Ukraine waits decision on nation's future
Ukraine was awaiting a supreme court verdict on its tainted presidential election today with all signs pointing to another poll, perhaps as early as next month.
Parliament convened in Kiev to debate the threat to the bitterly divided former Soviet republic’s unity.
The simultaneous sessions of Ukraine’s highest judicial and legislative branches came amid rising support for an opposition-demanded revote as the best way to avoid splitting Ukraine into a pro-Russian east and pro-Europe west.
Ukraine’s government has been paralysed since the presidential runoff sent hundreds of thousands into the streets of the capital for round-the-clock protests to support opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko, who claims massive fraud robbed him of victory.
Ukraine’s eastern Russian-speaking regions, which support the declared winner, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, retaliated with threats of autonomy, sparking fears that this eastern European nation of 48 million might break apart.
Outgoing President Leonid Kuchma said yesterday he would support a repeat vote.
Yanukovych said that if he becomes president, he will offer the post of prime minister to Yushchenko.
“After political reform is carried out, the prime minister’s post should become the main place of duty in the government,” Yanukovych said, referring to planned reforms that will strengthen the hand of parliament in Ukraine, lessening the power of the presidency.
The opposition has asked the Supreme Court to annul the election results, which found Yanukovych the winner by 871,402 votes.
Yushchenko’s lawyers cited turnout of above 100% in hundreds of precincts in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, problems with voting lists and multiple voting with absentee ballots.
“Serious falsifications were used against Viktor Yushchenko and against millions of Ukrainian voters,” said his lawyer, Svetlana Kustova.
Kuchma’s support for a rerun of the election indicated the government was feeling the mounting pressure from both the throngs of opposition protesters in Kiev’s Independence Square and the fearful and increasingly rebellious east.
The West has refused to recognise the election results, while Russia – which still yields considerable influence over Ukraine – congratulated Yanukovych and complained of Western meddling.
The political crisis has led to fears that Ukraine, which has the fastest growing economy in Europe, could plunge into economic turmoil.
President Kuchma warned that the country’s financial system could “fall apart like a house of cards” in “a few days” under the impact of protests.
Many Ukrainians, unsettled by the rising instability, have waited in long lines to exchange the national currency, hryvna, for US dollars, and there have been warnings of runs on bank deposits.
