Posted on 11/25/2004 3:08:26 PM PST by neverdem
KIEV, Ukraine, Nov. 25 - Prime Minister Viktor F. Yanukovich, the official winner of Ukraine's disputed presidential election, offered a series of concessions to his opposition today, hoping to break the nation's political impasse, even as a court decision left open the possibility of a legal challenge to his legitimacy as president-elect.
A frantic legal and political battle is under way for public authority and perception, and the first results from Ukraine's highest court appeared to favor Victor A. Yushchenko, the opposition candidate.
Mr. Yanukovich's offer included guarantees for legal amnesty to members of the opposition, as well as a pledge to protect opposition and minority political rights in the future, to encourage more independent voices in the Ukrainian news media and to shift unspecified powers in the presidency to the Supreme Rada, Ukraine's legislative branch.
The offer was made on national television even as tens of thousands of people continued their antigovernment rallies here in the capital. But it was promptly rejected by Mr. Yushchenko, who has filed a lawsuit in the nation's Supreme Court seeking to overturn the official results. His staff predicted the court challenge would prevail.
"We will never, never accept the results of this election," said Oleg Rybachuk, a member of parliament and Mr. Yushchenko's chief of staff, saying it had been tilted in the prime minister's direction "by gross fabrication."
Mr. Yushchenko spent the day trying to expand his support and secure symbolic victories, while also trying to gain legal traction against the government in court and to gauge the effects of a national strike that he hopes will force Mr. Yanukovich and Leonid D. Kuchma, the outgoing president, to nullify the results.
In a ruling today, the court ordered that the election results not be published by the government in newspapers until allegations of fraud and electoral abuse had been reviewed, an order that while inconclusive buoyed the opposition and was met with roars of approval in Independence Square.
"This Supreme Court decision is a benchmark in the fight to overturn the election," Mr. Rybachuk said, in a telephone interview not long after the results were announced.
He said the opposition's reading of the law indicated that election results were not binding until they were published in government notifications and that Mr. Yushchenko had managed to stop their publication just in time.
But minutes later, the independent Channel 5 reported that the government was rushing its election notification to print and would ignore its judicial branch. The report could not immediately be confirmed.
With the country in a deadlock and the moves between the two camps accelerating, Mr. Yushchenko appeared several times during the day with Lech Walesa, the Nobel Laureate and founder of the Solidarity movement in Poland, who had come to Kiev to urge both sides to refrain from violence and to negotiate their differences. Mr. Walesa's sentiments seemed clearly with the opposition.
"All of my life I have been fighting for these ideals," he said in a brief appearance before reporters. "There is no free Poland without a free Ukraine.
Later, on the stage in Independence Square, Mr. Walesa told the thousands of assembled demonstrators that he admired their spirit and would support their efforts. He urged them not to relent.
"You can rely on the support of Poland and Walesa," he said. "But we cannot do it for you. You have to do it yourselves."
Ukraine has been locked in a political stalemate since Monday, when preliminary results of presidential runoff on Sunday suggested a 3-point victory by Mr. Yanukovich.
International election observers reported extensive and highly organized state fraud had assisted the prime minister. And as demonstrators began streaming into the capital, Western governments, including the United States, urged President Kuchma not to make the results official.
Mr. Kuchma's government validated the results on Wednesday, pushing the nation of 48 million deeper into disarray.
The events today showed the calculations and thinking behind Mr. Kuchma's and Mr. Yanukovich's coordinated moves, but they also suggested Mr. Yanukovich's once-autocratic hold on the country was no longer complete.
Mr. Yushchenko has a very large and organized following, including a savvy youth movement that appears to have the energy and endurance to demonstrate for an extended time. The mood in the capital is unmistakably behind him, and Western leaders and governments have backed his call for investigations into fraud and for a fair election to determine the presidency.
But for all of the moral support that has been attached to his democracy drive, Mr. Yushchenko had until today failed to bring essential elements of Mr. Kuchma's government to his side, and members of Mr. Yanukovich's campaign and Mr. Kuchma's inner circle said they believe he may have crested.
Alex Vasilyev, head of Mr. Kuchma's information department, described the demonstrations as "political theater."
Many signs had not been encouraging for opposition.
Mr. Yushchenko's effort to challenge the vote in parliament failed when he could not muster a quorum to convene a special session, and he was similarly unable to prevent the Central Election Commission from assembling a quorum to rush through results that declared him the official loser.
And while Ukraine's military, police and intelligence services have not moved against him, through this evening they had not shown strong signs of support and had done little to discourage the bands of Yanukovich supporters who have begun wandering the capital, often taunting the opposition side.
Mr. Yanukovich's campaign manager, Sergei Tihipko, said the offer to negotiate today, beginning with the four concessions by the prime minister, were meant to begin calming the streets after what he called the prime minister's irrevocable victory.
"Now we can speak of the steps to take to release the tension," he said. He also said that he was not worried by any court challenges, and that the victory would stand. "Nobody, even the Supreme Court, can cancel it."
Soon thereafter, when the court ruling this evening suggested that Mr. Yushchenko still had a chance, it was the opposition that claimed the momentum had shifted.
"It means that now we can forget about a Yanukovich inauguration in the near future," Mr. Rybachuk said. "It will mean that we can forget about it at all."
Your opinion on this mess?
Are Putin's boys are coughing up concessions already?
They must be in a panic mode. They better warm up the planes they brought the goons in with. Make some room for the stooges, too.
It just struck me. I haven't seen Jimmy's name mentioned yet, he's usually in the thick of disputed elections. Ukrain would be better off without his presence, I'm just used to seeing his name pop up when elections are at risk of being stolen.
Bottom line is that if this were an honest election, Kuchma wouldn't have to mobilize Russian troops to put down the rebellion.
If he has called in the Russians, its because he doesn't trust his own police and soldiers to remain loyal when they face the citizenry. That, to me, speaks volumes.
If this election has indeed been stolen, the opposition had better be prepared to win in the streets, they had better pray for the army and police to join them, or at least protect them from the Russians. And finally, when its all over, who ever invited foreign troops into the country must be clapped into prison for a good long rest. Specifically, Kuchma had better go into exile, or face prison.
Those Uk Army generals who have failed to defend the country against foreign troops should be courtmartialed when this is over.
Jhimmie Cahtah's Modus Operandi is to stir up agitation and run his mouth in the run-up to an election.
When the mix turns sour, like in the Ukraine, Cahtah runs away.
Besides, he favor the ex-Soviets over a homegrown republican.
5% percent voters added on election day...
Isn't this what the democrats want (and have been successful in doing in some states?)
He's not Ukraine's premier, he's Ukraines EX-premier.
Outright Catholics, Greek Catholics, Ukrainian Russian Orthodox, ethnic Russian Orthodox, Nationalist Ukranian Orthodox schismatics, and non Slav minorities.
There is no loyalty much besides local/regional loyalty. No matter who had won those that lost would never feel any loyalty to the winner as would be the case say in America's blue-red state divide.
Ping
It would seem that Yanukovich has taken a lesson from the democrats here in the USA on how to rig an election.
Ukraine was the center of the first Slavic state, Kievan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kievan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kievan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of independence (1917-1920), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although independence was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, true freedom remains elusive, as the legacy of state control has been difficult to throw off.
That they don't have the intrasectional unity that we have here is not a bar to being a nation. It's simply that the U.S. has decided it's a unitary state instead of a republic and your comments reflect that. Seems like they're a nation to me, or their election for President would just be unimportant...it'd be like running for student body president. :)
I have not heard such mother goose marxism drivel in a while. It makes me nostalgic for me college days.
You forgot to mention a sizeable jewish population as well as baptist and jehovah witness and protestant (sounds like just about any other "artificial" nation).
PS - even the commies had to relent to the existence of the ukraine republic as in "UCCP" or ukrainski soviet socialist republic.
I have noticed this talking point on some other sites - is this the spin put out by the Putin PR people?
Does anyone remember November 3rd when the democrats were shouting some of the same charges against republicans? How much confidence do we have in these reports?
Who is the international observation election commission? Is part of the same cabal that sanctioned Jimmy Carter's observations in South America recently?
There's definately a poll-cat around here somewhere's. I'm just not convinced who it is yet.
Refreshing in comparison to some of the commie plants parading here on FR.
Tremendous support from across Ukraine, students and demonstrators are braving cold, having support from taxi drivers, people providing hot drinks, food, socks, clothing. Support coming from emigrees, starting collecting funds in support of demonstrators.
More disinformation propaganda spreding by commie stooge. Comparing situation with elections in Ukraine and US is sign of insanity and commie brainwashing. Go to Err America and confuse your buddies there, we don't need this crap here!
Keivan Rus was Russian - not Ukranian - after the Mongols the Russians moved themselves Northwars to Moscow - cure your lack of history. It's ok you are in good company - most Americans don't know history. As you can see from your post - no state of Ukraine existed - just states within the geographic area of the Ukraine.
Can't read? I wrote "and non Slav minorities."
Learn to read and digest what you read.
Viktor is not the official winner.
Court puts Ukraine result on hold
Concessions? Viktor, get on the plane.
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