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Europe
Ukraine teeters on 'brink of civil conflict'
2004-11-24
It looks like the Ukes are trying to do the Rose Revolution thing, alà Georgia. I don't see it happening yet, though I hope I'm wrong.
Ukraine has plunged deeper into turmoil with the losing candidate in the presidential election reading the oath of office in parliament while some 200,000 supporters outside demanded the government admit it had cheated. Opposition and West-leaning candidate Viktor Yushchenko, who called hundreds of thousands of protesters into the streets, told parliament on Tuesday that Ukraine "is on the brink of civil conflict". He accused the outgoing president and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich of responsibility for electoral fraud which produced the results that have Yanukovich poised to be named president. Supporters prompted Yushchenko to read the oath of office after the conclusion of a tumultuous session of parliament that was boycotted by Yanukovich allies. He read the oath with his hand on a Bible, opened a window in the parliament building and addressed a sea of supporters outside who have turned out for a second day of raucous protest, which has the centre of the capital seething with anger. Speaker after speaker stepped up to the microphone in Kiev's Independence Square to defiantly pledge loyalty to Yushchenko. "We are fighting for democracy and we will win," declared Ihor Ostash, an opposition parliamentary deputy, draped like others in the orange campaign colours of Yushchenko's camp. The parliamentary session ended without taking any decision on the aftermath of the poll. "We are sliding towards the abyss. It is amoral and criminal to pretend nothing is happening in the country," parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn told deputies at the debate's start.
How do you say MoveOn in Russian?
Posted by:Fred

#8  Ukraine teeters on 'brink of civil conflict'

"Civil conflict"......it sounds so.....so sanitized.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-11-25 12:00:48 AM  

#7  Thanks, Aris.

Rafael, unlike the US, Ukraine truly is deeply divided geographically, and by ethnicity and political orientation as well. It would not be all bad if western Ukraine broke away and formed its own democratic, western-leaning government. Bring it into NATO and eventually the EU.
Posted by: lex   2004-11-24 5:01:29 PM  

#6  While I believe that Yushchenko won the election, I'm also certain that Yanukovich received a sizable chunk of votes. This may very well have been a close election, though not of the order of the US.
Posted by: Rafael   2004-11-24 2:21:50 PM  

#5  Definitely poisoned.

Also read this: http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=401&issue_id=3098&article_id=2368647

and this:
http://www.ukrweekly.com/Archive/2004/410404.shtml

I like the story about the fake "assassination attempt" on *Yanukovich*, though. Cute.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2004-11-24 2:09:13 PM  

#4  TGA, was Yushchenko poisoned by Yanukovich's goons? Seems so, from the looks of his godawful new skin condition.
Posted by: lex   2004-11-24 1:27:58 PM  

#3  Ahh, Democracy... ain't it grand? [grin]
I wonder what "Hail to the Theif" is in Ukrainan?
Or better yet, "Selected, not Elected"? [smirk]

Now the Ukrainans can learn about how to plan for the next election.
Posted by: N guard   2004-11-24 9:23:21 AM  

#2  Let's hope so.
Posted by: True German Ally   2004-11-24 4:10:01 AM  

#1  I think (and hope) they will succeed. Putin backed away from his earlier congratulations of Yanukovich, which implies to me that he's trying to save what can be saved of Russia's relationship with Ukraine. Which means he's afraid Yushchenko can end up president.

Theft of this election was blatant enough, that I think the Ukrainians will manage to win this.

Three weeks ago I had posted this -- though, mind you, it's more of a rant than an essay, and more of a discussion of CIS/EU rather than of Ukraine specifically.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2004-11-24 12:27:50 AM  

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