Tabachnyk - manager of the Kuchma's first successful election campaign, later Head of Presidential Administration, then Vice Prime Minister (in cabinet of Yanukovych)

Influential statesmen

*Leonid Derkach - personal friend, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine
*Yuri Kravchenko - Minister of Internal Affairs (police chief), "committed suicide after the fall of Kuchma's regime"
*Oleksandr Omelchenko - long-term governor and mayor of the capital city of Kiev

Business oligarchs and managers of important state-owned companies

*Ihor Bakai - business oligarch, later head of Naftohaz Ukrainy national gas and oil company, then Head of the State Accommodation Department, "escaped to Russia after the fall of Kuchma's regime, refusing to ever return permanently"
*Heorhiy Kirpa - long-term head of the Ukrzaliznytsia national railways, then Minister of Transportation, "committed suicide after the fall of Kuchma's regime"
*Viktor Pinchuk - second son-in-law, business oligarch in control of several important media

Family

Kuchma's daughter Elena Franchuk founded the ANTIAIDS Foundation in 2003. [ [http://antiaids.org/en/about/publications/440/831 Elena Franchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation : The daughter of Kuchma will be fighting against AIDS and her husband Pinchuk will provide his media support ] ] She is married to politician Viktor Pinchuk, a famous industrialist. [ [http://antiaids.org/en/about/publications/440/831 Elena Franchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation : The daughter of Kuchma will be fighting against AIDS and her husband Pinchuk will provide his media support ] ] She is rumoured to have just bought the world's most expensive house, in London, for £80 million. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/01/nhomes101.xml Times] ] [ [http://www.elitechoice.org/2008/03/01/worlds-most-expensive-home-sells-for-80-mn/ World's Most Expensive Home, Elena Franchuk, Sir Elton John, Worlds Most Expensive, Property, Estate ] ]

Related Literature

* Sochor, Zenovia A. 1994. "Political Culture and Foreign Policy: Elections in Ukraine 1994." Printed in: Tismăneanu, Vladmir (ed.). 1995. "Political Culture and Civil Society in Russia and the New States of Eurasia." ISBN 1-56324-364-4. pp.208-224.

References

ee also

* President of Ukraine
* Government of Ukraine
* Prime Minister of Ukraine

External links

*ru icon [http://www.vremya.ru/2005/43/13/120564.html "Yushchenko Won the Competition of Personalities"] (Kuchma's 2005 interview for Russian "Vremia Novostey" newspaper)