Ukrainians Rally in Support of Yushchenko

AP ^ | Sat, Oct 23, 2004 | By ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC

[Grzegorz 246]

KIEV, Ukraine - Tens of thousands of people supporting opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko rallied in Ukraine's capital Saturday demanding that next week's presidential election be free and fair. Some in the crowd threw rocks and at least one smoke grenade and were turned over to police.

The Oct. 31 presidential vote is considered a crucial indicator of what lies ahead for this nation of nearly 50 million people that occupies a strategically sensitive position between Russia and NATO (news - web sites)'s eastern flank. Yushchenko faces Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych in a tight race.

The rally brought more than 50,000 people into downtown Kiev, according to journalists at the scene. Police estimated the number of protesters at only 20,000.

"Each vote counts so go to your friends and tell them that. October 31 will be a great day for this nation," Yushchenko told the cheering crowd in the capital of this former Soviet republic.

He said he feared election fraud in the vote, which is being watched by Ukraine's neighbors as a crucial sign of where this Eastern European nation is headed.

Yushchenko just returned to the campaign trail after weeks off due to an ailment his allies attributed to poisoning by political opponents. Although his health has improved, he appeared haggard and his face looked swollen and puffy.

During the rally, a small number of people threw rocks and a smoke grenade at the Central Election Commission's building, breaking several windows. A policeman was slightly injured, officials said.

Yushchenko's security team seized several members of the group and handed them over to the police. Oleksandr Turchinov, an opposition lawmaker, called the incident "a provocation" aimed at discrediting Yushchenko and the rally.

Organizers had hoped for a crowd topping 100,000 but blamed police interference for keeping the numbers down. Traffic police set up roadblocks on the outskirts of Kiev, preventing dozens of cars and buses from entering the capital. Volodymyr Bondarenko, a lawmaker and Yushchenko ally, accused authorities of blocking the operations of several bus companies and the national railway.

Volodymyr Tykhomirov, 42, a welder from the eastern city of Kharkiv, said police tried to stop his group in "at least four roadblocks."

"We were told by the policemen not to go to Kiev because there might be violence," he said.

Yushchenko, a Western-leaning liberal, is running neck-and-neck with Yanukovych, who has outgoing President Leonid Kuchma's backing. The race is expected to enter a runoff in November.

The campaign for president of this strategically important nation has been turbulent, with the opposition accusing authorities of violence and possible election fraud and the government warning opponents it will use force if civil unrest breaks out.

"No one will steal our votes, our dignity. We are not afraid," said Yulia Vasylenko, 56, a doctor from Kiev.

Ahead of the rally, Yushchenko's supporters decorated fence and trees near the country's parliament building with thousands of his campaign's orange ribbons.

Western governments have repeatedly called on Ukraine to conduct a free and fair vote.

Meanwhile, unidentified people set ablaze one of Yushchenko's campaign tents in Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, injuring two activists, the Unian news agency reported.

Police officials there were not immediately available for comment.

[Grzegorz 246]

ping

[DSBull]

Ok admittedly I have not been following Ukrainian politics but in a nutshell, who is running here, a communist and a capitalist or is it more complicated than that and who is who.

[PhillyGal]

McCain wrote a good piece explaining it:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43718-2004Oct18.html

Poland is now a great ally of Ukraine; the last thing they want, or need, is the Russian Bear next door ..... again.

[jer33 3]

Can anyone find a link to Open Society or Soros Foundation funded NGO's and the demonstrations? It sounds like their tactics.

[struwwelpeter]

Ukraine has a schizophrenia problem. East of the Dnepr river, the population is predominantly Russian and is poorly adapting to an independent, Ukrainian-speaking nation oriented on the West. The West side of the river is the opposite.

Yushchenko (website) more or less favors integration into the European Union and NATO. Yanukovich is Moscow's candidate, and the hand-picked successor to Kuchma. Before Kuchma moved to Kyiv, he was rumored to be the crime boss in Dnepropetrovsk, and did not speak a work of Ukrainian. He has been implicated in the murder of a journalist - or at least he is on tape ordering it. Yanukovich is the former governor of Donetsk region. In 1994, Yanukovich, together with then Russian finance minister Chernomyrdin, and gangsters Ryadchenko abd Rybak, built a hotel on the Azov sea in Mariupol. They used the construction to rip off millions in joint-venture capital, from Russia and the West, then bankrupted the hotel.

Chernomyrdin is now Moscow's ambassador to Kyiv, and Ryadchenko is thinking of going for governor of the Donbass, Rybak is Donetsk's mayor.

Politics in the Ukraine is organized crime.

Soros can take credit for putting Kuchma in power, but now he favors Yushchenko, and has dedicated his fortune to overthrowing Putin and Bush. Well, a stopped clock is accurate twice a day.

[DSBull]

I forget, is Soros Polish or what..to bad we can't get whatever country he claims to be from, to recall him home for a night of eastern European interrogation..But he maybe to rich for that.

[Lukasz]

The rally brought more than 50,000 people into downtown Kiev, according to journalists at the scene. Police estimated the number of protesters at only 20,000.

That is great, I read in polish portal that there is around 100,000 people! (who is right AP or PAP ) This is huge demonstration and opposition show Kuchma that this is not Belarus, that they will not accept any eventual dirty moves. I think that had a lesson when they watched Belarusian elections, it is paradox that stupid Luka may save the Ukraine.

[Lukasz]

Why so many writers on FR was so interested what Soros support? I read that he support also Kerry but in some international affairs he may be right, doesn’t matter why he support Yuschenko. Btw I never heard about him before I started to read FR.

[Lukasz]

[struwwelpeter]

I wasn't following the redhead. Believe me!

[Grzegorz 246]

"Ukraine has a schizophrenia problem. East of the Dnepr river, the population is predominantly Russian and is poorly adapting to an independent, Ukrainian-speaking nation oriented on the West. The West side of the river is the opposite."

I heard that one of the Putin's former or current advisor wrote in his book that Ukraine should be divided and eastern part should become part of Russia and western part should be a part of... Poland. I don't know If Ukrainians know about this plan, but I doubt that these from western part want to loose independence and become "Poles" and also we have enough problems in our country and we rather don't need theirs.

[Grzegorz 246]

"That is great, I read in polish portal that there is around 100,000 people! "

PAP may be wrong. Don't forget that the only one really good Polish journalist was killed in Iraq.

[Grzegorz 246]

"I never heard about him before I started to read FR."

I read something about him, but I'm also surprised that he is so popular here. Soros is a strange guy. He support some international movements, anti imperialists and other shit - probably guys wearing T-shirts with Che Guevara, but he is also a billionaire and the funniest is that he earns the money using some dirty tricks, financial speculations etc.
He destroyed financial systems of a few South Asian countries in late 90's, almost destroyed even British financial system and attack our currency a few years ago, but it seems that Balcerowicz is really quite clever, because Soros fortunately failed.

[Grzegorz 246]

Sure :-)

[Lukasz]

don't exaggerate but I read in Yuschenko website that it is around 100,000

[struwwelpeter]

I don't think the Ukrainians even know who their friends are. The ones I've known talked nasty about Polyaki i Katsapy (Poles and Russians) equally.

In the US we used to joke about Poles being slow, but the Ukrainians seem to think that they are sly and devious (huh?), that Russians are chauvinists (??), and that everyone picks on poor Mikola.

[Grzegorz 246]

"The ones I've known talked nasty about Polyaki i Katsapy (Poles and Russians) equally."

Heh. Is "Katsapy" a formal name of Russians in Ukrainian language ? It is sometimes used by Poles (Kacapy), but it is rather humiliating name.

Current Polish-Ukrainian relations are similar to Polish German relations, but this time Poland play German's role. Our governments tries to have good relations with their governments, want them to join EU and NATO and support them in this process, but It's not about love - we just need good relations (political and economic) with them, because It is in our own interest. Good economic situation in Ukraine means more Polish products sold there, fever Ukrainian criminal and illegal workers in Poland etc. The same was about Poland and Germany - they didn't support us in EU, because they like us so much - It was just also in their economic and political interest.

Relations between Polish and Ukrainian society are nor good neither bad. In last polls only Belarus and Russia were worse neighbors for Poles, but this is mostly because we have criminals and illegal workers from Ukraine especially in eastern part of Poland. The same about our criminals, many of them just exported themselves to Germany, because there is better "market" for them.

[Lukasz]

It is characteristic nationalism for young democracies, our common history may make this thing stronger especially because the Soviets long time learned them in schools that Poles were very cruel for them in the past. 10 years ago Poland also had much more nationalists than today, with time they will find the right proportion between patriotism and nationalism.

We in Poland don’t have a special negative name for Ukrainians, maybe before the fail of communism we called them “Ruskie or Ruscy” but we call in that way all Soviets nations, now it is only for Russians.

[Lukasz]

Relations between Polish and Ukrainian society are nor good neither bad. In last polls only Belarus and Russia were worse neighbors for Poles, but this is mostly because we have criminals and illegal workers from Ukraine especially in eastern part of Poland. The same about our criminals, many of them just exported themselves to Germany, because there is better "market" for them.

When I read the ONET forum, I saw many positive opinions about the Ukrainians and only few negative (rather because of history, UPA and SS). I doesn’t read any negative comments about illegal workers or criminals, in fact many people understand their situation (I mean workers) because we also had this in Poland not so long ago and partially still have.

I think that poll was made in that way that they asked “What is your favorite neighbor country?” NOT nation. But in fact we don’t have any special reasons to like them but we also don’t have any reasons to dislike them. Conclusion is simple, we should like each either for our common good, none of us needs any conflicts.