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Pro-Russian opposition set for gains in Ukraine
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| Marc Summers |
| quote: | Pro-Russian opposition set for gains in Ukraine
Yanukovych’s fortunes have recovered since the Orange Revolution of 2004
KIEV, Ukraine - Ukrainians cast ballots Sunday in a parliamentary election that could tip this divided ex-Soviet republic back toward Russia just 16 months after the Orange Revolution helped put it on a westward course.
An opposition party advocating improved ties with Moscow and a halt to Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO is expected to win the most seats in the 450-member parliament. President Viktor Yushchenko’s job is not at stake, but the vote is the first since constitutional reforms trimmed presidential powers and gave broader authority to parliament, including the right to name the prime minister and much of the Cabinet.
The vote could potentially allow Viktor Yanukovych, who lost the contested 2004 presidential elections, to slow the pro-Western course set by Yushchenko and seek improved ties with Moscow.
Amid disillusionment over the sharp slowdown in economic growth, Yushchenko’s party is in the doldrums and Yanukovych’s fortunes have dramatically recovered since he was accused of rigging the presidential vote.
Comeback for Yanukovych
Yanukovych, who enjoys broad support in Ukraine’s Russian-speaking industrialized east and ties to its powerful tycoons, is likely to secure some 30 percent of the vote for his Party of the Regions, according to most opinion polls.
The country’s mainly Ukrainian-speaking western and central provinces are split between Yushchenko’s Our Ukraine party and the party of flamboyant Yulia Tymoshenko, the blond-braided heroine of the Orange Revolution’s mass protests over election fraud.
The two had a bitter falling out in September when the president abruptly fired Tymoshenko, accusing her of ruining the economy and betraying the Orange Revolution ideals. Tymoshenko struck back, saying Yushchenko was being manipulated by a clique of self-interested advisers.
But there are signs they may be considering a reconciliation. Yushchenko said Sunday his party will start talks with former Orange Revolution allies on forming a coalition after the election.
“The most important thing is the maximum engagement of democratic forces in forming a coalition,” he said after casting his ballot at a Kiev polling station.
Tymoshenko portrays herself as a victim of ruthless and corrupt clans, which along with her public speaking prowess helped her retain strong public support in the nation of 47 million people, while Yushchenko’s ratings plummeted from 70 percent a year ago to under 20 percentage points in recent opinion polls.
“Yulia is our last hope,” Iryna Petrova, a 64-year old retiree said after voting for Tymoshenko’s bloc at a polling station in downtown Kiev.
Moscow's hand behind the scenes
Russia, still reeling from a humiliating defeat it suffered in the 2004 presidential election when a court annulled Yanukovych’s fraud-tainted victory and ordered a repeat vote, avoided direct meddling in the campaign, but worked actively behind the scenes.
In what was widely interpreted as an attempt to turn the heat on Yushchenko, Russia at the start of the year forced Ukraine to pay double for its gas imports after an acrimonious price dispute that led to a brief shutdown in Russian gas shipments to Ukraine — also affecting transit supplies to Western Europe.
Yushchenko’s foes, including Yanukovych, Tymoshenko and others, denounced the deal as the betrayal of Ukraine’s national interests and voted to fire his Cabinet. While Yushchenko ignored the vote, it underlined the growing challenges he was facing.
Yanukovych promised to mend ties with Moscow, make Russian a second state language and drop plans for Ukraine to join NATO. He supports European Union membership, but said the first priority should be joining a Russian-led economic bloc of former Soviet nations.
His party isn’t expected to win a majority that would make it capable of forming the Cabinet alone, but it is expected to become a key force in any future coalition.
Yushchenko has kept the door open for forming a coalition with Yanukovych, whom he called a criminal just over a year ago — an about-face that analysts say could further erode public support.
Ihor Prikordonny, a 68-year-old pensioner, said he voted for Yushchenko’s party but was against the president striking an alliance with Yanukovych. “Yanukovych has discredited himself and lacks education and culture,” Prikordonny said. |
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I will not be happy if Yanukovych wins. :whip: |
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| Lepanto |
| God forbid. This is only happening because the people can't wait for reforms to kick in. Yuschenko is trying to change everything around from what Kuchma had it like. Including strong corruption, esspecially on the boarders and customs (alot of goods go and leave ukraine and alot of people profit greatly by smuggling goods as well). People are impatient even though Yuschenko did some nice thigns as well, like letting peolpe to Europe without Visas, this summer i was in Czeck Republic and there were a bunch of Ukranians with us and I was talkign to this one girl and she was like yeah we're so happy be here since there's no visas for a few months. He did that so people can go relax a bit while he works on things back home. My best friend's uncle is a politician in Ukranian and has met the guy plenty of times, he's extremely honest and sincere. This is the man who should lead the country. And hopefully they won't go back to being Russias yet another bend over buddy. |
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| Marc Summers |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lepanto
God forbid. This is only happening because the people can't wait for reforms to kick in. Yuschenko is trying to change everything around from what Kuchma had it like. Including strong corruption, esspecially on the boarders and customs (alot of goods go and leave ukraine and alot of people profit greatly by smuggling goods as well). People are impatient even though Yuschenko did some nice thigns as well, like letting peolpe to Europe without Visas, this summer i was in Czeck Republic and there were a bunch of Ukranians with us and I was talkign to this one girl and she was like yeah we're so happy be here since there's no visas for a few months. He did that so people can go relax a bit while he works on things back home. My best friend's uncle is a politician in Ukranian and has met the guy plenty of times, he's extremely honest and sincere. This is the man who should lead the country. And hopefully they won't go back to being Russias yet another bend over buddy. |
How is Yuschenko's face doing? I remember hearing back when word got out he was poisoned, that he was going to be getting cosmetic surgery. |
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| Lepanto |
| quote: | Originally posted by Marc Summers
How is Yuschenko's face doing? I remember hearing back when word got out he was poisoned, that he was going to be getting cosmetic surgery. |
i don't think he needs that but his face is still pretty ed up. i mean not like before but u can tell he's been through some. they say it takes a while to get rid of all the side effects. if the country rejects him than they are dumber than i originally thought. |
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| Mag1k |
Lepanto ...... hahahhahahahahahah
Ukranians hate Yuschenko and are pissed about how he fu(ked them over. He will never win in hell. Orange Revolution was a sham.
Im not sure if the pro Russian side will win, but I know sure as fu(k that the pro Banderovits side will not. :D |
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| Lepanto |
| quote: | Originally posted by Mag1k
Lepanto ...... hahahhahahahahahah
Ukranians hate Yuschenko and are pissed about how he fu(ked them over. He will never win in hell. Orange Revolution was a sham.
Im not sure if the pro Russian side will win, but I know sure as fu(k that the pro Banderovits side will not. :D |
yeah this is coming from a russian :rolleyes:
Yuschenko "ed" them over because people don't understand reforms take time. the New Deal here in the states didn't give everyone jobs the next day, in fact the War has done more than the new deal itself. And coming from a government that wasn't paying teachers and forced them out of work with strikes and no classes for months, it's definatly going to take some time. But yeah Russia is doing great, oh wait no that's a shame (look up the definition btw ;)) you look right, you look left same soviet bloc it's always been. |
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