Posted on 12/26/2004 3:35:06 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
CHICAGO (AP) In buses and rented vans, Ukrainian Americans from across the Midwest converged on the Ukrainian Consulate to cast their votes Sunday in a fiercely waged presidential election between the Kremlin-backed prime minister and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko.
Officials estimated 5,000 people would vote at the downtown consulate, some driving from as far away as Detroit and Oklahoma to make their voices heard in the third vote of a presidential election that has been tainted by allegations of poisoning and fraud.
Many of the voters arriving at the consulate Sunday wore orange scarves and hats the color of the opposition and hung signs declaring their support for democracy and for Yushchenko on the buses and trees outside the building.
``We are here to make our vote count,'' said Nataliya Baydyuk, who drove from Indianapolis with eight other Ukrainians and was draped with an orange scarf. ``We don't care that it takes five hours to get here because we want to have the right president win.''
Since Ukraine's Supreme Court annulled the results of November's fraud-tainted runoff election and ordered Sunday's revote, Ukrainian Americans across the United States have been showing support for what they see as their homeland's best chance to break away from Russian influence and become a real democracy.
In Chicago one of four U.S. cities along with San Francisco, New York and Washington where Ukrainians could vote Sunday a steady stream of people had donated money to the help the tens of thousands of opposition protesters who flooded the Ukrainian capital of Kiev in late November.
The Chicago area has strong ties to the Ukraine.
Yushchenko's wife was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, and the city's Ukrainian Village neighborhood with its three Ukrainian churches, Ukrainian National Museum and other Ukrainian institutions has long been one of the nation's largest Ukrainian enclaves. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 46,000 people of Ukrainian ancestry live in Chicago; the consulate puts that number around 100,000.
Throughout Ukrainian Village, trees and light poles have been adorned with orange ribbons for weeks and residents have been wearing orange scarves in support of Yushchenko.
People have spent hours in the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union watching a cable news feed from the Ukraine and talking about the election.
They also donated more than $363,000 there to help the opposition protesters, said Bohdan Watral, the credit union's president and CEO.
``This is a time where Ukraine has become a beacon of democracy,'' Watral said Sunday. ``And Ukrainians here are showing their support.''
Yushchenko, whose face remains badly scarred from dioxin poisoning he blamed on Ukrainian authorities, built momentum when his backers launched the Kiev demonstrations after Kremlin-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych won the Nov. 21 presidential runoff. The country's Supreme Court ordered Sunday's rematch.
Three exit polls Sunday projected Yushchenko the winner by a commanding margin over Yanukovych.
In New York, lines stretched down the block outside the Ukrainian consulate, where more than 8,000 voters were expected. Many pedestrians wore orange scarves and ribbons in a part of Manhattan's East Village that has long been dominated by Ukrainian immigrants.
The votes cast in Chicago were to be tallied at the consulate and sent electronically to the Ukraine Sunday evening, Watral said.
``We are proud for the first time that we cannot only vote but make a choice for our country's future,'' said Yuri Melnik, a Chicago doctor from the Ukraine. ``We're here today to defend our choice, and we are here to show the Ukraine, the U.S. and the rest of the world how to vote when we are free without fear of intimidation.''
Sunday's election marked the third time since October that some voters had walked through the consulate doors to cast ballots for Ukrainian president. Many, like Natalia Jarowyj of Detroit, said they would come again if necessary.
``It doesn't matter that we travel so far,'' said Jarowyj, who arrived in Chicago aboard one of seven buses of Ukrainians from Detroit. ``We will come tomorrow, and the next day and the next day if needed because it's so important to vote.''
I believe I heard an initial decision is expected in the morning. But good for these people for making the journey to cast a vote.
Even after discounting for AP presentation, to see their faith in democracy is encouraging. Not everything has been lost, not everything.
Makes me wonder if they also voted in Ohio's general election. And maybe they voted in Washington State's also.
These 5000 votes will register as 500,000 by the time they get to Ukraine.
If they live here AND claim to be Americans, do they also vote in our elections, as well?
I think if you vote in foreign elections and claim USA residency and MAYBE even American citizenship... then, your votes should not count in that foreign country.
A man cannot serve two masters. Dual citizenship is a bad joke!
Considering all the problems and issues there are to get concerned about in the world today, somehow dual citizenship issues just aren't extremely high for me on that list. *shrug*
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.