"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"
An International Newsletter
In-Depth Ukrainian News, Analysis, and Commentary
"The Art of Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion,
Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World"
"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" Year 04, Number 207
The Action Ukraine Coalition (AUC), Washington, D.C.
Ukrainian Federation of America (UFA), Huntingdon Valley, PA
morganw@patriot.net, ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net (ARTUIS)
Washington, D.C.; Kyiv, Ukraine, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2004
-----INDEX OF ARTICLES-----
"Major International News Headlines and Articles"
1. VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO WINS FIRST ROUND OF
UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Opposition candidate takes lead in Ukraine
By Taras Kuzio, Eurasia Daily Monitor
Volume 1, Issue 119, The Jamestown Foundation
Washington, D.C., Wednesday, November 3, 2004
2. UKRAINE: CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION STOPS VOTE
COUNT AS CAMPAIGN OF YUSHCHENKO PROTESTS
RFE/RL Feature Articles: by Askold Krushelnycky
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, November 2, 2004
3. OCTOBER 31 ELECTION RESULTS MAY BE INVALIDATED
IN SOME CONSTITUENCIES, MORE STRANGE HAPPENINGS
Central Election Commission Holds Emergency Meeting
ITAR-TASS, Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, November 3, 2004
4. YUSHCHENKO'S HQ CONNECTS CEC'S VERIFICATION
OF 30% PROTOCOLS ON 132 CONSTITUENCIES OUT OF 225
WITH FALSIFICATION OF UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
MP Volodymyr Filenko says Viktor Yuschenko won the first round
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, November 3, 2004
5. WORLD AWAITS RESULTS FROM UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION, YUSHCHENKO CAMPAIGN DEMANDS VOTE RECOUNT
Aleksandar Vasovic, Associated Press, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, Nov 3, 2004
6. YUSHCHENKO CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS AIMING TO
COMPLETE PARALLEL COUNT OF VOTES CAST IN UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, November 3, 2004
7. UKRAINIAN ELECTION CHIEF EXPLAINS UNUSUALLY SLOW
VOTE COUNT IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Source: Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, Wed, 3 Nov 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Nov 03, 2004
8. UKRAINIAN MP OLEH RYBACHUK SAYS CHAIRMAN OF
CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION SERHIY KIVALOV BEING
BLACKMAILED BY PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION
Ukrayinska Pravda web site, Kiev, in Ukrainian 3 Nov 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, November 3, 2004
9. HEAD OF UKRAINE'S CENTRAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION
SERHIY KIVALOV DENIES THE PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION
IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON HIM PERSONALLY
Source: Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, Wed, 3 Nov 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Nov 03, 2004
10. UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
SAYS LIVE CAMPAIGN DEBATES "INEXPEDIENT"
Says Viktor Yushchenko needs to apologize to Viktor Yanukovych
Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian, 3 Nov 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, November 3, 2004
11. UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER RELUCTANT TO HOLD LIVE
CAMPAIGN DEBATES, TV SAYS
Source: TV 5 Kanal, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 3 Nov 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, November 3, 2004
12. VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO READY TO PARTICIPATE IN TV
DEBATES BUT ONLY AGAINST PM VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH
IntelliNews - Ukraine Today, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, Nov 3, 2004
13. VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH CONNECTS LACK OF SUPPORT TO
HIS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY IN A NUMBER OF REGIONS
WITH THE POOR WORK OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES
PM intends to take stringent measures to those leaders who are failing
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, November 3, 2004
14. "UKRAINE MAKES A CRUCIAL CHOICE"
EDITORIAL: The Japan Times Online
Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, November 4, 2004
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 207: ARTICLE NUMBER ONE
========================================================
1. VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO WINS FIRST ROUND OF
UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Opposition candidate takes lead in Ukraine
By Taras Kuzio, Eurasia Daily Monitor
Volume 1, Issue 119, The Jamestown Foundation
Washington, D.C., Wednesday, November 3, 2004
Challenger Viktor Yushchenko won the first round of the Ukrainian
presidential elections on October 31 (Itar-Tass, November 2). According to
official Central Election Commission (CEC) figures, Yushchenko won 16
oblasts and the city of Kyiv. Besides sweeping western Ukraine, Yushchenko
won the whole of central Ukraine, a key region where then-incumbent Leonid
Kravchuk lost to Leonid Kuchma in the 1994 presidential elections. Prime
Minister Viktor Yanukovych only won in nine of Ukraine's 25 oblasts and in
the city of Sevastopol.
With 97.67% of the results tallied by the end of Tuesday [November 2], the
CEC reported that Yanukovych was leading by 39.88% to Yushchenko's
39.22%. However, many observers find it suspicious that the CEC has taken
so long to collect results from key regions that are Yushchenko
strongholds -- western Ukraine, including Lviv (3.5% of the votes still not
submitted), Ivano-Frankivsk (12%), Ternopil (5%), Volyn (5%), and central
Ukraine, including the city of Kyiv, (8%), Khmelnytsky (6.4%), Kirovohrad,
and Vynnytsia (3%). These regions would give Yushchenko an additional
250,000 votes, eclipsing Yanukovych's lead of 182,000.
On election night five leading sociological organizations conducted
Ukraine's largest exit poll. When plans for these surveys were revealed in
August, the authorities organized their own exit poll, to be conducted by
Gleb Pavlovsky, the "political technologist" who has led the way in dirty
tricks against Yushchenko on behalf of presidential administration head
Viktor Medvedchuk. In the exit poll organized by the Razumkov Center and
the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), in which respondents
could remain anonymous, Yushchenko obtained 44.4% to Yanukovych's
38% (www.exitpoll.org.ua).
As election day approached, the number of voters planning to vote for
Yushchenko but who were afraid of stating their preferences to polling
organizations increased. Upwards of 42% believed that whom they voted for
would be found out and that a secret ballot was a myth. This explains why
the anonymous methodology used by the Razumkov Center and KIIS
obtained a better result for Yushchenko.
The exit poll conducted by Sotsis and Social Monitoring gave Yanukovych a
lead of 42.67% over Yushchenko's 38.28%. This poll also reflects the fear of
some voters to openly admit whom they voted for. According to the head of
the Canadian observation mission, "skinhead" organized crime enforcers in
eastern Ukraine used violence against polling station heads on election
night if they did not produce 80% for Yanukovych (The Independent,
November 1).
Parallel vote counting at Ukraine's 33,000 polling stations by the
Yushchenko camp gave a different picture. With two-thirds of these ballots
counted, the Yushchenko camp claimed that their candidate was squarely in
the lead with 45% to Yanukovych's 33%. The CEC appears afraid to show
the results of parallel vote counting. The fact that Yushchenko won in the
majority of oblasts has led the Yushchenko camp to claim the first round
(www.razom.org.ua, November 2).
According to an anonymous member of the Yanukovych camp, "There's
shock among Yanukovych's team. The real results show Yushchenko
probably got more than 54%" (The Independent, November 2).
Medvedchuk, President Kuchma, and CEC chairman Serhiy Kivalov are
directly involved in falsification efforts to prevent either an outright
victory by Yushchenko in round one or at least a large lead over Yanukovych
(www.obkom.net.ua, November 2).
Medvedchuk ordered Kivalov to ensure that Yanukovych wins the first round
by 0.5-0.9%. Alternatively, if this is impossible, he should "allow"
Yushchenko to win by only 0.1-0.05% (www.obkom.net.ua, November 2).
Kuchma promised to ensure that Kivalov was given "legal protection" in the
likelihood of demands for a vote re-count. This strategy explains why the
updating of the CEC's election results was suddenly, without adequate
explanation, halted on election night. The authorities were stunned by the
failure of the Yanukovych campaign and the large showing for Yushchenko.
Planned violations were difficult to undertake on the scale intended because
of the huge mobilization of over 100,000 opposition and youth activists and
the large presence of international observers. Serhei Tyhipko, head of the
Yanukovych campaign, admitted that they had not expected such large-scale
activity by voters in western Ukraine, because large numbers had migrated
abroad in search of work (Ukrayinska pravda, November 1).
The Committee of Voters of Ukraine (KVU) concluded that each oblast
administration was ordered to produce a certain number of votes for
Yanukovych (www.cvu.kiev.ua). Where they were unable to secure the
desired result, violations were greater. The Yushchenko camp concluded,
therefore, that in reality Yanukovych obtained only 26%, with the remainder
of his votes secured through abuse of state-administrative resources.
THE YANUKOVYCH CAMP DEVISED FOUR FRAUD TACTICS.
FIRST, protocols from election commissions in regions where Yushchenko
leads were re-written after arriving at the CEC. These included 150,000
votes from Kyiv and Kirovohrad. On election night in Kirovohrad, skinhead
enforcers stole protocols after threatening officials and shooting guns into
the air. Similar violations are reported from Trans-Carpathia, a former
Medvedchuk stronghold that has become a key battleground with Yushchenko.
SECOND, tens of thousands of absentee ballots were used by skinheads and
Donetsk Shakhtiar football supporters who had specially arranged trains and
coaches organized to transport them from eastern Ukraine to Kyiv and western
Ukraine. These absentee votes aimed to secure a high vote for Yanukovych in
areas where Yushchenko traditionally dominates.
The three regions where these absentee voters were from are Donetsk,
Dnipropetrovsk and the Crimea. In all three 50,500 more people voted than
obtained bulletins (www.obozrevatel.com.ua, November 2). These were used to
swing votes in key areas for Yanukovych. Another 30,000 absentee votes were
used in Cherkasy and Chernihiv, plus many more in Zhitomir, Ivano-Frankivsk,
Lviv, Poltava and Kyiv; all are Yushchenko strongholds (Ukrayinska pravda,
November 2).
The total number of absentee ballots in favor of Yanukovych is between
85,000 and 130,000, according to election monitoring groups. These groups
suspect that absentee voters most likely voted twice, someone on their
behalf in their home precinct and themselves at their current location. In
Donetsk this was undertaken through the use of foreign passports (with the
absentee voters taking their internal passports with them).
THIRD, an anonymous source from the Medvedchuk camp in the CEC also
alleged that the Communist Party candidate, Petro Symonenko, "donated"
upwards of 670,000 votes to Yanukovych in the Donbas oblasts of Donetsk
and Luhansk. Whether these votes were voluntarily "donated" or not, others
were clearly stolen. These came from Kyiv Mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko,
Progressive Socialist Natalia Vitrenko, former Prime Minister Anatoliy
Kinakh and, the highest number from Socialist leader Oleksandr Moroz
(www.razom.org.ua, November 2).
FOURTH, faulty voting lists were a major problem. Prior to election day
"dead souls" were uncovered on numerous voting lists, including 17,000 in
Kharkiv alone. The Yushchenko camp believes that these "dead souls" could
total as much as 2 million throughout Ukraine (www.razom.org.ua, October
17).
Three weeks separate the first and second rounds of voting, and the
Yanukovych camp is desperately courting left-wing votes. This may be
difficult, as upwards of three-quarters of traditional Communist voters
already supported Yanukovych in round one. Symonenko has declined to
support "representatives of big business," which he claims dominate both
leading candidates, meaning the 5-6% he obtained in round one may not
go to Yanukovych (UNIAN, November 1).
The Yanukovych camp is desperately courting these left-wing votes by
seeking to railroad through parliament before round legislation making
Russian a second state language, allowing dual citizenship, and supporting
constitutional reform. These measures, though, are unlikely to be adopted,
as even some within the presidential camp opposed such policies.
The Socialists will be the kingmakers as they defeated, for the first time,
the Communists in an election. They, like Yushchenko's camp, believe that
the first round was falsified and have stated their intention to not back a
candidate from the authorities (Interfax-Ukraine, November 1).
Yushchenko is therefore set to gain the Socialist vote in round two, as well
as negative votes against the authorities. Yanukovych meanwhile, has
exhausted his election support in round one and has nothing to draw upon in
round two. -30- [The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taras Kuzio is a Visiting Professor at the Institute for European Russian
and Eurasian Studies, Elliott School of International Affairs, George
Washington University, Washington, DC, tkuzio@gwu.edu;
www.ieres.org; www.taraskuzio.net; www.jamestown.org.
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 207: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
=======================================================
2. UKRAINE: CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION STOPS VOTE
COUNT AS CAMPAIGN OF YUSHCHENKO PROTESTS
RFE/RL Feature Articles: by Askold Krushelnycky
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Ukraine's Central Election Commission has suspended vote counting from the
31 October presidential election. The opposition says that's because a
complete count would reveal that its leader, Viktor Yushchenko, beat Prime
Minister Viktor Yanukovych in the first round. The Electoral Commission on
today told parliament that it needs more time to complete the count and may
not have official results until next week. International observers yesterday
accused the government of serious electoral infringements. The Election
Commission says nearly 130,000 more votes had been cast than legitimate
ballots had been issued.
KYIV --- Ukraine's Central Election Commission said today it needs more
time -- perhaps until next week -- before it can announce the official
results of the 31 October presidential election.
The commission suspended the vote count on yesterday with around 94
percent of the ballots tabulated. Those results showed Prime Minister Viktor
Yanukovych with some 40 percent of votes and the main opposition
candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, with 39 percent.
But the count had shown Yushchenko narrowing the gap, with the remaining 6
percent of votes coming from areas where he has overwhelming support. But
CEC Deputy Chairman Yaroslav Davydovych says the inclusion of the
remaining ballots could not give either candidate the 50-percent plus needed
to win outright in the first round of election. A runoff is scheduled for 21
November. "It's with reason that the Central Election Commission stopped
announcing results on November 1.... They simply do not have the courage
to declare Viktor Yushchenko the winner."
Yushchenko's campaign manager, Oleksandr Zinchenko, says the government
does not want to admit that Yushchenko won the first round, a fact that
would give him an immense propaganda and psychological boost in the three
weeks of campaigning before the runoff: "It's with reason that the Central
Election Commission stopped announcing the results from election districts
on November 1 and is not announcing the official results of the election.
They simply do not have the courage to declare Viktor Yushchenko the
winner."
The Ukrainian Parliament was in a boisterous mood today, with deputies from
both the government side and the opposition claiming victory. Deputies who
are part of Yushchenko's Our Ukraine coalition wore orange bandanas and
ribbons in the campaign color of the opposition, while Yanukovych's
supporters from his Regions of Ukraine Party wore scarves in his blue
and white.
One of the leaders of a party in the Our Ukraine coalition accused the
government of cheating and said exit polls show Yushchenko had enough
votes in the first round to be declared president: "A complete set of exit
polls was compiled, and they show that Yushchenko won in the first round
with 53.4 percent of the vote. Yanukovych gained only 27.86 percent. And
right now -- the Ukrainian people can't see this -- but the Regions of
Ukraine Party is wearing white and blue scarves, and they have brought
them to hang themselves with after Yushchenko is declared the winner --
albeit in the second round."
A member of Yanukovych's party, Viktor Kirillov, appealed for calm: "This
result should be accepted calmly. Let's prepare for the next round. I
believe that our victory, the victory of Viktor Fedorich Yanukovych, will be
convincing -- demonstrable and completely legitimate."
Another senior member of the Our Ukraine coalition, Serhiy Holovatiy, a
former justice minister, said the Central Election Commission had not given
proper reasons for delaying the official results. He said it is part of the
government's efforts to rig the election: "There are no explanations. It's
beyond sanity and logic or a responsible electoral process. They have no
explanations."
He said he doubts the Election Commission will be able to comply with Our
Ukraine's demands for a swift tally of the results: "I think Our Ukraine is
asking for something that [the Electoral Commission] is incapable of doing
and will never do -- and that is to perform their duties at least in
accordance with Ukrainian law, which isn't very good law. But they can't
even come up to this minimum standard, to say nothing of European
standards."
Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk, a member of Yanukovych's
party, believes too much fuss is being made: "And to say more precisely,
it's not even necessary to count [the rest]. The victor -- it's not
important who got 10 or 15 more votes. The important thing is who goes
into the second round, and two representatives have got into the second
round."
Yesterday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and
several other Western monitoring groups criticized the Ukrainian government
for serious breaches of electoral standards before and during the vote. They
particularly noted that the opposition's access to the mass media had been
blocked, that its campaign events had been disrupted and that there were
serious flaws in the compilation of voter lists.
The Central Election Commission said yesterday that 130,000 more votes
had been cast than ballots had been issued. The opposition says this is
proof of mass ballot stuffing. Former President Kravchuk disagrees:
"Nobody in the world has seen elections where there have been no
infringements. My conclusion is that the election did take place and
was conducted transparently and democratically."
The election results are being seen as a test of whether Ukraine takes a
course toward the West and greater democracy or heads down a more
authoritarian route. Yushchenko is pro-Western and advocates European
Union and NATO membership. Yanukovych says he is not turning his back
on the West and the European Union but repeatedly advocates strengthening
economic and political ties with Moscow. -30- [Action Ukraine Report]
=======================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
=======================================================
3. OCTOBER 31 ELECTION RESULTS MAY BE INVALIDATED
IN SOME CONSTITUENCIES, MORE STRANGE HAPPENINGS
Central Election Commission Holds Emergency Meeting
ITAR-TASS, Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, November 3, 2004
KIEV - Ukraine's Central Election Commission chairman Sergei Kivalov
said the October 31 presidential election might be proclaimed invalid in
some constituencies. He told journalists on Wednesday,
"About 50 election constituencies did not submit their protocols or the
protocols they submitted were not properly executed. Courts are now
considering violations in some of the constituencies." Kivalov said the
final results of the October 31 presidential election would be announced
"much sooner than November 11".
The Central Election Commission gathered for an emergency meeting on
Wednesday to sum up the results of the election.
However, a Central Election Commission official told Itar-Tass, "These
figures will be preliminary anyway because the Central Election Commission
has not yet received all election protocols from territorial commissions."
According to the latest information, the Central Election Commission has
counted 97.67 percent of ballots. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich received
39.88 percent of votes, and his main contender, opposition leader Viktor
Yushchenko 39.22 percent.
Socialist Party leader Alexander Moroz received 5.83 percent, Communist
Party leader Pyotr Simonenko 5.03 percent, and Progressive Socialist Party
leader Natalia Vitrenko 1.54 percent. The other 19 candidates received less
than 1 percent. -30- [The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
Your comments about the Report are always welcome
========================================================
4. YUSHCHENKO'S HQ CONNECTS CEC'S VERIFICATION
OF 30% PROTOCOLS ON 132 CONSTITUENCIES OUT OF 225
WITH FALSIFICATION OF UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
MP Volodymyr Filenko says Viktor Yuschenko won the first round
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, November 3, 2004
KYIV - The headquarters of the presidential candidate, leader of the
Our Ukraine Coalition Viktor Yuschenko connects the verification of
30% protocols by CEC in 132 constituencies out of 225 with falsification
of presidential election. The Verkhovna Rada's deputy Taras Stetskin
informed about this at the press conference.
"Our position is that this (verification of protocols) is a direct
technology of falsification of election," Stetskiv made a statement.
The Rada's deputy Volodymyr Filenko added to Stetskiv's words, that
verification of 30% by the CEC is an attempt to protract time. According
to Filenko, the authorities will use this time to fake additional ballots in
favor of the presidential candidate, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.
"Dear people, we all understand what's going on. Yuschenko won the first
round," Filenko said. He told that in his opinion, they will be faking
ballots from Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the CEC believes that 30% of protocols
received from 132 of all 225 territorial election commissions may need
general verification.
In his live statement on UT-1 Yaroslav Davydovych, the deputy chairman of
the CEC, said the CEC has replaced 70,000 ballot papers in the district
election commissions in 12 regions. He said the marking "dropped out" was
put opposite several candidates.
Voting in this year's Ukrainian presidential elections started at 08:00 and
ended at 20:00 on October 31. According to the data of the Central Election
Commission, Yanukovych leads in 10 regions of Ukraine in terms of the
number of votes cast for him, and his main opponent, leader of the Our
Ukraine Coalition Viktor Yuschenko wins in 17 regions.
With 97.67% of the results in from the election commissions, the CEC has
declared that 39.88% of ballots were cast in favor of Yanukovych, while
Yuschenko received 39.22% of the votes. -30- [Action Ukraine]
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE
========================================================
5. WORLD AWAITS RESULTS FROM UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION, YUSHCHENKO CAMPAIGN DEMANDS VOTE RECOUNT
Aleksandar Vasovic, Associated Press, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, Nov 3, 2004
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Supporters of Ukrainian opposition presidential
candidate Viktor Yushchenko said Wednesday they would demand a
recount of results in the hotly contested weekend election that left the two
leading candidates in a dead heat.
With results now in from 96.67 per cent of the country's voting districts,
the Central Election Commission released a count showing Prime Minister
Viktor Yanukovych garnering 39.88 per cent of votes, and Yushchenko -
his main rival - receiving 39.22 per cent. Since neither candidate took more
than 50 per cent of the vote, a runoff between the two is scheduled for
Nov. 21.
Yushchenko's allies claim that on the eve of the election, opposition
activists were excluded from the local election commission. They also
hinted at fraud with claims that some election commission members,
including its chief, disappeared on election day.
The opposition also claimed that Yushchenko received about 340,000
votes more than Yanukovych. "We will demand that the Central Election
Commission confirm every single figure," Irina Herashchenko, a
Yushchenko spokeswoman, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news
agency.
The presidential vote on Sunday was seen as critical for the future of this
ex-Soviet republic, positioned between eastward-expanding NATO and
Russia, which is striving to strengthen its grip over its neighbours.
While a Yanukovych victory would be expected to move Ukraine toward
closer relations with Russia, Yushchenko would like to nudge the country
of 48 million people westward toward the European Union and NATO.
Both candidates have promised to push for more economic and industrial
growth in the country, where millions still live in poverty.
Western governments and election observers said the vote was flawed,
pointing to media bias in favour of Yanukovych and state interference. The
prime minister denied responsibility.
Volodymyr Filenko, an opposition lawmaker, said Yushchenko's camp
would wait for vote counts from all precincts before seeking a recount.
However, he said a proper recount might be impossible because authorities
in eastern Ukraine have allegedly destroyed records of vote counts. His
claims could not be independently verified.
Filenko said nationwide protests would be held in Kyiv on Saturday. A
student pro-democracy group called Pora also announced nationwide
demonstrations.
Election commission chief Serhiy Kivalov said the vote counting stalled
because Yushchenko supporters filed a lawsuit protesting irregularities at a
polling station in the eastern Kirovohrad region. He said the count would
resume after an appeals court ruling, expected Thursday.
The preliminary results showed Communist and Socialist candidates won
11 per cent of Sunday's vote, and both leading contenders will now be
competing for that support in the runoff.
Following talks with Yushchenko, Socialist leader Oleksandr Moroz said
Wednesday that his party could support the opposition candidate on condition
he meets a set of demands on implementing political reforms. -30-
[The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207 ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
Additional names for the distribution list are always welcome
========================================================
6. YUSHCHENKO CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS AIMING TO
COMPLETE PARALLEL COUNT OF VOTES CAST IN UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, November 3, 2004
KYIV - The election campaign headquarters of the Our Ukraine coalition's
leader and presidential candidate Viktor Yuschenko expects to complete
its parallel count of the votes cast in the presidential elections before
November 7. The press service of the Yuschenko election campaign
headquarters disclosed this to Ukrainian News, citing a statement by
Parliamentary Deputy Volodymyr Filenko.
"The Yuschenko team expects to collect all the copies of election return
protocols from district election commissions before the end of the week...
After this, it will be able to announce the results of the October 31
ballot," the press service said.
Filenko said that many of the election return protocols from election
commissions in various regions of Ukraine have been lost. According to
him, this was done deliberately to ensure that it is impossible to expose
the Central Electoral Commission's falsification of the results of the
elections.
According to Filenko, the Yuschenko election campaign headquarters
intends to file lawsuits in connection with the discrepancies between
copies of election returns from district election commissions and the
relevant official data from the CEC.
Parliamentary Deputy Taras Stetskiv said that the absence of original
protocols from district election commissions is the best evidence of the
falsification of the election results.
According to the press service of Yuschenko election campaign
headquarters, Stetskiv showed an election return protocol containing
all the necessary signatures of the members of election commissions
but without data about the results of elections.
"This is a protocol that only requires any figures to be entered into it...
The authorities produced such forms en mass for the purpose of falsifying
the will of the people," the press service of the Yuschenko election
campaign headquarters quoted Stetskiv as saying.
Filenko also said that the official data from the CEC itself did not add up.
According to him, it states that the number of people who voted in certain
regions exceeded the number of people who received ballot papers.
He also stressed that the law on Ukrainian presidential elections makes no
provisions for the term "Updated Protocol" that the CEC uses.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the CEC wants to verify the data in
30% of the election return protocols from 132 of the 225 constituencies.
The Yuschenko election campaign headquarters says that this is connected
with falsification of the election's results.
According to the Yuschenko election campaign headquarters' tally of votes
from 67.12% of polling stations, Yuschenko won 45.06% of the votes cast in
the presidential elections Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych won 32.9%.
The Yuschenko election campaign headquarters discontinued its parallel vote
count because it was unable to obtain copies of election result protocols
from the remaining district election commissions. -30- [Action Ukraine]
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
Suggested articles for publication in the Report are always welcome
========================================================
7. UKRAINIAN ELECTION CHIEF EXPLAINS UNUSUALLY SLOW
VOTE COUNT IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Source: Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, Wed, 3 Nov 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Nov 03, 2004
KIEV - The preliminary count of votes cast during the presidential election
in Ukraine has slowed down because of the absence of data from constituency
No 100 in Kirovohrad, the chairman of the Central Electoral Commission,
Serhiy Kivalov, told journalists today.
The chairman of the [electoral] commission in constituency No 100,
Volodymyr Babiy, did not take part in the constituency's electoral
commission meeting on Saturday 30 October because he did not feel well.
During the meeting, members of the commission decided to expel the
opposition representatives from the electoral commissions of all polling
stations [across Kirovohrad Region].
When on the morning of 31 October the opposition representatives found
out they are not listed among the commission members, a protracted conflict
began.
The chairman of the constituency's electoral commission, Volodymyr Babiy,
showed up at the commission premises on polling day, seized an official
stamp and left together with 25 members of the electoral commission
members. With their whereabouts still unknown, the police initiated a
search.
In the meantime, opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko's
official observer filed a complaint with the Kirovohrad court of appeal
accusing the chairman of the electoral commission of inaction. The court
will proceed with the case on Thursday 4 November.
The constituency's partially staffed electoral commission managed to count
2.34 per cent of ballots, according to which Viktor Yanukovych was leading
with 75.5 per cent of votes (290 voters) against 15.5 per cent (60 voters)
ballots cast for Viktor Yushchenko.
According to Serhiy Kivalov, this information does not reflect the tendency
across the entire constituency as it includes data from the polling stations
at restricted-access facilities only.
As of today, the Central Electoral Commission has received 150-170
vote-count reports from local electoral commissions (the total number of
which is 225). Half of them, however, have to be reviewed and endorsed
by local electoral commissions at their meetings due errors in paperwork.
-30- [The Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 207: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
Letters to the editor are always welcome
========================================================
8. UKRAINIAN MP OLEH RYBACHUK SAYS CHAIRMAN OF
CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION SERHIY KIVALOV BEING
BLACKMAILED BY PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION
Ukrayinska Pravda web site, Kiev, in Ukrainian 3 Nov 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, November 3, 2004
KIEV - Our Ukraine Member of Parliament (MP) Oleh Rybachuk has
said that the chairman of the Central Electoral Commission, Serhiy Kivalov,
has not announced the final vote count in the presidential election on 31
October for so long because he is "blackmailed" by the presidential
administration. Kivalov is being threatened with a criminal case against his
daughter, Rybachuk said.
According to the latest results, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych is
slightly in the lead with 39.88 per cent, and opposition leader Victor
Yushchenko has 39,22 per cent. Both will go to the runoff, which is
scheduled for 21 November. The following is the text of a report by the
Ukrainian Ukrayinska Pravda web site on 3 November:
Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission Serhiy Kivalov has not
announced the results of the first round [of presidential election] because
the presidential administration is blackmailing him, threatening to launch
criminal proceedings against his daughter, the head of opposition candidate
Viktor Yushchenko's office, MP Oleh Rybachuk, said, referring to a source
among the authorities.
"All those who watched the vote count in the early hours of 1 November
were surprised by a visit of Interior Minister Mykola Bilokon to the Central
Electoral Commission," Rybachuk said. "The minister could not explain the
reason for his visit to the commission. The information I have shows that
Bilokon came to the Central Electoral Commission as a messenger from
Bankova [Street, where the presidential administration is located]."
"He told Kivalov that if he did not ensure the necessary result for Viktor
Yanukovych a criminal case against his daughter, Tetyana Kivalova, would
be reopened," Rybachuk said. The criminal case is linked with the
activities of the Antarktyka fishing company, whose director-general,
Valeriy Kravchenko, was killed in December 2002 in Odessa. Tetyana
Kivalova tried to avoid persecution by running for parliament, Rybachuk
recalled. Early this year she was running for parliament in the No 136
constituency in Odessa.
However, Article 7 of the law on the Central Electoral Commission does not
allow its members to have close relatives running for parliament. Rybachuk
says that father decided to remain the head of the Central Electoral
Commission after making a deal with the law-enforcers regarding his
daughter's security.
"They reminded Kivalov about the debt and demanded that he should repay it
by violating the law. I would not want to be in Kivalov's place - he is
really under great pressure. That is why he has not left his cabinet for two
days," Rybachuk said. Kivalov has not appeared in public since Monday [1
November], when he announced preliminary results of the first round.
The Central Electoral Commission reportedly has not completed vote count do
far. After processing 97.67 per cent of ballot papers Yushchenko has 39.22
per cent and Yanukovych has 39.88 per cent. However, these figures do not
include some votes from western Ukraine and Kiev, where Yushchenko has
great advantage. It is expected that Yushchenko will be in the lead after
these votes are counted. -30- [Action Ukraine Report Monitoring Service]
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207: ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
========================================================
9. HEAD OF UKRAINE'S CENTRAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION
SERHIY KIVALOV DENIES THE PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION
IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON HIM PERSONALLY
Source: Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian, Wed, 3 Nov 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, Nov 03, 2004
KIEV - The head of the Central Electoral Commission [CEC], Serhiy
Kivalov, has denied that the presidential administration is putting pressure
on him personally and on the commission concerning the release of final
results of the voting [in the 31 October presidential election].
"Nobody is putting pressure on me, it makes no sense to put pressure on
me. I shall do everything according to the law and will act only by the
law," Kivalov said, commenting on the statement by MP Oleh Rybachuk
from the campaign team of [opposition] candidate Viktor Yushchenko that
Kivalov is "under pressure from Bankova [presidential administration] which
is threatening to launch criminal proceedings against his daughter in order
to prevent him from publicizing the final results."
"This is beyond the pale," Kivalov said. He noted that his daughter Tetyana
is "a senior lecturer in international law and international relations,
professor and practising lawyer". "She is not involved in any business
activities," he said.
The CEC announced the latest results on 2 November with 97.67 per
cent of votes counted. According to these results, [prime minister] Viktor
Yanukovych has a 0.66-per-cent lead over Yushchenko. The final results
have not been announced for 14 regions, the city of Kiev and Sevastopol.
Yushchenko is leading in nine of those regions and the city of Kiev.
Yushchenko's campaign headquarters believe that the final results will show
that Yushchenko got more votes than Yanukovych.
On 2 November, the CEC stopped publicizing preliminary results, and
Kivalov explained the delay by problems at several territorial commissions.
In particular, this concerns two precincts where lawsuits have been filed,
including, No 100 (Kirovohrad) and No 200 (Zolotonosha, Cherkasy
Region). Kivalov promised that the final results will be released "openly in
every precinct, based on original reports by the territorial commissions
within the next few days". "The law says we must do it before 11
November, but we shall do it much earlier than that," he said.
Kivalov also said that all the election headquarters have reports of
territorial commissions with "fresh seals", and that they will be able to
check the CEC's figures. -30- [Action Ukraine Monitoring Service]
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
========================================================
10. UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
SAYS LIVE CAMPAIGN DEBATES "INEXPEDIENT"
Says Viktor Yushchenko needs to apologize to Viktor Yanukovych
Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian, 3 Nov 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, November 3, 2004
KIEV - The campaign headquarters of the Ukrainian presidential
candidate and prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych, believe that
Yanukovych's participation in live TV debates with opposition presidential
candidate Viktor Yushchenko "is inexpedient until Yushchenko refuses to
use words which humiliate Yanukovych's dignity".
Yanukovych's headquarters said in a statement today that it hopes that
Viktor Yushchenko would "apologize to his opponent, which will make it
possible to consider holding TV debates involving Yushchenko" before the
presidential election runoff scheduled for 21 November.
Yanukovych's headquarters said that Yanukovych "has never avoided
impartial and meaningful polemics between representatives of various
political forces, which benefits this country and strengthens democratic
foundations of political dialogue." -30- [Action Ukraine Service]
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207: ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
Additional names for the distribution list are always welcome
========================================================
11. UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER RELUCTANT TO HOLD LIVE
CAMPAIGN DEBATES, TV SAYS
Source: TV 5 Kanal, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 3 Nov 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Wed, November 3, 2004
KYIV - [Presenter] The team of [Ukrainian presidential candidate and prime
minister], Viktor Yanukovych, have told their rival [in the election runoff
and opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko,] to hold discussions and compete
in their actions rather than during TV debates. No-comment video follows.
[Yanukovych] Yes, I believe we will -
[Herman, interrupting Yanukovych] We also hold debates.
[Yanukovych] Yes, we are debating all the time, but, as it were, in one
direction.
[Presenter] Yanukovych's press secretary Herman explained to our channel
that this does not mean that candidate Yanukovych refuses from the debates
before the runoff.
You will recall, that the law says that presidential candidates should hold
TV debates on the [state-owned] UT1 television five days before the runoff.
If one of them refuses, his air time is given to his rival. -30-
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207: ARTICLE NUMBER TWELVE
========================================================
12. VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO READY TO PARTICIPATE IN UKRAINIAN
TV DEBATES BUT ONLY AGAINST PM VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH
IntelliNews - Ukraine Today, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, Nov 3, 2004
KYIV - The electoral headquarters of presidential candidate Viktor
Yushchenko noted that the candidate is ready to participate in TV
debates only against Yanukovych, the candidate from ruling authorities.
This is a common world practice, when two candidates discuss their
views on crucial problems in direct broadcast. According to the
announcement, Yuschenko is not going to change his position,
concerning his electoral promises. The headquarters stands for fair
debates and an independent and objective host of the dispute. -30-
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207: ARTICLE NUMBER THIRTEEN
Checks to support The Action Ukraine Report are always welcome
========================================================
13. VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH CONNECTS LACK OF SUPPORT TO HIS
PRESIDENTIAL CANIDACY IN A NUMBER OF REGIONS WITH THE
POOR WORK OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES
PM intends to take stringent measures to those leaders who are failing
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, November 3, 2004
KIEV - Presidential candidate, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych believes
that the low percent of voters who supported his candidacy on election in a
number of regions is an evidence of poor fulfillment of duties by local
officials. Yanukovych told this to journalists.
He noted that in the recent days he received many complaints from people
from different regions who mark shortcomings in the work of local
authorities. "I do not resent people, those who do not vote, because we
haven't reached them yet," Yanukovych said.
He noted that poor readiness for beginning of heating season and lack of
regulation of pricing policy are defects in operation at the local level.
"Excessive politicization always prevents from doing one's immediate job,"
he said. Yanukovych noted that he intends to take stringent measures to
those leaders who are failing to put their regions in order.
"People vote against authorities in the regions with the largest number of
shortcomings," Yanukovych said. -30- [Action Ukraine Report]
========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.207: ARTICLE NUMBER FOURTEEN
Checks to support The Action Ukraine Report are always welcome
========================================================
14. "UKRAINE MAKES A CRUCIAL CHOICE"
EDITORIAL: The Japan Times Online
Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, November 4, 2004
A mid the clamor and confusion of the U.S. elections, it is easy to forget
that ballots are being held elsewhere in the world. This week Ukraine held
a presidential election, and while the outcome will not shape international
politics as much as the U.S. vote, it will be significant nevertheless. The
two leading candidates have very different visions for their country.
Squeezed between Europe and Russia, Ukraine's future course will
profoundly influence both regions.
Twenty-four candidates contested Sunday's election, the fourth since the
collapse of the Soviet Union more than a decade ago. The leading
contenders to succeed President Leonid Kuchma were Prime Minister
Viktor Yanukovich and Mr. Viktor Yushchenko, a former prime minister
and central bank president who has become the leading critic of Mr.
Kuchma and now heads the opposition. As anticipated, the results were
close. With virtually all votes counted, neither man garnered the 50 percent
needed to win outright. Instead, the two were in a virtual tie, forcing a
runoff vote scheduled for Nov. 21.
While both men appear ready to accept the results, there have been
complaints about the election process from both sides. International
observers concurred. The head of the observer mission from the Organization
for Cooperation and Security in Europe called the vote "a step backward"
from parliamentary elections held in 2002, and even those were faulted for
falling short of European standards.
Complaints are to be expected. Ukraine, a country of 47 million people, is
deeply divided by region, ethnicity and social class. Democratic traditions
do not yet exist, although the high turnout -- nearly 75 percent -- suggests
that voters are eager to use their right to vote and ready to defend it. The
balloting Sunday suggests that they will also have to be vigilant.
Foreign observers blamed the government for most of the abuses. They cited
extensive bias in state-controlled media and the use of state resources for
Mr. Yanukovich. Fears that the security forces would be used to disrupt
polls proved unfounded, but opposition leaders worry that the gloves will
come off during the runoff campaign. Equally troubling were complaints
about voting lists as well as other irregularities, such as attempts to
steal ballot boxes and the busing of voters to polls. Observers reported
problems in nearly half of the polling stations.
The stakes in this election are high and include considerably more than who
controls the spoils in Ukraine. The country straddles the divide between
Europe and the East; it borders seven countries, among them Russia,
members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and three new members
of the European Union. The Ukraine election matters greatly because the two
candidates have very different visions of their country's orientation and
future.
Mr. Yanukovich aspires to be Mr. Kuchma's heir, promising to make close
relations with Russia closer still. He has said he will end Ukraine's bids
to join NATO and the EU, and will rely more on Russia to protect its
security and economic interests. He will make Russian an official language
and allow dual citizenship. That has won him the support of Russian
President Vladimir Putin. Mr. Yanukovich favors the old order, with a
government-directed economy that preserves the privileges of bureaucrats
and facilitates corruption.
Mr. Yushchenko's outlook is more Western. He calls for closer ties to
Europe but only to balance Russian influence, not to replace it. He has
endorsed more market-oriented reforms, an end to corruption and greater
respect for freedom, including a more independent media. Ironically, for
someone who appears more Western in approach, Mr. Yushchenko has
promised to withdraw Ukraine's 1,600 troops from Iraq.
While Ukraine's future hangs in the balance, Belarus has already made its
choice. In a referendum last month, more than three-quarters of voters
agreed to amend the constitution and allow President Alexander Lukashenko
to run for more than two terms. Without the amendment, Mr. Lukashenko, a
domineering totalitarian who brooks no dissent, would have been forced to
step down in 2006. Now he can run for as long as he likes. That election was
also denounced by foreign observers who concluded that the results can "in
no way be described as free and fair."
Mr. Lukashenko's victory in Belarus comforts Mr. Putin, who is striving to
consolidate power and silence dissent in Russia. A victory for Mr.
Yanukovich in Ukraine would help provide a powerful counter to the liberal,
democratic model that Europe presents to the former Soviet states of Eastern
and Central Europe. There is security in numbers, and a bloc of three
Soviet-style leaders in the heart of Europe could provide an attraction for
other budding autocrats. -30- [The Action Ukraine Monitoring Service]
----------------------------------- --------------------------------------
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