Triumph For People Power After Ukraine Vote Annulled

ABC News ^ | 12/03/04 | Reuters/Pavel Polityuk

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko declared victory in an "orange revolution" on Friday after the ex-Soviet state's top judges annulled a rigged election and ordered a new vote on Dec. 26.

The Supreme Court ruling is a slap in the face for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who only on Thursday met outgoing Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and said he was right to oppose a re-run of the poll's final round last month.

A triumphant Yushchenko addressed tens of thousands of supporters in the center of the capital Kiev, telling them to stay in the streets until Kuchma sacked the government and the election commission that held the tainted vote.

Young and old protesters clad in the opposition's orange colors set off fireworks and cheered each Supreme Court judge by name in Independence Square amid scenes of jubilation.

The crisis following the election battle between Western- oriented Yushchenko and Moscow-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich has plunged Ukraine into turmoil and kindled distrust between Russia and the West.

The judges agreed with Yushchenko's allegations that the Nov. 21 run-off vote had been subject to systematic fraud.

"Ukraine is henceforth a true democratic state," Yushchenko told the crowd, one of his young daughters hugging his leg.

"Mr Kuchma, Mr Yanukovich! Find the courage and go! Don't torture your people."

Putin had invested political capital in Yanukovich, congratulating him on a win before it was officially announced, while the European Union and United States made stronger- than-usual objections to vote rigging in an ex-Soviet state.

"This is the birth of Ukrainian democracy and a victory for the rule of law," said Adrian Karatnycky, senior scholar at U.S.-funded democracy advocates Freedom House.

"This is the end of Russian aspirations for hegemony."

GEORGIA PART TWO

Ukraine is the second ex-Soviet state in a year to back a Western-leaning leader after mass unrest over vote-rigging. Similar scenes of protest in Tbilisi a year ago led to the ousting of veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze.

"It is a historic day today not only for Ukraine but for the whole region and for Georgia," Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said in Tbilisi. He wore an orange tie, hailing a new "process of democratization."

Yushchenko's reference to an "orange revolution" was a play on Georgia's "rose revolution."

"We want to see millions of honest Ukrainian people in power," he said. "We want Ukrainian people to take power."

The United States welcomed the Supreme Court decision, saying it was important the new vote be free and fair.

"This is something we've been waiting for a long time. That's why we've been here for such a long time despite cold and snow," said Andrei Kuts, a history graduate, in Independence Square, before rock groups kicked off a street party.

The protesters have thronged the heart of Kiev for 12 days. On Friday they chanted "Kuchma out! Kuchma out!"

Kuchma's 10 years in office were tainted by scandal and he has no automatic immunity from prosecution once he steps down.

In contrast to the jubilation in Kiev and the Ukrainian- speaking west of the country, the judgment was met with dismay in the Russian-speaking eastern city of Donetsk.

"It is awful how those people in Kiev treat us, people say we were paid to vote for Yanukovich," said Sergei Masterzheka, 26, one of 4,000 supporters at a rally for the prime minister.

"We voted and voted honestly because Yanukovich is one of us, he is from near here. We will vote again and we will show them how we support him."

Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski, a mediator in the crisis, said he expected the new vote to be fair and that Yanukovich would run.

If Yanukovich pulled out at the last minute, Yushchenko would have to secure more than 50 percent of the vote to win the election, Yanukovich aide Stepan Havrysh was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency. There was no word from Yanukovich himself.

The crisis sparked a run on banks and has seen the parliament adopt a more aggressive role, passing motions to sack Yanukovich and declare the election fraudulent.

Earlier on Friday, it voted to demand that Ukraine's 1,500 troops in Iraq pull out. Troop withdrawal was a campaign pledge by both candidates but the deployment was overseen by Kuchma.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Oops! Sorry for the unintentional typo, in headline. Can this be fixed, please, maybe...? :)

[leadpencil1]

Leave the headline alone. We wan't people to make alot pof jokes about the typo.

[Edgerunner]

So they gonna roll the "Ukrainian" tanks soon?

[GOP_Party_Animal]

Darn, I thought this was going to be about Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

[DoughtyOne]

Well, it looks like I owe Colin Powell an appology for my comments a week to ten days ago. His and other leaders' comments certainly seem to have had more impact than I thought they would.

I did not think that election could be overturned short of a lot of people dying. It's great to see that I was wrong on this one.

[GarySpFc]

Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko declared victory in an "orange revolution" on Friday after the ex-Soviet state's top judges annulled a rigged election and ordered a new vote on Dec. 26.

And what happens when the majority in the East and South votes and the results are the same. Are they going to scream election fraud and demand recounts until they win. George Soros has done it again.

[jb6]

We will continue to have elections until the correct candidate is elected. Very EUish of them. Remember the Ireland referrandum on the Euro? They voted no, so instantly new vote and so on until the Irish were into the Euro insanity (now the second most expensive nation in the EU after Finland).

[jb6]

The dying is yet to come. What will they do when the majority of the South and East vote Yanukovich again? They've lost the initiative on group rallies to. This time, watch, Yanukovich is going to marshal the mass crowds into Kiev just as quickly as Yaschenko instead of playing second fiddle on the crowd race. When you get two equally sized and pissed off crowds after 3 elections, its blood shed.

[DoughtyOne]

When I look at what's going on in our own nation, I have second thoughts on election challenges. I don't want fraud, but IMO a large part of our populace is so close to going postal, that I sometimes wonder if we have room to talk about protesters on either side in other nations. You just wait until this election is thrown up in our face when another close one comes along in our own nation.

[struwwelpeter]

Latest news (12-03-2004)

"I have a lot of news. The main thing, I'm just bursting with pride for my people. the Supreme court has thrown out the TsVK decision about Yanukovich's victory and set December 26th as the date of the new re-voting. In other words, Yushchenko has won, and together with him we have won.

"On Maidan (Independence) square the most miraculous atmosphere reigns, it feeds you with its energy. All the people are friendly, all of Kyiv helps the newcombers with food, medicines, and apartments.

"On Independence square they've forbidden alcohol, there is strict discipline and responsible people from Yuschenko's headquarters maintain control, that is, they organize everything at the highest level. They prepare hot food and feed people who've arrived, and those sleeping in the tent city they've clothed in warm things, they give vitamins so that they won't get sick. Such an atmosphere I've never seen before.

"Omel'chenko, the mayor of Kyiv, spoke and said that there is practically no crime in Kyiv. In the tough years the Slavs unite and harmoniously make it through. Today, as always, Yushchenko spoke in the evening, he greeted the people and asked them not to leave yet, since victory must be reinforced. He greeted those who got married on the Maidan. There are even such as these. And he wished that in 9 months they would bring a present for themselves and for all of us in honor of democracy's victory. We are great. All of Europe is happy for us. They showed the meeting of the European council, how they all were in the orange scarfs and were pleased that Ukrainians were so insisting on their democracy.

"But Kuchma, the cad, sold out the people. He went to Putin, but there they didn't even let him out of the airport, that is they consulted in a wardroom about what more to do. Red-haired birth defect. My children also took part in the struggle, they froze on the Maidan, but they came home with burning eyes and in good spirit, they were infected by the spirit on the Maidan. For a few days I've been learning the national anthem, but it's so complicated, some idiot wrote it. But I have to learn it. Kristina says that all the elephants in the world stomped on my ears."

Original text here.
Ukrainian national anthem (partial + melody) here.

(Kyiv's Independence Square, from last summer)

[struwwelpeter]

From Kyiv, 12-04-2004:

"The situation has gotten a bit more tense. Today the parliament was to have made changes to the constitution which would limit the powers of the president and divide some of his functions between the speakers, premier, and president. Yushchenko and his company, however, refused to accept the entire document in a package, and this lead to some complications with his partners - with Moroz and the socialist party. It's bad, since the people respects them and they where all together during this difficult period. Bad."

Her Blog on the elections crisis (September 17th to December 4th)

[Rocky Mountain Mama]

bump

[null and void]

[jb6]

Think of this as a general dress rehearsal for the Hiltery election in 3 years. Hitlry is much closer to Soros then sKervy ever was, so the big fight will come soon. By this time, he'll have even more practice in Bulgaria and Armenia and will have the assets of Ukraine, Bulgaria, Armenia and Georgia to fund the Hitlery take over.

I wonder how many bright bulbs here will be calling him a minor evil when he's there master in 2008.

[jb6]

I particularly like all the "spontaneous" lefty crowds, out fitted with "spontaneous" plasma screens, stages and rock concerts. Only thing they didn't fly in was the Boss and the Dixie Chirps.