The Ukrainian Weekly 2004, No.52
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www.ukrweekly.com Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXII HE No.KRAINIAN 52 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2004 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine Pro-democracyT “FriendshipU Train” PresidentialW contenders square off encounters antagonism, roadblocks in lively debate on national TV by Andrew Nynka Mr. Yanukovych. by Andrew Nynka of the debate. “You must not steal things. Kyiv Press Bureau “We wanted to help carry the demo- Kyiv Press Bureau You must not steal factories. You must not cratic spirit throughout Ukraine,” said steal votes. And when 3 million votes are KYIV – A procession of approximate- Mr. Khudariavets, 34, a native of Lviv. KYIV – Prime Minister Viktor stolen – and you know very well that in ly 50 cars – dubbed the “Friendship “This is not a political action. We found Yanukovych and Our Ukraine party Donetsk after 8 p.m., when the election fin- Train” – drove throughout Ukraine’s there were many other people who also leader Viktor Yushchenko squared off in ished half a million votes were stolen.” southern and eastern regions hoping to wanted to help us carry this spirit to a lively exchange on national television On the other hand, Mr. Yanukovych “spread a spirit of democracy and free- regions of Ukraine that we thought need- in what was widely hailed by members of asked his opponent repeatedly to join him dom” to places that their organizers said ed to know about this.” both camps as a landmark presidential in some form of political compromise have seen little of either, though the The procession, which left Kyiv on debate. Mr. Yanukovych repeatedly asked regardless of the outcome of the looming group has encountered a number of December 14, stopped in the industrial that the two candidates work together Ukrainian run-off election, which is antagonistic roadblocks and setbacks. city of Zaporizhia on December 20 and after the election, while Mr. Yushchenko scheduled December 26. Mr. Yanukovych With their cars covered in presidential passed through the city of directly accused his rival of stealing some was not clear on what he had in mind, candidate Viktor Yushchenko’s trademark Dnipropetrovsk the following day, before 3 million votes in the run-off election. though he repeated the phrase “let us do orange campaign color, organizers of the driving toward Ukraine’s Donbas region, In a starkly different format from the this together” throughout the event. procession – who spoke with The Mr. Yanukovych’s largely Russian-speak- last debate, which took place on November “If you win, I will recognize [your Ukrainian Weekly via mobile phone dur- ing political bastion. 15 and did not allow the two candidates to victory], if I win – you will,” the prime ing their trip – said the goal was not But the procession encountered sever- interact, both Messrs. Yushchenko and minister said. “And then, you and I will political. al roadblocks put up by Mr. Yanukovych spoke directly to one another, work together to form a normal govern- “We are not supporting any one spe- Yanukovych’s supporters. On December posing and answering each other’s ques- ment of national accord,” said Mr. cific candidate,” claimed Vasyl 19 organizers cancelled their visit to the tions during the 104-minute nationally tele- Yanukovych, according to a transcript Khudariavets, one of several people who Crimean city of Sevastopol, fearing inci- vised event on December 20. provided by the UNIAN news agency. worked to arrange the approximately dents with more than 200 of Mr. “You’re a religious person, right?” Mr. But Mr. Yushchenko, wearing his 2,300-mile trip. Yanukovych’s supporters who blocked Yushchenko asked his rival. trademark orange tie and pocket hand- Mr. Khudariavets was among the thou- the city’s main square in the morning. “Thou shalt not steal ... And then you kerchief, cast Mr. Yanukovych’s propos- sands who camped out in the tent city on Local media reported that Mr. stole 3 million votes ... Perhaps the als aside, saying the prime minister was Ukraine’s Independence Square in the Yanukovych’s supporters damaged sever- Supreme Court is lying and you are telling not answering his questions and was aftermath of the November 21 run-off al cars decorated with Mr. Yushchenko’s the truth?” he asked, referring to the instead trying to avoid giving concrete election. He said his time there inspired orange campaign color on December 19 Ukrainian Supreme Court’s decision to answers to specific questions. “I asked him and other organizers of the in Sevastopol. One woman was slightly annul the results of the falsified November you a question, and you tell me about the Friendship Train to plan their trip. injured when a pro-Yanukovych crowd 21 run-off election on December 3. It was weather,” he said. The group has shown video footage threw bottles and attempted to overturn a a theme that Mr. Yushchenko returned to Mr. Yanukovych continued to say that the solution to Ukraine’s political crisis and pictures of the demonstrations that vehicle. frequently during the debate. took place throughout Kyiv last month to “Viktor Fedorovych, one must not would be found in some sort of unity gov- Ukrainians in areas considered to favor (Continued on page 12) steal,” Mr. Yushchenko said toward the end ernment, and he depicted Mr. Yushchenko’s policies as threatening to divide the country. Addressing his rival using the patronymic, Mr. Yanukovych said, “I can say with confidence, Viktor Time names Viktor Yushchenko Andriyovych, that if you win and you become the president of Ukraine you among ‘People Who Mattered’ will become the president of a part of PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Ukrainian presidential candidate Ukraine. I do not want this – I want us to and leader of the “Orange Revolution” Viktor Yushchenko unite Ukraine. This is my goal.” has been named by Time magazine as one of the “People In response, Mr. Yushchenko said, “Let’s Who Mattered 2004.” recall that Ukraine has been united since the The newsmagazine’s citation reads: “Even more than his period of St. Volodymyr. It lived united rousing words, it was the disfigured face of Ukraine’s through the times of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, opposition candidate – caused by dioxin poisoning – that Ivan Mazepa, Skoropadsky. Let’s consider spoke volumes about the high stakes of that country’s pres- the unity of Ukraine, its integrity, to be idential race. Yushchenko, here in his Kiev [sic] office, also sacred, which must be appreciated by every survived rigged elections, standing up to authoritarian politician. That is why I’m confident that the powers with the help of demonstrations by supporters. value of Ukraine is in its unity, and its terri- With a new vote scheduled for the day after Christmas, he torial integrity cannot be broken up today.” may soon become the face of a more democratic Ukraine.” As he has done since he lost the support The photo accompanying the text above was of Mr. of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma Yushchenko standing in his office. The photo by Yuri after the run-off vote, Mr. Yanukovych Kozyrev spanned two pages in the magazine. cast himself as the opposition candidate Time magazine named 16 people (or groups of people), and said that he and his campaign team plus one horse, as “People Who Mattered.” Mr. have “become witnesses that the power Yushchenko was sixth on the list, following Nancy Reagan represented by Leonid Kuchma, together and her son Ron; Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, chair with representatives of the so-called and vice-chair, respectively, of the 9/11 Commission; ‘orange putsch,’ adopted illegal positions Efrem Lukatsky Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry; San that were aimed against the Ukrainian Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom; and Eliot Spitzer, New Presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko addresses a rally nation and against the voters, who, with York state’s attorney general. in Kyiv on September 18, upon returning from Vienna, this decision, were, in fact, deprived of The biggest distinction, Person of the Year, went to where he was treated for poisoning. “You will not poison us. their right to vote in the second round.” President George W. Bush, whose portrait appears on the You do not have enough bullets and KamAZ trucks. You Mr. Yanukovych referred to illegalities cover of Time’s December 27, 2004/January 3, 2005, issue. cannot break us,” he stated. (Continued on page 13) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2004 No. 52 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS The next step in Ukraine: NEWSBRIEFS Peacekeepers headed to Syria Rada to probe sacking of SBU deputy meeting the governance challenge KYIV – President Leonid Kuchma has KYIV – The Verkhovna Rada on signed a decree on sending some 200 December 21 set up an ad hoc commission by Christopher Walker the election law to address two of its peacekeepers to the United Nations to investigate the circumstances under RFE/RL Newsline most glaring deficiencies. First, the total Disengagement Force separating Syrian which President Leonid Kuchma recently number of absentee voter certificates per- and Israeli forces in the Golan Heights in dismissed Security Service of Ukraine The peaceful, civic response to the mitted will be reduced from 4 percent of Syria, Ukrainian news agencies reported (SBU) Deputy Director Volodymyr Satsiuk, flawed second round of Ukraine’s presi- total eligible ballots to 0.5 percent. on December 18. The decree still Interfax reported. Media reports have sug- dential election has been an impressive tes- Second, mobile (“at home”) voting will requires the approval of the Verkhovna gested that presidential candidate Viktor tament to the democratic determination of be circumscribed to prevent the sort of Rada.