Agency WPS
What the Papers Say. Part B (Russia)
November 26, 2004, Friday

LET’S WAIT UNTIL MONDAY

SOURCE: Vremya Novotei, November 26, 2004, pp. 1-2

by Svetlana Stepanenko, Denis Zaitsev, Alexander Tomofeyev

The situation in Ukraine remains uncertain. Even if the candidates
for president are prepared to reach a compromise, their foreign
supporters only want victory.

Vladimir Putin again congratulated Viktor Yanukovich on his victory –
he sent an official message after the official voting results were
announced. The leaders of Kazakhstan, Armenia and Uzbekistan joined
the Russian leader.

However, forces which refuse to acknowledge the validity of the
election have not given up. Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter
Balkenende, said in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President
Leonid Kuchma that the results of the presidential election are
unacceptable. In other words, the European Union has taken the same
stand as the US, Britain, and Canada, which do not recognize the
election results.

It should be noted that all sides emphasize the necessity of settling
the situation using legal mechanisms. The Ukrainian Supreme Court has
banned the Central election commission from publishing the official
results of voting “until it considers all complaints and lawsuits.”
The Central Election Commission recently said that 49.46% of voters
supported Viktor Yanukovich in the second round of the election, and
46.61% voted for Yushchenko. However, the opposition submitted a
complaint about the decision of the Central Election Commission to
the Supreme Court yesterday.

The Supreme Court will consider the complaint on Monday. The Supreme
Court’s decision means that the winner of the election will not be
able to hold the inauguration until all complaints have been
considered, and Leonid Kuchma will remain the president of Ukraine.

Ukrainian law does not make it possible to invalidate the overall
election results. However, it is possible to invalidate the results
of voting at several electoral districts. It is not ruled out that
the Supreme Court will try not to use this measure, and advise the
Central Election Commission to consider the second round of voting as
invalid. If this happens the Central Election Commission will have to
start making preparations for another election.

Alexander Zinchenko, Yushchenko’s campaign manager, says the
opposition will only discuss the possibility of holding another
election if it’s monitored by the OSCE and international
organizations. In addition, the opposition will insist on the Central
Election Commission being replaced, the government being dismissed,
and three television debates between the candidates.

Mr. Yushchenko said that negotiations with Yanukovich can only start
if both candidates refuse to acknowledge the results of the election.
He threatened to organize a national walkout if government refuses to
make concessions. The people blockade international roads in the
Volynsk, Lviv, Kharkov, Zakarpatye, Sumsk, Ivano-Frankovsk and
Chernigovsk regions. Yushechenko said: “We show that the geography of
the opposition’s influence goes beyond the center and Western
Ukraine.”

Sergei Tigipko, Yanukovich’s campaign manager, warned: “Some people
say the opposition is seeing to create a south-eastern autonomy in
Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, Yushchenko has established a national salvation commission
and issued his first decrees. Decree No. 1 asks the people to defend
the constitutional order. Other decrees concern the creation of the
committee consisting of 30 people and an organization called “the
people’s self-defense.” The opposition asked local government bodies
to join the national rescue committee. The city councils of Boyarka,
Irpen, Vishnesoi and Borispol joined the committee yesterday.
Meetings in support of the opposition and the committee were held in
Sumy, Khrakov, Krivorozhye and Dnepropetrovsk. Deputy Economy
Minister Oleg Gaiduk resigned, saying that this is his “civic
stance.” An orange flag was raised over the building of the Ukrainian
National Bank (Yushchenko headed the bank in 1993-99).

Yushchenko acknowledged that he needs “a very substantial
international intermediary in negotiations with the government in
order to resolve the political crisis in Ukraine.” Leonid Kuchma says
Lithuania could act as such intermediary. Yushchenko’s team trusts
Poland. Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski agreed to come to Kiev
as an intermediary after lengthy telephone talks with Kuchma. He
said: “Negotiations are better than tanks on Independence Square.”

Former Polish President Lech Walensa arrived in Kiev yesterday. He
was invited by Viktor Yushchenko. He warned: “I received the Nobel
Peace Prize, and I can only use peaceful methods.” However, he did
not prove to be a neutral intermediary. At a rally in Kiev, he said:
“Your emotions and passion are needed for defending democracy! I
believe you will win!” Meanwhile, Walensa was told that Yushchenko
and Yanukovich are prepared to negotiate, and do not want to use
force.

Events in Ukraine have become a headache for Russian politicians and
an advantage for their Polish counterparts. Poland is tired of
political conflicts, the threat of dissolution of the parliament and
reshuffles in the government. The problems of its eastern neighbor
are a very good opportunity to forget about Poland’s own problems.
Polish media reports are saying that Warsaw is interested in what is
happening in Ukraine, and concerned about Ukraine’s political drift
towards Russia before the election.

Translated by Alexander Dubovoi

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress