Yushchenko: I’ll prosecute officials

UKRAINIAN opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko promised yesterday to prosecute government officials for crimes committed during the last decade should he win the country’s December 26 re-run of the presidential election.

Mr Yushchenko faces prime minister Viktor Yanukovich in the repeat of the November 21 vote. The Supreme Court threw out Mr Yanukovich’s victory in that run-off, saying it was invalidated by fraud.

Mr Yushchenko singled out the murder of journalist Hrihoriy Gongadze as an example of a crime that will not go unpunished should he be elected. President Leonid Kuchma was accused of involvement in the case, although he has denied the allegations.

“I have a moral obligation to Gia,” Mr Yushchenko said, using the journalist’s nickname.

“Those guilty will be prosecuted - not only this, but other important cases.”

Mr Yushchenko was speaking at his first news conference since parliament voted to grant key electoral changes aimed at averting fraud. The measure also handed some presidential powers to the parliament.

With the momentum of more than two weeks of street protests behind him, a confident Mr Yushchenko pledged not to engage in purely political retaliation should he win.

The Supreme Court’s annulment of the November 21 vote also dealt a blow to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. The Russian president had openly backed Mr Yanukovich, fearing that Western-leaning Mr Yushchenko would lead Ukraine away from what the Kremlin considers its sphere of influence.

However, in a statement that came in marked contrast to several weeks of often harsh rhetoric, Mr Putin said yesterday that Russia has no objection to Ukraine joining the EU.

“If Ukraine wants to enter the EU and is welcomed there, then we can only be pleased,” Mr Putin said.

Meanwhile, Mr Yanukovich accused his rival of an unfair campaign and said his camp would retaliate. Looking tired and defensive, he said Mr Yushchenko’s allies had tried to intimidate his supporters in western Ukraine, and that in reshuffling the Central Election Commission they left him without a single representative.

The commission named Mr Yanukovich the winner of the election before the results were annulled.

Mr Yanukovich has drawn his support from mostly Russian speaking regions in eastern Ukraine.