THE PRESS, Christchurch Monday, December 9, 2013 WORLD B3

UKRAINE Smear campaign hits popular contender Vitali Klitschko, the sporting hero This is not a challenging ’s president, has been passing smeared with claims of adultery and links to moment, it’s serious. We won’t criminals, writes MARK FRANCHETTI. budge until we’ve

champion boxer vying to disillusionment with mainstream replaced this become Ukraine’s next politicians. corrupt president is facing a ‘‘All these provocations, dirt vicious smear campaign and lies started after Klitschko government. But after more than a week of announced his candidacy for we must be on protestsA by demonstrators angry president,’’ said his spokeswoman, about their government’s rejection Oksana Zinovyeva. ‘‘Our biggest high alert because of closer ties with Europe. rival is Yanukovych, so we believe Vitali Klitschko, the reigning it all comes from the government’s a wounded animal WBC champion camp.’’ is at its most turned MP, has had his social The boxer’s aides have media page and email account denounced as forgeries leaked dangerous when hacked and his private emails between him and Zoryana it’s cornered. correspondence posted on the Vyshynska, a model. internet since announcing plans to ‘‘I believe that at least a part of Vitali Klitschko stand against , the president’s team quite rightly the pro-Russian president. deems Vitali Klitschko as their Ukrainian politics are Stories of Klitschko’s alleged main rival,’’ said Volodymyr especially bruising. Fighting often extramarital affairs and a secret Fesenko, a political commentator. breaks out in parliament, and love child have been circulating ‘‘So I think there was an order to , the leader of alongside pictures of him on start massively destroying his the who became holiday accompanied by attractive reputation.’’ president, suffered horrific young women. Klitschko is Klitschko, nicknamed Dr disfigurement after being poisoned married with three children. Ironfist, is the leader of Udar – the in 2003. Rumours of his alleged links to name means ‘‘punch’’ in Klitschko has also benefited organised crime as a young fighter Ukrainian – a pro-European, anti- from the jailing of Yulia are also being spread, apparently corruption party. Tymoshenko, the former prime by pro-government figures. His campaign faces numerous minister. She is serving a seven- The campaign comes amid calls hurdles. Last month border guards year sentence on politically by opponents of Yanukovych for a in Kiev, the capital, refused motivated charges of abuse of million-strong march through the landing permission for the office and has just abandoned a capital, Kiev, today, their anger chartered plane carrying him from two-week hunger strike. intensified by a meeting on Friday Germany, preventing him from ‘‘I saw my mother a few days between the president and attending a mass opposition rally. ago,’’ said her daughter, Eugenia. Vladimir Putin, his Russian When he took part in a popular Fighting fit: Heavyweight champion and Ukraine presidential hopeful Vitali Klitschko, left, meets former Georgian president and former ‘‘She’s proud of every Ukrainian counterpart, in the Russian resort television talk show alongside Moldovan prime minister Vlad Filat in a cafe in Kiev yesterday. Photo: REUTERS who is standing up to this brutal of Sochi. other opposition leaders, the pro- and corrupt dictatorial regime. Many of the allegations against government channel abruptly has emerged as the leading figure Square, the focal point of the 2004 lies and nonsense were posted on budge until we’ve replaced this ‘‘She’s a political hostage, she is Klitschko have been posted on a pulled the plug and put on a film to head the anti-government pro- orange revolution. it,’’ Klitschko wrote. ‘‘Do not leave corrupt government. But we must weakened and has lost weight . . . mysterious website that in- instead. tests over Yanukovych’s decision Since a police crackdown last Maidan,’’ he told the protesters, be on high alert because a but is still very strong and dependent analysts claim is The government recently to opt for closer economic ties with weekend, in which dozens of who have erected makeshift wounded animal is at its most determined to defeat this regime.’’ backed by figures close to passed controversial legislation, Russia rather than sign a deal with protesters were savagely beaten by barricades and are braving sub- dangerous when it’s cornered.’’ A former presidential adviser Yanukovych, who sparked huge known as Klitschko’s law, that his the EU at a summit held in police, the number of zero night-time temperatures. ‘‘We Klitschko is the only pro-EU warned the dirty tricks could street protests after he rejected a supporters say was made to stop Lithuania. demonstrators has swollen. mustn’t give up the square.’’ opposition figure to bridge backfire on the government. deal last month that would have him standing. What the government will get According to some estimates Protesters broke into chants of Ukraine’s bitter East-West divide ‘‘For Klitschko the biggest moved the country closer to the It bars individuals resident from Russia remains to be seen: nearly 500,000 took to the streets ‘‘Klitschko for president!’’ and and to win support in Ukraine’s challenge now is for him to EU. abroad for tax purposes from Yanukovych’s talks with Putin last Sunday, the largest ‘‘Klitschko floors Yanukovych!’’ pro-Russian regions. capitalise on the protests before According to some polls running for office; for years the ended without agreement on demonstration since the orange when the boxer toured the square He is, however, unused to the they lose momentum,’’ he said. Klitschko, 42, is ahead of boxer lived and trained in Ukraine’s hopes of a deal to get revolution. on Thursday with Guido vicious nature of Ukrainian He recalled: ‘‘There was a row Yanukovych and could win the Germany. A defiant Klitschko cheaper Russian gas. ‘‘Literally an hour after I wrote Westerwelle, the German foreign politics and is said by insiders to once in Kiev city council. Several election, set for 2015. immediately announced his But the government’s U-turn my last post on Facebook and minister. lack the backroom skills needed to lawmakers tried to subdue He owes his popularity to his candidacy. has infuriated the country’s pro- called on everyone to come to ‘‘We won’t give up,’’ Klitschko forge alliances with the oligarchs, Klitschko. He just straightened sporting fame and outsider status The 6ft 7in giant, who counts 41 European majority, which has Maidan [Independence Square], said. ‘‘This is not a passing who continue to wield enormous himself and shook everyone off at a time of deep-seated among his 45 victories, occupied Kiev’s Independence my account was hacked and dirty moment, it’s serious. We won’t influence. like flies.’’ Sunday Times