Ukraine crisis escalates amid blockade threats

Ukraine’s political crisis escalated ahead of a key court session today to probe the disputed presidential election’s validity, with an eastern province scheduling a referendum on autonomy and the opposition threatening to tighten a blockade against top officials in the bitterly divided nation.

The Supreme Court was to begin considering an appeal by opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko against the official results of the November 21 presidential runoff issued by the Central Election Commission, which declared Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych the winner.

The high court’s ruling could pave the way for a new vote, which the opposition is demanding, or remove the only barrier to the inauguration of Yanukovych, who has the backing of outgoing President Leonid Kuchma and the Kremlin.

But while the court’s decision is likely to be a big boost for the legitimacy of whichever side it seems to favour, it could also deepen the divide and prolong the crisis by fuelling anger in the other camp.

Tension mounted ahead of the session.

Yushchenko, who claims his victory was stolen through election fraud, rejected government appeals yesterday to call off tens of thousands of protesters and urged his throngs of supporters to maintain their week-long round-the-clock vigil.

Yushchenko’s passionate ally, Yuliya Tymoshenko, threatened Kuchma with an ultimatum, saying opposition supporters will block his movements if he doesn’t fire Yanukovych, along with governors of eastern regions who have threatened to push for self-rule, by late today.

“We know where he is, and we can prevent him from making a single step if he doesn’t fulfil our demands,” Tymoshenko told a crowd of some 100,000 at Kiev’s central Independence Square.

Protesters packed the square and Kiev’s main street, and choked off entrances to the Cabinet and presidential administration buildings for a fourth day.

Supporters of Yanukovych struck back from Donetsk, his native region and main power base. The regional legislature voted 164-1 to hold a December 5 referendum on autonomy for the province.

About 30,000 demonstrators, who gathered outside the legislature building in the city of Donetsk, shouted slogans of support for Yanukovych.

The referendum would ask Donetsk voters to demand the status of a republic for the region, which would require changing Ukraine’s constitution to allow for stronger self-rule for its provinces.

While such changes could face serious opposition, the vote suggested Ukraine’s rift could deepen much further if the election results are overturned.