INSIDE:• International observers criticize elections — page 3. • Eye project makes progress in Ukraine — page 7. • Off the beaten path: Luhansk — page 10.

Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVII HE No.KRAINIAN 47 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1999 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine Kuchma re-elected by a landslide TheT Kuchma victory:U W by Roman Woronowycz analysis of a mandate Kyiv Press Bureau by Roman Woronowycz KYIV – Ukrainians gave a resounding rebuke to the Kyiv Press Bureau return of communism and re-elected President Leonid Kuchma to a second term by a landslide on November 14. KYIV – With more than 56 percent of Ukrainians sup- They decided they favored the social stability the porting his re-election, President Leonid Kuchma has the Kuchma era has brought, despite an economy deep in the mandate, even if a muddled one, to be able to move doldrums, over a return to Soviet-era politics and the quickly on economic, administrative and parliamentary upheaval it would bring to Ukraine’s political system. reforms, according to experts. However, he will be able to President Kuchma beat Communist challenger Petro do so only if he can build a centrist majority coalition in Symonenko by a healthy 18 percent margin in an election the country’s Parliament. that was closely watched and heavily criticized by interna- During his campaign, Mr. Kuchma emphasized the tional observers. The president took 56.25 percent of the stability, though not prosperity, he had brought to the popular vote in unofficial results released by Ukraine’s country and ran on a platform of continued democratiza- Central Election Commission, while Mr. Symonenko was tion and economic reforms. His platform was character- supported by 37.8 percent of the electorate. ized by a central plank that emphasized the threat of a red More than 74 percent of eligible voters turned out for the revanche and a return to a dark Soviet past if he was not runoff, an increase over the 70 percent that had voted in the re-elected. first round. They surprised political analysts who had pre- Although Mr. Kuchma’s first term was shaky, filled dicted that the turnout would barely reach 60 percent. with inconsistent policies and stalled reform, along with While thanking Ukrainians for their support, President well-documented allegations of corruption, voters decided Kuchma said on November 15 that the results clearly that he was better than the alternative. showed that the electorate had expressed a determined The president, after his lop-sided, runoff victory against desire to continue to move toward free markets, democracy Efrem Lukatsky Communist Party candidate Petro Symonenko, said that and Europe. economic and administrative reforms are at the top of the “It is not important that a majority voted for me but that President Leonid Kuchma casts his ballot with his agenda for his next term. Ukrainians have chosen to continue on the democratic path grandson Roman on November 14. “We need to speed up the process of reforms a few of state development and the path of economic reforms,” notches to proceed more quickly,” said President Kuchma said Mr. Kuchma. “I said all along that the elections were PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS after preliminary results showed he had won. He said that not about the personalities but about the political system.” accelerating reforms would be “the main thing” on which As they did in the first round — when the president KYIV – According to the reports from 100 percent of he would concentrate. overcame a pack of 12 other candidates by winning more the polling stations, the incumbent, Leonid Kuchma, won The president declined to explain how reforms would than 36 percent of the vote — the western oblasts paved the 56.25 percent (15.86 million) of the votes of those who be quickened, which members of his administration way for a Kuchma victory. In both the Ivano-Frankivsk and came to the polls on November 14 for the presidential runoff; 3