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  • Let's wait until Monday

    Agency WPS
    What the Papers Say. Part B (Russia)
    November 26, 2004, Friday

    LET'S WAIT UNTIL MONDAY

    SOURCE: Vremya Novotei, November 26, 2004, pp. 1-2

    by Svetlana Stepanenko, Denis Zaitsev, Alexander Tomofeyev

    The situation in Ukraine remains uncertain. Even if the candidates
    for president are prepared to reach a compromise, their foreign
    supporters only want victory.

    Vladimir Putin again congratulated Viktor Yanukovich on his victory -
    he sent an official message after the official voting results were
    announced. The leaders of Kazakhstan, Armenia and Uzbekistan joined
    the Russian leader.

    However, forces which refuse to acknowledge the validity of the
    election have not given up. Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter
    Balkenende, said in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President
    Leonid Kuchma that the results of the presidential election are
    unacceptable. In other words, the European Union has taken the same
    stand as the US, Britain, and Canada, which do not recognize the
    election results.

    It should be noted that all sides emphasize the necessity of settling
    the situation using legal mechanisms. The Ukrainian Supreme Court has
    banned the Central election commission from publishing the official
    results of voting "until it considers all complaints and lawsuits."
    The Central Election Commission recently said that 49.46% of voters
    supported Viktor Yanukovich in the second round of the election, and
    46.61% voted for Yushchenko. However, the opposition submitted a
    complaint about the decision of the Central Election Commission to
    the Supreme Court yesterday.

    The Supreme Court will consider the complaint on Monday. The Supreme
    Court's decision means that the winner of the election will not be
    able to hold the inauguration until all complaints have been
    considered, and Leonid Kuchma will remain the president of Ukraine.

    Ukrainian law does not make it possible to invalidate the overall
    election results. However, it is possible to invalidate the results
    of voting at several electoral districts. It is not ruled out that
    the Supreme Court will try not to use this measure, and advise the
    Central Election Commission to consider the second round of voting as
    invalid. If this happens the Central Election Commission will have to
    start making preparations for another election.

    Alexander Zinchenko, Yushchenko's campaign manager, says the
    opposition will only discuss the possibility of holding another
    election if it's monitored by the OSCE and international
    organizations. In addition, the opposition will insist on the Central
    Election Commission being replaced, the government being dismissed,
    and three television debates between the candidates.

    Mr. Yushchenko said that negotiations with Yanukovich can only start
    if both candidates refuse to acknowledge the results of the election.
    He threatened to organize a national walkout if government refuses to
    make concessions. The people blockade international roads in the
    Volynsk, Lviv, Kharkov, Zakarpatye, Sumsk, Ivano-Frankovsk and
    Chernigovsk regions. Yushechenko said: "We show that the geography of
    the opposition's influence goes beyond the center and Western
    Ukraine."

    Sergei Tigipko, Yanukovich's campaign manager, warned: "Some people
    say the opposition is seeing to create a south-eastern autonomy in
    Ukraine."

    Meanwhile, Yushchenko has established a national salvation commission
    and issued his first decrees. Decree No. 1 asks the people to defend
    the constitutional order. Other decrees concern the creation of the
    committee consisting of 30 people and an organization called "the
    people's self-defense." The opposition asked local government bodies
    to join the national rescue committee. The city councils of Boyarka,
    Irpen, Vishnesoi and Borispol joined the committee yesterday.
    Meetings in support of the opposition and the committee were held in
    Sumy, Khrakov, Krivorozhye and Dnepropetrovsk. Deputy Economy
    Minister Oleg Gaiduk resigned, saying that this is his "civic
    stance." An orange flag was raised over the building of the Ukrainian
    National Bank (Yushchenko headed the bank in 1993-99).

    Yushchenko acknowledged that he needs "a very substantial
    international intermediary in negotiations with the government in
    order to resolve the political crisis in Ukraine." Leonid Kuchma says
    Lithuania could act as such intermediary. Yushchenko's team trusts
    Poland. Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski agreed to come to Kiev
    as an intermediary after lengthy telephone talks with Kuchma. He
    said: "Negotiations are better than tanks on Independence Square."

    Former Polish President Lech Walensa arrived in Kiev yesterday. He
    was invited by Viktor Yushchenko. He warned: "I received the Nobel
    Peace Prize, and I can only use peaceful methods." However, he did
    not prove to be a neutral intermediary. At a rally in Kiev, he said:
    "Your emotions and passion are needed for defending democracy! I
    believe you will win!" Meanwhile, Walensa was told that Yushchenko
    and Yanukovich are prepared to negotiate, and do not want to use
    force.

    Events in Ukraine have become a headache for Russian politicians and
    an advantage for their Polish counterparts. Poland is tired of
    political conflicts, the threat of dissolution of the parliament and
    reshuffles in the government. The problems of its eastern neighbor
    are a very good opportunity to forget about Poland's own problems.
    Polish media reports are saying that Warsaw is interested in what is
    happening in Ukraine, and concerned about Ukraine's political drift
    towards Russia before the election.

    Translated by Alexander Dubovoi

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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