UKRAINE….

President Leonid Kuchma signed a decree setting a constitutional referendum for April 16. The referendum will adopt or reject changes in the country’s legislative structure that would strengthen the presidency against the parliament These include creating an upper house of parliament, to be filled by regional leaders, as in Russia (Ukraine’s parliament now has one chamber only); reducing the number of representatives in the lower house from 450 to 300; limiting parliamentary immunity from criminal prosecution; and changing the rules under which parliament may vote “no confidence” in the government, or the government may dismiss the parliament. The changes are expected to win approval by a wide margin…. In the parliament, a new pro-presidential, center-right majority has taken shape that could facilitate passage of long-delayed economic reforms. The majority is tenuous: Its 247 deputies come from eleven different parties. One hopes the coalition’s leader, former President Leonid Kravchuk, has had experience herding chickens.