Ukraine Protesters Told to March to Parliament

reuters ^ | Nov 23

[Truth666]

Ukrainian opposition chief Viktor Yushchenko told tens of thousands of protesters in a Kiev square Tuesday to march to parliament, where an emergency session on a disputed presidential election was to begin shortly. "Our joint action will lead to political success. We are therefore now forming lines and moving toward parliament," Yushchenko told demonstrators. "A parliamentary session will begin in an hour."

[struwwelpeter]

Bump!

[AdmSmith]

http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,11483088%255E401,00.html

Russia backs Ukraine vote
By Yana Dlugy in Moscow
24nov04

DETERMINED to rebuild its influence in former Soviet territory, Russia has squared off against the West over Ukraine's disputed presidential election.

In an echo of Cold War-era confrontations, Moscow found itself on the opposite side of the barricades from Western capitals over the weekend runoff, which official results handed to a pro-Russia prime minister.

As observers from Europe and the United States slammed the election for fraud, Russian President Vladimir Putin called to congratulate the disputed victor for an "open and honest" win.

The Russian leader had staked his prestige on a victory by Viktor Yanukovich - he twice travelled to Ukraine to meet with the ruling party candidate ahead of the election.

His defeat would be a "huge personal and tactical defeat for Vladimir Putin," Russian liberal politician Boris Nemtsov said this week from Kiev.





After the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia fell into the Western camp last year, when a reformer ousted the entrenched regime in a peaceful "rose revolution," Russia has been keen to reassert its influence in what it calls its "near abroad."

Meanwhile the West is keen to have Ukraine in its camp as a buffer against an increasingly authoritarian Russia.

"Ukraine is our neighbour and closest relative and Putin's Russia will be put on notice if it takes a democratic route," said Vladimir Pribylovsky, an analyst at the Panorama think tank in Moscow.

And so ahead of Ukraine's presidential election, Russia worked hard so that the "Georgian scenario" does not occur in the nation of nearly 48 million that stretches along half of its western border.

It threw its weight behind Yanukovich, a blue-collar industrialist from Ukraine's coal mining east, a Russian-speaking region that wants Kiev to retain close ties to Moscow.

The 54-year-old was also the chosen successor of outgoing President Leonid Kuchma.

"Yanukovich was chosen because there are people in Russia's government who are interested in a continuation of the status quo in Ukraine," said Masha Lipman, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Centre.

His main rival, opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko was seen by Moscow as being too unreliable, backing Ukraine's entry into the European Union and potentially even joining NATO.

"It is more practical to have a neighbour who is like you instead of a neighbour who is more democratic and has a better reputation," Lipman said.

So Moscow brought out the heavy guns in the run-up to the election. Putin visited Ukraine days before a first round, meeting with Kuchma and Yanukovich in highly publicised photo ops.

He met again with the two men ahead of the second runoff vote and billboards in the Russian capital urged the city's large Ukrainian diaspora to cast their ballot for Kremlin's choice.

"Politics in Russia are conducted in a primitive manner," Lipman said. "The government considers the people as a mass to be manipulated... but while that is for the most part true for Russia, where the population is passive, it is not true in the case of Ukraine."

"They deployed Russian notions and procedures in Ukraine, but the situation there is different and the people are different," she said.

Indeed Yushchenko has refused to concede defeat, saying the government rigged the vote and demanding a recount.

Much of the international community has backed him, with Washington warning Kiev of sanctions if the alleged voting fraud is not reviewed.

Nevertheless, "there will be no confrontation between Russia and the West over Ukraine," Pribylovsky said. "(US President George W.) Bush forgives Putin everything and Europe - the more the price of oil rises, the more it will forgive us."

[eluminate]

so those that voted for Yanukovich in the east and south shouldn't count only those who voted in the western part for Yuschenko should. People should have no say and elect the person who is wanted by the EU or US like Kerry was elected 78/8 by the foreighners in their polls.

Just cause Yushenko is protesting don't mean he won. Siting only western ukraine election results skews the reality where most of the people live in the east and south.

[Lukasz]

Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, the Polish deputy speaker of the European parliament, declared Monday that Ukraine's presidential election had been rigged in favour of pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, adding his voice to a chorus of criticism of the poll.

Saryusz-Wolski, an observer of the election run-off between Yanukovich and his pro-Western opponent Viktor Yushchenko, told the Polish PAP news agency, "There was no victory for Yanukovich. This election was fraudulent."

He warned, "This false result will be challenged in the courts by the party which really won ... and international public opinion, including in the European Union and the European Parliament, will not be indifferent."

Poland's Prime Minister Marek Belka also expressed concern Monday at what he called a number of cases of fraud in the polling in his country's eastern neighbour.

Other observers, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and senior US Senator Richard Lugar, also alleged the results had been faked.

With votes counted from 99.14 percent of polling stations, Yanukovich was credited with 49.42 percent of the vote, compared with 46.69 for Yushchenko, who has protested the results.

http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/041122194229.u40kycdn

Three others polish deputes including former polish PM are actually also in Kiev with Yuschenko, as well as Belarusian opposition leader and some Russian democrats. Polish president Kwasniewski also said that it is not OK.

Lech Walesa is going to Ukraine to support Yuschenko.

Fight the commies!

[FrankRepublican]

Looks like this election was rigged like the recall for Chavez in Venezuela. Moscow rigged this. Too bad Jiminy Carter wasn't in the Ukraine to vouch for this rigged election.

These poor people deserve democracy.

[FrankRepublican]

I really admire Lech Walesa.

Looks like the Kremlin rigged this election.

[Lukasz]

exit-polls 54:43 for Yuschenko.
Difference is huge, they falsified for sure. Official site is under Kuchma control and Kuchma is commie thief.

[Lukasz]

Russian DUMA recognized even Belarusian elections as fair. Those hypocrites should shut up once and for all.

[AdmSmith]

Dobry wieczór Lukasz, Poland has special relations with Ukraine and it is nice to hear that Lech is heading to Kiev. Will he have a rerun of solidarnosc?

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/i_latestdetail.asp?id=24445

Ukrainian opposition leader claims victory (updated AM 00:35)

2004/11/24
KIEV, Ukraine, AP


Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko declared victory in Ukraine's presidential election and took a symbolic oath of office Tuesday, warning that the country was on the verge of civil conflict. About 200,000 supporters gathered in the capital to protest alleged election fraud.

Yushchenko accused authorities of rigging Sunday's vote in favor of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and announced a campaign of civil disobedience.

"Ukraine is on the threshold of a civil conflict," Yushchenko told lawmakers gathered for an emergency session of parliament to consider an opposition request to annul the election results. "We have two choices: either the answer will be given by the parliament, or the streets will give an answer."

The parliamentary session ended without making any decision, since only 191 lawmakers -- less than the 226 required to have a quorum -- attended.

After the session ended, Yushchenko swore an oath on a 300-year-old Bible. The Ukrainian constitution, however, stipulates that the president swears allegiance on a copy of the constitution. Lawmakers chanted "Bravo, Mr. President!"

Earlier, Yushchenko and his allies had released a statement appealing "to the parliaments and nations of the world to bolster the will of the Ukrainian people, to support their aspiration to return to democracy."

The opposition will conduct "a campaign of civil disobedience" and "a nonviolent struggle for recognition of the true results of the election."

The Election Commission's announcement that the Kremlin-backed Yanukovych was ahead of the Western-leaning Yushchenko has galvanized anger among many of the former Soviet republic's 48 million people. Official results, with more than 99.48 percent of precincts counted, showed Yanukovych leading with 49.39 percent to his challenger's 46.71 percent. But several exit polls had found Yushchenko the winner.

More than 100,000 people marched behind Yushchenko to the parliament building and waited behind metal barriers, waving orange flags -- Yushchenko's campaign color -- and holding a giant orange ribbon over their heads, chanting "Criminals go away!" But many began leaving after parliament failed to reach quorum and temperatures dropped as evening approached.

In parliament, pro-Yushchenko lawmakers -- wearing orange handkerchiefs in their pockets -- took turns at the podium.

"All political forces should negotiate and solve the situation without blood," said parliament speaker Volodymyr Litvyn.

"The activities of politicians and the government ... have divided society and brought people into to the streets," Litvyn said. "Today there is a danger of activities moving beyond control."

A no confidence vote in parliament would have carried political significance, but it would not have been binding. According to the Ukrainian constitution, a no-confidence vote must be initiated by the president -- and outgoing President Leonid Kuchma has staunchly backed Yanukovych.

Opposition leader and Yushchenko ally Yulia Tymoshenko, wearing an orange ribbon around her neck, called on lawmakers "not to go to into any negotiations" with the government. Instead, Tymoshenko said, they should "announce a new government, a new president, a new Ukraine."

Yushchenko supporters set up tents awash with orange on Kiev's main avenue and in Independence Square, pledging to stay despite freezing temperatures until he is declared president. People continued to arrive in minibuses and on foot, raising fears of civil unrest in this nation of 48 million.

The tent city even generated its own one-page newspaper, which was being handed out to supporters.

Mykola Tomenko, a lawmaker and Yushchenko ally, said some police had joined the opposition, although the claim was impossible to independently verify. One police officer, wearing an orange ribbon in his uniform, ordered a group of police outside a government building to retreat inside, defusing tension between them and Yushchenko supporters.

Kiev's city council and the administrations of four other sizable cities -- Lviv, Ternopil, Vinnytsia and Ivano-Frankivsk -- have refused to recognize the official results and they back Yushchenko.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who strongly praised Yanukovych during the election, sent his congratulations to the prime minister, but observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other international organizations pointed to extensive indications of voting fraud.

The European Union called for an urgent review of the results, and Senator Richard Lugar, chairman of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, spoke of "a concerted and forceful program of election-day fraud and abuse."

In televised comments, Yanukovych called for national unity, saying: "I categorically will not accept the actions of certain politicians who are now calling people to the barricades. This small group of radicals has taken upon itself the goal of splitting Ukraine."

[Lukasz]

Well our former PM who is in Kiev now, in his speech compared protesters to our Solidarity. Many Ukrainians cities recognize Yuschenko as a new president. In Lvov is similar demonstration with 100 thousands of people and in Ivano-Frankovsk 60 thousands. More than for cities refused to recognize the official results. (fresh news)
I just saw the poll in main polish portal and 75% of voters thinks that polish government shouldn’t accept Yanukovych, 6% undecided and the rest I mean commies thinks that everything is OK.

[Lukasz]

More than FOUR cities refused to recognize the official results. (fresh news)

[Grzegorz 246]

Polish news channel TVN 24 has announced that a military armored column is approaching to Kiev . I heard also that 2000 Russian soldiers arrived.

[AdmSmith]

If this is correct Putin will have serious problems with both US and EU.

We can not accept Russian military intervention in Ukraine.

Please check again if it was Russian or Ukrainian soldiers.

[Agog]

Reports now that Russia is sending troops to Ukraine, including Spetznaz, according to Ukrainian newspaper Korrespondent. Also reports that the Ukrainian diplomatic corps in US have repudiated Yanukovich and the fraud that supposedly elected him (which came as a complete surprise to me).

[Agog]

That is to say, the decision of the diplomat corps was a surprise, the fraud, regrettably, was only too predictable.

Here are links, in Russian:

http://www.korrespondent.net/main/107452 regarding Spetznaz

http://www.maidan.org.ua/static/news/1101187142.html regarding diplomat corps.

[AdmSmith]

In the first article the MVD spokesman Vladimir says that they have not sent any troops and will not send any. I could not connect to the other site.

[Agog]

I would not expect the MVD spokesman to admit to Russia violating Ukraine's sovereignty. As to the second link, open a new browser window and try again. Ukrainian web sites are notoriously flaky.

[FreeReign]

Reports now that Russia is sending troops to Ukraine, including Spetznaz, according to Ukrainian newspaper Korrespondent.

I hope not.

AP/Yahoo | 11/23/04 | Aleksandar Vasovic | [excerpt]: ...Dmytro Schwartz, 70 ,a retired schoolteacher, came to Independence Square with his 11-year-old grandson, David. "This is Ukraine's rebirth, and you should remember that," Schwartz told the boy...

[Truth666]

Place your bets. After all it's the end game.
Everywhere puzzles getting completed. Just some small pieces, the picture has been clear for some years.