Color Us Orange

What can one say about the Orange Revolution, so successful in its initial aim of forcing another presidential vote in Ukraine, except — "hurrah"?

This is an awe-inspiring victory of nonviolent action. There have been a dozen days of protests, with hundreds of thousands of protesters and not one violent incident. Amazing. Credit goes to the cheated opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko, who has, for instance, insisted on a policy of sobriety at the rallies (NBA, take note), and to the demonstrators themselves, who have behaved in a way explicitly designed to forge a better politics in Ukraine. As Vaclav Havel, among others, has observed, the nature of the revolution says much about what will be the nature of the resulting government. In that regard, the conduct of Yushchenko' supporters bodes well for the future. They have wedded Ukrainian patriotism to a democratic politics, putting to rest the old smear (a favorite of the KGB) that any gathering of Ukrainians nationalists is a proto-fascist rally. They have a chance to create a country that has an entirely valid claim to join the institutions of the West.

If forcing a new vote, scheduled for December 26, is a victory in a major battle, the broader war still goes on. Outgoing President Leonid Kuchma wants immunity for his crimes and those of his cronies, who made privatization a synonym for high-level looting. The electoral commission that certified the fraud has yet to be dismissed and the elections laws that facilitated the fraud still need reform. Kuchma wants to pressure Yushchenko into accepting a reduction in the powers of the presidency he is almost certainly going to win. Yushchenko and his supporters should continue the fight on these important points.

I read that Kuchma suggested Yanukovich to withdraw but not faster than 10 days before new elections were planned. Then we will have referendum and 50% of voters would must accept Yuschenko as a new president. If he would not get this 50%, then again we would have new elections with possible change of pro-Putin candidate for other without criminal history. If Yanukovych would withdraw now then in his place we would have socialist Moroz who was third in first round and then backed Yuschenko. Clever bastards, they know that earning more than 50% in referendum may be harder aim than beating Yanukovich in second round.

Color Us Orange

Good editorial.

This is an awe-inspiring victory of nonviolent action

Yes it is. It leaves me with wonder and a renewed respect for the Ukrainian people & their spirit.

Outgoing President Leonid Kuchma wants immunity for his crimes and those of his cronies, who made privatization a synonym for high-level looting

Can't wait till this guy is in jail. I can hope, can't I?

TAK!

BBC News - Dobry wieczor dla was wszystkich
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4073691.stm

Ukraine rivals 'break deadlock'

Ukraine's government and opposition say they have done a deal which will allow changes to the election law before a re-run of last month's disputed poll.
Representatives from the two sides said parliament would meet on Tuesday to approve the changes, as well as a package of political reforms.

The apparent breakthrough came as new talks began with foreign mediators.

The deal is also said to involve the dismissal of the government and changes to the Central Election Committee.

On Monday morning, Mr Kuchma said he would not dismiss the government, which lost a parliamentary no-confidence vote last week, until political reforms reducing the powers of the presidency were approved.

But hours later a senior supporter of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko said the two sides were on the verge of a deal.

Petro Poroshenko said parliament would approve reforms to the election law put forward by the opposition in order to reduce the scope for vote rigging.

In return, deputies were also expected to back constitutional changes to curb the presidency's powers, as demanded by outgoing President Leonid Kuchma.

A pro-government MP Stepan Havrysh confirmed that a deal was at hand and that the government would be dismissed.

Vow to fight on

Up to now the opposition has refused to vote on presidential powers and electoral reform in the same package.

Election authorities declared Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych the winner of the election, but Mr Yushchenko and foreign observers said it was marred by massive fraud.

Ukraine's supreme court drew the same conclusion on Friday, and ordered a re-run of the second round.

Mr Yanukovych vowed on Monday to fight the repeat of the disputed runoff, scheduled for 26 December, saying he had come under pressure to withdraw.

He said he had the support of millions of Ukrainians and was confident of winning.

More monitors

He added that he was going to take time off from the government for the duration of the campaign.

Both Mr Yanukovych and Mr Yushchenko attended talks on Monday in Kiev, mediated by the European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana and the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Jan Kubis.

Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus and Russian envoy Boris Gryzlov were also taking part.

It is the third round of discussions between the two sides in less than a fortnight.

Foreign ministers from the 55-nation OSCE are meeting in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

They are due to decide whether to nearly double the number of poll monitors to 1,000.

Thanks Lukasz - somehow I missed that article. Good one.

Kuchma is believed to be particularly anxious over the case of Gongadze,

Good.

From the Kyiv Post - Sept. 2001 regarding H.Gongadze:
Gutsy and irreverent, he did what few in Ukraine were doing at the time. He was speaking out, lashing out and tenaciously irritating the Presidential Administration

I know the spirit of Heorhiy Gongadze is hovering over Kyiv.

Likewise do not forget that Congress returns today and every senator and every member of the House of Representatives need to "hear" concern over the situation in Ukraine. Among other things, we want to see greater sponsorship of the Rohrabacher-Berman (House) and Kyl-Domenici (Senate) bill that would deny visas to anyone involved in election fraud in Ukraine. Contact members and urge them to co-sponsor immediately.

Domenici is my senator. It will be a great pleasure to thank him for this bill, and to encourage others in both houses to join Kyl-Domenici and Rohrabacher-Berman.

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