Klitschko rallies hundreds of thousands of opposition in Kyiv

Younger boxing brother backs Yushchenko: ‘the people are the authority’ (Post Staff) - Heavyweight boxer Volodymyr Klitschko spoke to hundreds of thousands of supporters of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in central Kyiv during the early afternoon of Nov. 23.

An estimated million opposition protesters are clogging central Kyiv on this snowy afternoon during Ukraine’s political crisis.

Wearing a scarf and tie in Yushchenko’s signature colors of bright orange, Klitschko – whose older brother Vitaly is heavyweight champion of the world and who flew into Kyiv from Las Vegas – said “Viktor Andreyevich Yushchenko is our president.”

“Politics is a fight,” he said, speaking in Russian, “but like sports, there are rules, and if a sportsman breaks the rules he is disqualified.”

Klitschko, one of the most famous Ukrainians in the world, said that in Ukraine “the people are the authority,” and that Ukraine is a “civilized, democratic nation.” He called for peace, and for protestors not to fall prey to provocations.

Older brother Vitaly Klitschko has also expressed support for Yushchenko, but could not come to Kyiv as he is in the United States preparing for a title fight.

Opposition approaches showdown with militia; soldiers being tranferred into Kyiv
Nov 24, 14:57

Militiamen and ‘tourists’ arrive at Central Election Commission; dozens of troop helicopters flying into capital from eastern cities
(Korrespondent.net and Post Staff) - Around 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 24 dozens of buses full of militiamen and unknown citizens started pulling up on Lesi Ukrainky Blvd. in central Kyiv, near the Central Election Commission (CEC).

At that time tens of thousands of supporters of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko were approaching the CEC from the other side of the city, where they were massed in and around Maidan Nezalezhnosti.

From the windows of the Post’s offices, at least 22 buses were visible. The buses all had their windowshades drawn. Journalists on the street, however, were able to peer into them and see militiamen wearing flak jackets and carrying riot gear.

The buses also contained people of unknown origin wearing civilian clothes. Dumptrucks full of sound and snow, meanwhile, have been arrayed around the CEC.

When approached, the people in the buses turned away and refused to engage in conversation.

The buses have confounded trolleybus traffic on this tense, snowy afternoon as the city braces for possible violence. In the middle of the road stand people handing out small flags bearing the symbol of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko to passing motorists. Many motorists are taking them, while others are honking their horns and flashing their lights.

Channel 5 and other media are reporting that bloodshed could occur in the city in the near future as the mass of opposition protesters – which Post reporters downtown have estimated at almost a million – meet the militiamen and “tourists” mobilized by the government.

Sources report that Kyiv's Borispyl airport has played host to a continuous stream of air troop convoys from Ukraine's east, in particular Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk. Both city's are part of the core of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's support.

Sources report that a column of about 20 to 30 trucks are moving along Solomenska toward the city center; and that along Krasnozvezdnaya a “huge column of cars full of soldiers” are moving toward the bus terminal.

Hundreds of buses full of unknown people who refused to engage in dialogue with journalists and explain the reason for their coming to Kyiv have appeared in the capital over the last several days.

As the mass media has reported, they are probably supporters of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych whom the government is bussing in from the country’s eastern regions. Kyiv is also full of hundreds of militiamen and special forces.

Sources are also reporting that many soldiers from Ukraine’s regions are being relocated to Kyiv. Defense Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk denies these charges.

In particular, sources in the city of Alexandry reported to us today that a helicopter regiment has been dispatched to the capital.

Almost there. Mobile telephone service may be cut off in
attempt to reduce opposition coordination (that means I
can't call anyone from outside the office or apartment)

16:36 :: KUCHMA SAID TO KWASNIEWSKI THAT RECENT ACTIONS OF OPPOSITION ARE ILLEGAL

16:35 :: TOMORROW EU PLANS TO DISCUSS UKRAINIAN SITUATION
WITH RUSSIA

16:34 :: KUCHMA KEEPS HIMSELF ALOOF FROM FULFILLING DUTIES OF PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE - SOURCE FROM DEFENSE MINISTRY OF UKRAINE

16:33 :: YUSHCHENKO READY FOR REPEAT VOTING IN SECOND ROUND OF UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

16:31 :: NONE OF EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES AMBASSADORS HAS LEFT UKRAINE

16:31 :: SPECIAL AMBASSADOR OF NETHERLANDS, PRESIDING THE EUROPEAN UNION, ARRIVES IN UKRAINE WITH LETTER TO POWER STRUCTURES

16:26 :: SITTING OF COUNCIL OF CIS DEFENSE MINISTERS TO TAKE
PLACE IN MOSCOW TOMORROW

16:26 :: JOURNALISTS BANISHED FROM CENTRAL ELECTORAL
COMMISSION

16:19 :: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF “NOVA DOBA” CHERKASSY WEEKLY
SAYS HE IS BEING THREATENED FOR HIS SUPPORT OF YUSHCHENKO

15:46 :: TODAY UNIAN JOURNALISTS WERE BANISHED FROM SESSION OF UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT

15:45 :: FRG CHANCELLOR SHREDER HAS CLAIMED THAT THE OUTCOME OF UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS FALSIFIED

15:43 :: UKRAINIANS IN PORTUGAL HAVE CALLED ON THIS
COUNTRY`S PARLIAMENT AND FOREIGN MINISTRY TO RECOGNIZE
YUSHCHENKO THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE

15:41 :: YANUKOVYCH HQ WORKED OUT INITIATIVES FOR
NEGOTIATIONS WITH YUSHCHENKO

15:37 :: RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT BLAMES UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION AND CLAIMS THAT ELECTIONS WERE FREE AND FAIR

15:21 :: KIVALOV RECEIVED A BRIBE OF 21 MILLION 600 THOUSAND
US DOLLARS FOR DECLARING YANUKOVYCH PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE - TOMENKO

15:20 :: ZAKARPATTYA CRIMINALS ARE HEADING TO KYIV TO
CONDUCT PROVOCATIONS - YUSHCHENKO HQ

15:19 :: "OKEAN ELZY" BAND LEADER SVYATOSLAV VAKARCHUK CALLS ON JOURNALISTS TO BE WITH NATION AND TO TELL ONLY TRUTH

15:18 :: KLICHKO DECLARES YUSHCHENKO IS PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE AND CLAIMS THAT PROCESS OF DELEGATING AUTHORITY MUST BE PEACEFUL

15:15 :: OSCE CHAIRMAN CONCERNED ABOUT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN UKRAINE

15:10 :: LUHANSK OBLAST COUNCIL FORBADE BROADCASTING OF TV 5 KANAL AND ERA AT LOCAL CABLE TV

14:57 :: THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXPRESSES ITS
CONCERNS ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION SURROUNDING THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN UKRAINE

14:08 :: JOURNALISTS OF VISTI NEWS PROGRAM OF FIRST NATIONAL TV-CHANNEL GO ON STRIKE

13:54 :: JOURNALISTS ARE NOT ALLOWED AT EXTRAORDINARY
SESSION OF KHERSON OBLAST COUNCIL

13:53 :: DNIPROPETROVSK OBLAST JOURNALISTS CALL ON THEIR
COLLEAGUES TO GIVE UNBIASED INFORMATION ABOUT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

13:43 :: ARMED FORCES MUST NOT BE INVOLVED IN POLITICAL
PROCESSES – YANUKOVYCH

13:37 :: 30 PEOPLE FROM TENT CITY IN SUPPORT OF YANUKOVYCH
JOINED YUSHCHENKO`S ALLIES

13:35 :: AT 15.00 HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS OF EU
COUNTRIES MAKE STATEMENT ON UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

13:32 :: YANUKOVYCH PLANS TO HOLD SESSION ON CHILDREN`S
PARTICIPATION IN POLITICAL MEASURES

13:18 :: CHERKASSY MAYOR DECLARED YUSHCHENKO PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE

13:10 :: BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTRY CALLS ON UKRAINIAN POWER
STRUCTURES TO CONSIDER ALL COMPLAINTS ABOUT FALSIFICATION OF ELECTION

13:07 :: ABOUT 15 THOUSAND OF YUSHCHENKO`S ADHERENTS FROM LVIV AND LVIV OBLAST MOVED FROM MAYDAN NEZALEZHNOSTI TO EUROPEAN SQUARE

13:06 :: EU PARTY HAILS VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO AS WINNER

13:05 :: THE UNITED STATES STANDS WITH THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE IN THIS DIFFICULT TIME - STATEMENT BY THE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY THE WHITE HOUSE (Wow. RAS comment)

13:01 :: SUSPICIOUS PLANES FLY IN KYIV FROM RUSSIA AND
DONETSK

12:56 :: YUSHCHENKO WAS POISONED WITH DIOXINE – BRITISH
SCIENTIFIC EDITION “NATURE.COM”

12:37 :: YANUKOVYCH CLAIMS THAT NOTHING SPECIAL IS TAKING
PLACE IN UKRAINE (also claims that he comes from Pluto)

12:25 :: YUSHCHENKO CLAIMS HE WILL NEGOTIATE ONLY WITH
LEONID KUCHMA

12:07 :: NOVA KAKHOVKA MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION CALLS ON
VERKHOVNA RADA TO GIVE LEGAL ESTIMATE TO PRESIDENTAL ELECTION

12:01 :: USA CRITICIZED RUSSIA FOR PREMATURE CONGRATULATION OF YANUKOVYCH ON VICTORY IN UKRAINIAN ORESIDENTIAL ELECTION

11:53 :: DEMAND TO SET UP AUTONOMY OF SOUTH-EASTERN OBLASTS OF UKRAINE HAS BEEN EXPRESSED AT SESSION OF DNIPROPETROVSK OBLAST COUNCIL

11:48 :: WORKERS OF POLTAVA PLANT OF GAS-DISCHARGE LAMPS INSTIGATED TO LEAVE FOR KYIV TO MAKE PROVOCATIONS

11:06 :: KHARKIV YUSHCHENKO`S ALLIES DEMAND MUNICIPAL
ADMINISTRATION TO DECLARE HIM PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE

11:05 :: ZHYTOMYR CITY COUNCIL PROPOSES VERKHOVNA RADA TO EXPRESS NO CONFIDENCE TO CEC

11:04 :: CEC WILL MAKE PUBLIC OFFICIAL OUTCOME OF UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AT 16.00 TODAY (did not happen)

Richard A. Shepard
One Shota Rustaveli
Kyiv, Ukraine 01203

Walesa coming to meditate stand-off
Nov 24, 19:49

WARSAW (AP) - Lech Walesa, the founder of Poland's Solidarity movement, will travel to Ukraine to act as a mediator in the standoff over the disputed presidential elections there, his son said Nov. 24.

Walesa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, had said Nov. 23 that he received a letter from Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko seeking his help in negotiating a resolution to the crisis.

Jaroslaw Walesa told The Associated Press that Walesa would leave for Kyiv early Nov. 25 for a one-day visit.

Lech Walesa told Polish news agency PAP that he wanted to meet outgoing President Leonid Kuchma and election rivals Yushchenko and Kremlin-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

"I would like to meet each of them" and tell them "I don't want to interfere with your affairs, but as a neighbor I would like to help as much as I can," Walesa told PAP.

He said he wanted to avoid a situation similar to Poland's 1981 martial law crackdown against the Solidarity labor movement, which he called a "crime on the Polish nation" that "divided the nation, killed determination and drove many people from the country."

Walesa launched the Solidarity movement in 1980, rallying workers as part of eastern Europe's first free labor union. He presided over round-table talks in 1989 that led to the peaceful end of communism in Poland, and was elected president the following year.

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