Ukraine's Crisis

FACED WITH extraordinary demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of citizens demanding democracy, Ukraine's corrupt and thuggish government wavered this week, hinting that it might be willing to negotiate about the outcome of the presidential election that took place Sunday. Yet yesterday its official electoral commission ratified the fraudulent result that brought those crowds into the streets of the capital: It declared that Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych had won despite abundant evidence to the contrary. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell rightly responded that the United States "cannot accept this result as legitimate" and "stands with the people of Ukraine and their effort to ensure their democratic choice." In the coming days the United States and its European allies must follow up on those words by demanding that the Ukrainian authorities -- and their backers in Moscow -- listen to, rather than repress, the majority that now seeks to prevent their country from becoming an authoritarian state.

Some have described the crisis in Ukraine as a contest for influence between Russia and the West, with the West backing opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko in the same measure that Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported the official candidate. That is a gross distortion. For the Ukrainians who have spent four freezing nights in the streets of Kiev, the fight is not about geopolitical orientation -- most favor close relations with Moscow -- but about whether theirs will be a free country, with an independent press and courts and leaders who are chosen by genuine democratic vote. Mr. Putin, who has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars into the prime minister's campaign, is backing the imposition of an authoritarian system along the lines of the one he is creating in Russia -- with a propagandistic regime, controlled media, official persecution of dissent, business executives....

How Yanukovich Falsified the Elections. Intercepted Phone Calls of the Head Office
Ukrains'ka pravda, 24 November 2004
[translated by Yulia Yarotska for UKL]

High ranked officials of the law enforcement bodies have passed to the Yushchenko's office
audio files and prints of the conversations from the "shaded" office of Yanukovich. The
information clearly shows that Yanukovich firmly controlled the voting and votes counting
processes during both rounds of election. With the help of "detaching" coupons (which
gives people the right to vote at a different occasion than the one they are registered
for if there is a justified need), "closed" voting, voting at home and other methods,
Yanukovich and his team were able to reach their goals with little problems. The
application of mobile voting, the knowledge of exact numbers of "detaching" coupons, and
usage of manipulative technologies as well as usage of exit-polls results gave them an
advanced knowledge of precise final results.

Here are prints of only three conversations that took place on the day of second round of
elections; the original language is preserved. Yushchenko's office promises that the mass
media will have audio files during next few hours.

1) November 21, 2004, 16:59
Levenets (the political technologist of Yanukovich): How do you do?
Unknown: We have results for 14:30; for now we are losing by1,46%
Levenets: Are we losing overall?
Unknown: We have interviewed 6.700, that is 60% of our sample. As I understand, the
dynamics will favour us from now, because all these "villagers" have already voted. We'll
gain advantage.
Levenets: When will we have the approximate results?
Unknown: After 19:00. We have agreed that we'll make them before 18:00.
Levenets: We have to have aan dvantage already at 18:00. Do you keep in touch with Edik?
Unknown: Yes. At what time do you need results?
Levenets: At 18:00 according the preliminary results we have to have an advantage.
Unknown: I have agreed with him that I'll give him real results, he will produce
parameters; he will need half an hour. Hold on, we are finishing at 18:00; so we'll have
results at 19:00. After 19:00 I'll give you the results. We'll settle down the parameters
and will come to the required results.
Levenets: Deal then.

(2) November 21, 2004, 19:05
Levenets: Greetings! How do you do?
Valeriy: Not very good. We have negative results.
Levenets: What do you mean?
Valeriy: 48.37 for opposition, 47.64 for us.
Levenets: Is this for 18:00?
Valeriy: We have agreed for a 3-3,5% difference in our favour. We are preparing a table
with the results per oblast; you'll have it by fax in 15-20 minutes.
Levenets: How many people have been interviewed at 18:00?
Valeriy: 10612
Levenets: Is this "real"?
Valeriy: Yes. Can we place this data on our website? Or should we give it to Interfax, so
we are not exposed on TV?
Levenets: Call Prutnik, he is in charge on these issues.
Valeriy: I think we need to speed up the organizational measures to avoid possible
complications.
Levenets: I've understood. Keep in touch.

(3) November 21, 2004, 19:34
Unknown is telling Sergey Kliuev (the brother of the current head of the Yanukovich
office, Andrey Kliuev), that "at KPI in one hour they have increased by 30%"
Unknown: We have forced the students outside, the professors were controlling the gates:
"do not allow anyone from outside!"
Kliuev: Let's send our support group over there.
Unknown: We have already did it.
Kliuev: So let's organize some fights or something like this.
Unknown: Already in progress.

(4) November 22, 2004, 05:30
Levenets: How do you do? What is going on? How come Kiev is rising?
Unknown: I have the next situation: roughly I have 18.2% for our candidate and 76% for
Yushchenko.
Levenets: have you already summarized everything?
Unknown: Yes, and I have a plan for next step.
Levenets: Do you have all protocols?
Unknown: Yes, but in CEC they put aside 7 protocols, according to my order. I have to
decide now whether to cancel them or not.
Levenets: Do you have any reasons to cancel them?
Unknown: Yes.
Levenets: So what is the problem?
Unknown: The parameters will be lower, but the balance will be better.
Levenets: Send to hell these parameters; the balance will be better!
Unknown: Sure.
Levenets: So, no questions; do it.
Unknown: I've got it. I will try to do it now.
Levenets: No problems. We are in the black. Improve our balance; we'll simply advance even
more.

These are only some talks that were provided by Yushchenko's representatives. In general
we have access to the conversations between Yanukovich representatives from October 30 up
to today's morning.

The voices of Medvedchuk, Kivalov, brothers Kliuev, Tsariov, Liovochkin, Prutnik are
recorded. Oleg Rybachuk, the head of the Yushchenko's office, has stated that these
conversations will be publicized shortly. They are currently preparing to provide
international organizations, embassies of foreign countries and NGOs with the copies of
records of conversations.

One of the deputies has stated that he is preparing to transfer the records to the office
of Prosecutor General of Ukraine and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU); he will demand
explanations or justifications about the validity of the information.

Rybachuk has emphasized that the person who provided Yushchenko's representatives with the
samples is in a safe place. The person is ready to testify in court and to affirm and
guarantee the validity of this evidence.

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