The Ukrainian Weekly 2004, No.46

www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Viktor Yanukovych agrees to TV debate — page 5. • Preserving a POW chapel in Lockerbie, Scotland — page 14. • Ukrainian American Veterans hold convention — page 15. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXII HE No.KRAINIAN 46 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2004 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine Ukraine’sT presidentialUIt’s official: YushchenkoW wins first round by Roman Woronowycz the western and central regions of the puzzled. campaign comes Kyiv Press Bureau country, while Mr. Yanukovych received “I am satisfied,” began the prime min- the overwhelming majority of votes in ister while addressing journalists at his KYIV – The Central Election eight eastern and southern oblasts, as headquarters in an appearance broadcast to the United States Commission officially announced on well as in the Crimean Autonomous on all the major television stations, and November 10 that National Deputy Republic. The result set the stage for a then added, “As for the first round, I by Yaro Bihun Viktor Yushchenko had won the first run-off between the lawmaker and the compare it to a soccer match, one in Special to The Ukrainian Weekly round of voting in Ukraine’s presidential prime minister, as Ukrainian election law which I was playing on foreign territory,” election by just more than a half percent- dictates when no candidate receives 50 explained Mr. Yanukovych. WASHINGTON – The Ukrainian age point. percent voter support. While in European soccer rules, a vis- presidential run-off election campaign It was a somewhat unexpected turn- Mr. Yushchenko, his face still showing iting team gets an extra credit in the came to the U.S. capital last week about from unofficial results issued by the damage done by a chemical or bio- standings when it achieves a tie on its when an advisor to Ukrainian Prime the CEC after the October 31 vote, which logical agent that poisoned him at the opponent’s turf during play for the Minister Viktor Yanukovych sought to had shown his main opponent, Prime beginning of September, said he thought European Cup, it remained unclear why convince the U.S. press and policy- Minister Viktor Yanukovych, heading the margin of victory in the first round makers that a Yanukovych victory the prime minister decided to allude to toward a win. The victory by Mr. was in fact far greater. Nonetheless, he the election process as having taken place would be a good thing for Ukraine Yushchenko came even though 135,000 maintained that he was satisfied that he and its relations with the West. on foreign territory. votes were nullified in a region of the had prevailed even after attempts by the Other members of the Yanukovych Over three days, November 8-10, Kirovohrad Oblast, which had voted state authorities to falsify the election Eduard Prutnik campaigned on Mr. campaign team simply cried foul, claim- heavily for Mr. Yushchenko. results. ing that voters in western Ukraine, where Yanukovych’s behalf with journalists “We, along with you, have achieved a “This was psychologically very impor- at the National Press Club, with busi- turnout was extremely high, had cast bal- victory, even with the brutal use of inap- tant for the democratic forces in Ukraine. lots illegally. ness and government representatives propriate tactics by the authorities,” The importance of even a 0.55 margin of at the Cosmos Club and the Nixon “They stole victory from us,” stated exclaimed Mr. Yushchenko at a press victory cannot be underestimated,” Mr. Stepan Havrysh, the prime minister’s Center, and at some individual meet- conference at his campaign headquarters Yushchenko commented. ings as well. The aim of the visit, he representative at the CEC. minutes after the official results were Prime Minister Yanukovych, while Campaign Manager Serhii Tyhypko, said in an interview with Voice of released. ceding victory to his opponent, expressed America on November 9, was to while acknowledging that he could The CEC results showed Mr. no dissatisfaction with the official results. accept the results, expressed dismay that, explain the economic and other suc- Yushchenko with 39.7 percent of the vote He said the tally set him up nicely for a cesses of the Yanukovych government as he put it, in the western oblasts “vot- and Mr. Yanukovych with 39.32 percent strong finish. However, a convoluted and ing proceeded according to the number of so that his victory in the run-off with support. Sixteen of Ukraine’s 25 oblasts unclear reference to a soccer match in Viktor Yushchenko on November 21 went with Mr. Yushchenko, mostly from part of his statement left some people (Continued on page 4) would not come as a surprise. The visit did not generate much attention in the media or elsewhere. U.S. and other Western news outlets did not report on the visit, except for Moroz, No. 3 in presidential race, endorses Yushchenko an “Embassy Row” piece in the by Roman Woronowycz Socialist Party political program: to Washington Times, the capital’s Kyiv Press Bureau recall Ukrainian troops from Iraq; main- “other” newspaper, which he visited tain a moratorium on the sale of land; separately. There were brief KYIV – Presidential candidate and, most importantly, to agree to com- Oleksander Moroz, who came in third in Ukrainian-language reports on VOA plete the political reform process begun the first round of the presidential elec- and Radio Liberty broadcasts, but in the Verkhovna Rada several years ago, tions in Ukraine, and the Socialist Party they were aimed at the Ukrainian which was halted in June after the he leads on November 6 endorsed Viktor and not the American audience. Ukrainian Parliament could not achieve a Yushchenko in the run-off vote against There was one press report, how- two-thirds majority to pass required con- Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych that is ever, that may well have more seri- stitutional amendments. Mr. Moroz has ous reverberations back home. scheduled for November 21. “I want an election to take place – so said he would like the political reform Luba Shara, a Washington-area bill to be passed by the Verkhovna Rada journalist who writes for Ukrainska far we haven’t seen one,” said Mr. Moroz to a throng of 50,000 supporters of Mr. before the election run-off. Pravda, the Internet newspaper in Mr. Yushchenko has previously Ukraine made famous four years ago Yushchenko during a rally in Kyiv’s Independence Square on November 6. endorsed two of the three proposals put by the murder of its editor, Heorhii forward by the Socialist Party. He had Gongadze, used her report on Mr. The demonstration was held to protest voter fraud and to support free and fair said that he could support the third plank, Prutnik’s appearance at the National the party’s version of political reform, elections. Roman Woronowycz Press Club to shed light on the large which would hand much presidential amounts of money spent over the Mr. Moroz became the first of four ex- power to the prime minister, but only A member of the Kozak Brotherhood past two years for the services of contenders for the presidential seat to after a new Parliament was seated after during the Yushchenko rally in Kyiv American public relations and lobby- throw his support to Mr. Yushchenko national elections in March 2006. on November 6. ing firms with the intent of establish- after it was determined that Mr. [On November 9, Serhii Tyhypko, ing and improving Mr. Yanukovych’s Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor and would call on the party’s members and image in Washington. Her research Yanukovych had qualified for a second campaign manager for Prime Minister supporters to vote accordingly. showed that five firms were paid in round of voting. Yanukovych, said that his candidate The following day, Mr. Moroz excess of $1 million since May 2003. Mr. Moroz had received 5.8 percent of could also support the implementation of received a rousing welcome when he As she explained in her report, the the popular vote in the first round, a political reform in the country after appeared with Mr. Yushchenko on the Foreign Agents Registration Act result he has not recognized in what he March 2006, but insisted, as many stage on Independence Square before a (FARA) of 1938 requires that all com- considers highly falsified returns. He said Socialists have as well, that it should be sea of humanity holding aloft orange panies and individuals engaged in lob- a fraudulent vote count had robbed him voted upon before November 21.] flags and banners. National Deputy Yulia bying and PR efforts for foreign gov- of some 10 percent of his support. After two days of negotiations with Mr. Tymoshenko, whose eponymous political ernments, organizations and individu- On November 3 he suggested that he Yushchenko’s campaign team, the Socialist bloc has long been united with Mr. might be ready to endorse Mr. Party’s political council announced on Yushchenko’s Our Ukraine bloc in an (Continued on page 4) Yushchenko should the presidential can- November 5 that it had received agreement didate agree to accept three planks of the from Mr. Yushchenko on the three issues (Continued on page 5) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2004 No. 46 ANALYSIS Why Yanukovych lost Round 1 NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Newscaster taken off the air of the re-election of U.S. President George W. Bush, Komsomolskaya and why he will lose in Round 2 KYIV – Mykola Kanishevskyi, first Pravda reported on November 6. Mr. vice-president of the National Television Vershbow said that he believes President by Taras Kuzio depicting Mr.

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