www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Kyiv’s Ukrainian Greek-Catholic cathedral blesses crosses — page 4. • Kerry and Bush campaigns respond to The Weekly — page 5. • Authorities in Ukraine target student activists — page 13. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXII HE No.KRAINIAN 43 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2004 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine UkraineT gearsU up for presidentialW election Observers concerned about voting abroad Two main contenders in tight race ANALYSIS: by Roman Woronowycz by Roman Woronowycz Fraud is feared Kyiv Press Bureau Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV – With some 4 million to 7 million Ukrainians esti- KYIV – The two main contenders for the presidential seat in mated to be living and working abroad, the issue of access to Ukraine headed for the finish line practically neck and neck, their in diaspora voting polling stations abroad and the manner in which their votes will campaigns touring the country extensively and the candidates utiliz- by Taras Kuzio be secured is no small concern. ing all at their disposal to draw the Ukrainian electorate to their side. Millions of Ukrainian citizens living Some political observers are worried that the indiscriminate With just over a week to election day, Prime Minister Viktor abroad have the right to vote in the opening of polling stations abroad could open the door to vote falsi- Yanukovych continued to demonstrate his financial advantage October 31 presidential election. While fication, particularly in Russia, where the Association of Ukrainians by utilizing the power of his office to appeal to voters with provisions for expatriates have been in Russia has learned of plans to open up to 650 additional voting financial handouts and awards from the state coffers. made previously, this election marks precincts, even in places where few Ukrainian citizens live. The last opinion polls on the presidential race legally allowed the first time the opposition and elec- Representatives of two Ukrainian civic groups said at a press before the October 31 vote showed that Mr. Yanukovych had tion monitoring groups have focused conference in Kyiv on October 21 that simple math suggests that overtaken his main rival, National Deputy Viktor Yushchenko, on such ballots. On October 12 the up to 1 million votes could be falsified in Russia alone. and held a slight advantage. Most experts attributed the rise Foreign Affairs Ministry of Ukraine Valerii Semenenko, vice-chairman of the Association of directly to additional support he now had among pensioners announced that it would increase the (Continued on page 14) (Continued on page 14) number of polling stations abroad. Originally, only 113 overseas polling stations were to be opened. Germany was to have the most with 20,000 students gather in Kyiv in support of Yushchenko five, followed by four each for Poland, Russia and the United States, by Natalya Slobodyan the strong bond between Mr. Yushchenko to monitor the vote by gathering at two each for Italy and Spain, and one Special to the Ukrainian Weekly and the youth of Ukraine. polling stations across Ukraine on elec- Mr. Yushchenko thanked the students tion day. in Portugal. Now, additional stations KYIV – A meeting and rally of the are to be opened in Russia, Vietnam for risking a trip to Kyiv during a time “You are the best generation of young All-Ukrainian Students’ Council gathered people,” said Mr. Yushchenko to the stu- and Moldova. Italy has agreed to about 20,000 people before the National when ruthless attempts were being made polling stations provided they are to impede his campaign and to destroy dents. “You have the ability to raise University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine to a place among the intellectual located in diplomatic and consular any public sense of support for him. He Kyiv on October 16 to listen to presiden- leaders of the world.” missions. None of the overseas sta- tial candidate Viktor Yushchenko. It was called on them to continue to pressure the tions will have Ukrainian observers, a meeting that many here said expressed government for a free and fair vote, and (Continued on page 13) international observers, or exit polls. During the 1999 presidential elec- tion, Ukraine’s ambassadors were ordered to ensure that the votes made by diplomats under their control and Ukrainian citizens living in their country would be in the “correct” manner for Leonid Kuchma. The fail- ure to bring in the “correct” vote led to the dismissal of Anton Buteiko, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States. Other Ukrainian ambassadors may face the same fate this year. According to one recent poll, 86 percent of Ukrainians living abroad wish to take part in the election, a fig- ure that reflects the high degree of interest in this year’s race. Of those who plan to vote, 78.84 percent will vote for opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko (Ukrainska Pravda, September 29). The projected turnout abroad will far surpass the 1999 and 2002 levels. In Toronto, which has a large “Fourth Wave” Ukrainian diaspo- ra, only 3,351 people were registered to vote. Of those, only 555 (17 percent) voted in 1999. Similarly, in the 2002 elections only one-third of the small number of registered Ukrainian citi- zens in Toronto actually cast a ballot (Ukrainska Pravda, August 12). Already, overseas voting is raising concerns. In Russia, Ukrainians are the second largest national minority AP/Efrem Lukatsky (Continued on page 27) Students from throughout Ukraine rally in Kyiv on October 16 in support of Viktor Yushchenko. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2004 No. 43 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS A “Georgian scenario” in Ukraine? Pro-government deputies boycott session... stipulated in the European Convention on Human Rights. “Neither the relevant by Jan Maksymiuk device, 2.4 kilograms of TNT, electric det- KYIV – Six pro-government parliamen- Ukrainian legislation nor practice contained RFE/RL Belarus and Ukraine Report onators and a grenade. Prosecutors have tary caucuses – Labor Ukraine, the Social a direct eligibility requirement of ‘habitual’ opened a criminal case under articles per- Democratic Party-United, Ukraine’s or ‘continuous’ residence in the territory of Earlier this month, the coalition of par- taining to terrorism and the formation of Regions, Single Ukraine, Democratic Ukraine for parliamentary candidates,” the ties and organizations backing the presi- illegal armed groups and arrested Yaroslav Initiatives and Soyuz – did not register for court said in its ruling. The court awarded dential bid of Prime Minister Viktor Hodunok, a founder of Pora. the parliamentary session and failed to Mr. Melnychenko 5,000 euros ($6,250) in Yanukovych issued a statement suggest- According to accounts by Pora activists ing the opposition is planning a “Chestnut appear in the session hall on October 20, damages. (RFE/RL Newsline) and lawmakers from Mr. Yushchenko’s Ukrainian news agencies reported. There are Revolution” in the event that its candi- Our Ukraine bloc who were present dur- date, Viktor Yushchenko, is defeated at reportedly 248 deputies registered for the ... releases more secret recordings ing the search, the discovery of explosive session, which is a sufficient majority for the ballot box on October 31. The state- devices at Pora was quite simply a police WARSAW – Former Ukrainian presi- ment accuses oppositionists of planning adopting most bills. Pro-government law- provocation. Pora activist Yevhen makers tried to block the session the previ- dential bodyguard Mykola Melnychenko to gather half a million Yushchenko sup- Zolotarev told the Ukrainska pravda web- revealed more of his secret recordings in porters near the Central Election ous day as well. Verkhovna Rada Chairman site (http://www.pravda.com.ua) on Volodymyr Lytvyn said in Parliament on President Leonid Kuchma’s office during a Commission headquarters on election October 18 that during the first search, October 19 that pro-government lawmakers news conference in Warsaw on October 19, night to prepare for such an eventuality. which was videotaped by Pora, police “are implementing a scenario” for disrupting Interfax reported. The disclosed recording “We address the Ukrainian president found nothing. But half an hour later the work of the legislature and holding early carries an alleged conversation between Mr. with a request to take all possible measures police officers conducted another search, parliamentary elections. “After the [presi- Kuchma and Viktor Yanukovych, in which to prevent the implementation of ‘Chestnut- with no one else present, and found the dential] elections many people will need to the latter, then the chairman of the Donetsk Revolution scenarios’ and to ensure law and “terrorist implements and devices.” find [new] jobs and they are now trying to Oblast, discusses corruption in the order during the election process,” the state- The police officers also found a stock of find these jobs in the Verkhovna Rada; this Parliament and briefs the president on how ment reads, in an apparent reference to purportedly propagandistic materials and an requires a blockade of the Verkhovna Rada he muzzles the press in his region. Mr. Georgia’s so-called Rose Revolution, which issue of the organization’s satirical newspa- in order to hold new elections,” Mr. Lytvyn Melnychenko promised to pass the record- peacefully deposed President Eduard per, “Pro Ya. y tse.” (Its title is a pun best said. (RFE/RL Newsline) ing to Ukrainian lawmakers. He also invited Shevardnadze