Fears Of Violence Grow As Face-Off Intensifies (Ukraine)

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 11-25-2004 | Julius Strauss/David Rennie

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Fears of violence grow as face-off intensifies

By Julius Strauss in Kiev and David Rennie in Washington (Filed: 25/11/2004)

Ukrainian authorities defied growing pressure from the West and the demands of tens of thousands of anti-government protesters yesterday by declaring Viktor Yanukovich, the pro-Russia candidate, the winner of bitterly-disputed weekend elections.

The announcement deepened the country's political crisis and raised fresh fears of violent clashes. Viktor Yushchenko, the opposition leader, had earlier accused the authorities of carrying out a coup d'etat.

Mr Yushchenko said a coup had been accomplished by "rigging the elections'' and that thousands of violations of election rules had been perpetrated by the authorities and polling officials.

"It is a crime against the people, and the officials' actions should be examined under the penal code," he said. He responded to the official results by calling for a general strike and the formation of a committee of national salvation.

The government's decision to try to face down the three-day-old protests came after hopes faded that it might hold talks with opposition leaders, who said they would call off demonstrations if the elections were re-run fairly.

But Mr Yushchenko dismissed reports of a conditional offer from Mr Yanukovich to open talks today to resolve the crisis. "We are going to look for a solution in an open battle,'' he said. "The government wants an escalation of the conflict - it has rejected political dialogue.''

The United States thrust itself into the growing crisis. Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, said: "We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards, and there has not been an investigation of the credible reports of fraud in the election.

"If the Ukrainian government does not act immediately and responsibly there will be consequences for our relationship."

The government backed its hard-line stance by bringing 40 bus-loads of riot police, mostly from the more Russified east, into Kiev.

Ukraine lies on the fault-line between the democratic West and the more authoritarian East. Many of its citizens crave more democracy and see their place in Europe.

The crisis began when Leonid Kuchma, the outgoing president, used the levers of power to fix elections in favour of his chosen successor, Mr Yanukovich, an industrial magnate.

Western monitors reported widespread irregularities and demanded that publication of the results be postponed pending investigations.

Russia is the only major country to have recognised the official results.

In Kiev, tens of thousands of protesters braved sub-zero temperatures to spend a third day on the streets.

The danger of conflict increased with the appearance in Kiev of hundreds of Yanukovich supporters from eastern Ukraine.

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Prayers for a peaceful, just resolution.

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RE: Mr Yushchenko said a coup had been accomplished by "rigging the elections''

A slight understatement from a guy who survived two assassination attempts, one which turned him from a strapping, movie star like financial stud into a ravaged old man.