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The public hearings "Chernobyl – modern problems"

13.12.2002   
Viktor Bondar, the Zhytomir oblast organization "International society of human rights – Ukrain
On 29 November 2002 the public hearings “Chernobyl – modern problems” were conducted in Zhytomir. The participants discussed the Conception of the draft of the Ukrainian Law “On introducing changes into the Laws of Ukraine “On legal regime on the territory that underwent radioactive pollution as a result of the Chernobyl catastrophe” and “On the status and social protection of the citizens, who suffered from the Chernobyl catastrophe””. They decided that the adoption of the Conception by the Supreme Rada will substantially worsen the level of social and radiation protection of population
On 29 November 2002 the public hearings "Chernobyl – modern problems" were held in Zhytomir. The hearings were organised by the Zhytomir oblast organisation "International society of human rights – Ukrainian section", Center of municipal development of Zhytomir, Youth parliament of the Zhytomir oblast, Zhytomir town department of "International society of human rights – Ukrainian section" supported by the oblast administration and oblast council of the Zhytomir oblast, as well as by the fund of regional initiatives and the National Endowment for Democracy (USA). Deputies of the local councils, officials from the organs of state power and local self-rule, as well as representatives of public organisations of the Zhytomir oblast took part in the hearings.

The participants discussed the Conception of the draft of the Ukrainian Law "On introducing changes into the Laws of Ukraine "On legal regime on the territory that underwent radioactive pollution as a result of the Chernobyl catastrophe" and "On the status and social protection of the citizens, who suffered from the Chernobyl catastrophe"". It was pointed out at the hearings that the Conception of the draft did not meet the expectations of the population, which suffered from the catastrophe. The Conception, the participants believe, must be improved, since now it is based not on the real situation, but on the desire to decrease the expenditures from the state budget for solving the problem. Besides, some provisions of the Conception need substantiation and correction. It does not answer the question about the further course of migration, health protection measures, radioactive monitoring in agriculture, etc.

The adoption of the Conception by the Supreme Rada will substantially worsen the level of social and radiation protection of population, thus abusing the European and international legal norms. It is necessary to envisage in the Conception the procedure of regulating the contradictions between the operating laws on Chernobyl and the separate resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. One of the especially important problems is the problem of social protection of the suffered population. The yearly reduction of financing of the medicine and recreation may not be called normal.

The representatives of public organisations of the Zhytomir oblast regard that the regulations of the Conception of the draft do not meet the aims of the radiation protection and noticeably restrict the rights of the victims of the Chernobyl catastrophe. That is why the Conception must be rejected and completed with the account of the above-mentioned remarks.

The materials of the hearings and the issued appeals will be passed to the President of Ukraine, Supreme Rada of Ukraine, secretariat of the ombudsperson, profile committee and representatives of the executive branch of the power.
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