Ukraine prepares for new election

The Ukrainian parliament is due to meet to pass the laws needed for a re-run of last month's presidential election. On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the poll had been fraudulent, and a new election is expected on 26 December.

Pro-Western candidate Viktor Yushchenko said the decision showed Ukraine was "a true democratic state".

But aides to his rival who had been declared winner, pro-Moscow Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, said the court had played a "political role".

His supporters in the eastern city of Donetsk were angry at the verdict and vowed to vote for Mr Yanukovych again.

The original 21 November run-off had been criticised by Western observers over what they said were numerous irregularities.

The prime minister and his patron, outgoing President Leonid Kuchma, had pressed for a completely new election - possibly with a new government candidate.

But Mr Yushchenko wanted - and got - a re-run of the second round only, possibly enabling him to capitalise on the momentum he has built up, with thousands of his supporters thronging the streets of the capital since the last poll almost a fortnight ago.

He told them to keep up their protest - and urged President Kuchma to sack the prime minister and the country's election commission.

After five days of deliberations, Supreme Court said it had found that the results of the 21 November poll were marked by numerous violations which the central election commission had failed to examine.

"The actions and decisions of the central election commission concerning the results of the run-off presidential vote were unlawful," Judge Anatoly Yarema said.

Tens of thousands of opposition protesters who had converged on Kiev's central square to await the verdict cheered at the outcome, waving blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags and orange opposition flags, and chanting "Yushchenko! Yushchenko!".

"Today Ukraine has turned to justice, democracy and freedom," Mr Yushchenko told the jubilant crowd.

The court "even went beyond the plaintiff's appeal... [that] did not ask for another run-off vote, but had asked to annul results," Interfax news agency quoted Stepan Havrysh, a Yanukovych aide, as saying.

Email from a friend in 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 back, since the people respects them and they where all together during this difficult period. Bad."

From 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)

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