BBC World News:

Ukraine cities defy poll result
Yushchenko supporters held rallies in the city of Lviv as well as Kiev
Officials in several Ukrainian cities have refused to accept the outcome of Sunday's presidential election.

Tens of thousands of protesters have rallied to contest the official victory for Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, amid Western concern over the vote.

Opposition challenger Viktor Yushchenko has told supporters to stage a civil disobedience campaign.

But central security authorities are warning that they are ready to put down any lawlessness "quickly and firmly".

"We appeal to the organisers of mass protests to assume responsibility for their possible consequences," the prosecutor general and the interior ministry said in a statement.

The central electoral commission said that, with more than 99% of the vote counted, Mr Yanukovych had 49.4% of ballots while Mr Yushchenko had 46.7%.


Should, in the final analysis, this election prove to be fundamentally flawed and tarnished, we would certainly need to review our relations
Adam Ereli.

But the opposition says it has recorded many thousands of irregularities - including very high turnouts in government strongholds.

By late evening on Monday, thousands of opposition supporters had left Kiev's Independence Square after demonstrating for more than 12 hours. But several hundred people planned to spend the night in tents in the area.

The opposition told people come back on Tuesday morning for a protest outside parliament, when MPs are due to discuss the contested election result.

The US state department said it was "deeply concerned" about the election and threatened to review its relations with Ukraine if the government failed to investigate the allegations of election fraud.

"Should, in the final analysis, this election prove to be fundamentally flawed and tarnished, we would certainly need to review our relations with the Ukraine and consider further steps against individuals who had engaged in fraud," spokesman Adam Ereli said.

'Splitting Ukraine'

Mr Yushchenko, seen as the pro-Western candidate, earlier told his supporters in the capital not to leave their rally "until victory".

"We are launching an organised movement of civil resistance," he said, denouncing what he called the "total falsification" of the vote, which followed days of acrimonious wrangling over the results of the first round.

Kiev city council refused to recognise the results, and urged parliament to follow suit.

Thousands of people also turned onto the streets in the western city of Lviv, where the city council said it would only take orders from Mr Yushchenko.

Three other cities in opposition strongholds in western Ukraine have said they considered the opposition candidate the legal president.

The city councils' move is likely to be seen as a symbolic moral victory for the opposition - although the councils have much less power than the central authorities, observers say.

Mr Yanukovych has called for national unity and criticised the call for public protests.

"This small group of radicals has taken upon itself the goal of splitting Ukraine," he said in comments reported by AP news agency.

'Concerted' fraud

Observers for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Sunday's run-off vote fell far short of European democratic norms.

The organisation, which also reported serious irregularities in the first round, said violations included a continuing "media bias" in favour of Mr Yanukovych and intimidation of observers and voters.

The US' official observer, Senator Richard Lugar, alleged "concerted and forceful" fraud and the EU called on Ukraine to review the election.

However, Moscow, which backed Prime Minister Yanukovych, recognised the result.

Exit polls earlier suggested that Mr Yushchenko had been on course for victory with a lead of at least six percentage points.

His supporters say they do not believe the official turnout figure of 96% in eastern Ukraine.

During the campaign, Mr Yushchenko, prime minister between 1999 and 2001, claimed to have been the victim of intimidation and dirty tricks, including an alleged poisoning attempt.

His critics portray him as an American puppet who will do anything to gain power, including inciting civil unrest.

ok

"Yanukovych: 49.46%
Yushchenko: 46.61%"

Outgoing Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has officially declared Viktor Yanukovych winner of last Sunday's election in spite of being urged publicly by The White House not to do so in the climate of widespread suspicion of vote rigging. Opposition leader Yushchenko has called Ukrainians to declare dissent against the declaration via a general strike. US Secretary of State Colin Powell has stated that now is the time that Ukraine can show that it is a democracy; Kuchma has urged Western politicians not to interfere in Ukraine's affairs, adding that Ukrainian civil war "could well become a reality at the present time".

Any thoughts?

Here's a New York Times article on developments.

Ukraine is NOT WEAK!! (sorry had to quote a seinfeld)

yes it looks pretty messy over there i hope the transistion of power will go as smoothly as it went in Georgia.... But so far the current administration doesnt look like willing to give in. Luckily the Polish president is willing to negociate with both parties, he is viewed on as neutral, trustworthy and pro EU.

Did anybody see the before and after of Yushchenko's face. They were saying he somehow had been poisoned by some toxic/toxin and is only now getting better.

I find it odd with the stuff going on in the states that they would comment about another country finding democracy. Two elections in a row have been tampered with and the nation should take heed on how to get the powers that be to listen. Oh wait the greed for money would stop most if not all yanks from a true protest.

UPDATE

BBC World News:


Ukraine opposition seeks new vote

Yushchenko asked supporters to stay out until demands were met
Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko has demanded a re-run of the country's disputed presidential vote.

His call follows talks with his rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the official winner of Sunday's election.

Mr Yushchenko said he and his supporters would take "active measures" if the government did not agree to a new vote within days.

Meanwhile Ukraine's parliament meets on Saturday to discuss what to do about the mass protests marking the crisis.

Correspondents say that, while MPs do not have the power to overturn the result, any criticism of the Central Election Commission could add weight to opposition demands.

The rival candidates have set up a working group to discuss possible solutions which is also expected to meet on Saturday.

But the BBC's James Coomarasamy in Kiev says there is little sense of where any compromise might come from.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters continue to demonstrate in the capital.

Mr Yushchenko has asked them not to leave until their demands are met.

First meeting

Friday's talks were hosted by outgoing President Leonid Kuchma and attended by European and Russian mediators.

It was the first time the rivals had met since standing against one another in the disputed election.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned that Ukraine must respect democracy or face consequences in its relations with Europe.

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed concern about "foreign" involvement in the crisis.

"In some European capitals, there are some forces that are attempting to draw some new border lines across Europe," he said.

The opposition, along with independent observers including from the EU, have said the elections are flawed.

Moscow, however, has publicly backed Mr Yanukovych and says the dispute should be settled in the courts and not on the streets.

Mr Yushchenko's party wants the repeat vote to be held on 12 December, under the supervision of the Organisation of Security and Co-operation in Europe.

'Coup attempt'

Mr Yanukovych accused the opposition, which has been blocking access to government buildings, of attempting to stage a coup.

Yanukovych supporters in Kiev
Many of Yanukovych's supporters come from the industrial east
He told a large crowd of his supporters in Kiev that they should do everything they could to stop it.

More than 10,000 are demonstrating at the city's railway station, and are said to be awaiting his instructions.

According to the official election result, the pro-Russian Mr Yanukovych won with 49.46% of the vote against Mr Yushchenko's 46.61%.

But both Mr Yushchenko and independent observers reported widespread abuses.

Ukraine's Supreme Court suspended the presidential poll result on Thursday to consider the opposition's complaints.

Coin toss.

The first picture is Yuschenko in July. The second is Yuschenko a few days ago.


Poisoning is highly likely.

http://plutonium-page.dailykos.com/stor ... /18550/237

Here's more info on his symptoms and possible dioxin poisoning.

http://rolos.nature.com/news/2004/04112 ... 122-8.html

UPDATE:

BBC World News:

Ukraine court annuls poll result

Ukraine's Supreme Court has annulled the second round of the presidential election - upholding opposition claims that it was fraudulent.

It ruled that a new run-off vote must be held by 26 December.

In the capital Kiev, supporters of pro-Western candidate Viktor Yushchenko cheered as the verdict was announced.

But aides to his rival who had been declared winner, pro-Moscow Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, said the court had played a "political role".

The original 21 November run-off had been criticised by Western observers over what they said were numerous irregularities.

The prime minister and his patron, outgoing President Leonid Kuchma, had pressed for a completely new election - possibly with a new government candidate.

But Mr Yushchenko wanted - and got - a re-run of the second round only, possibly enabling him to capitalise on the momentum he has built up, with thousands of his supporters thronging the streets of the capital for two weeks.

He told them to keep up their protest - and urged President Kuchma to sack the prime minister and the country's election commission.

Both sides in the conflict have said they will abide by the court's decision.

Fireworks

The Supreme Court said it had found that the results of the 21 November poll were marked by numerous violations which the central election commission had failed to examine.

"The actions and decisions of the central election commission concerning the results of the run-off presidential vote were unlawful," Judge Anatoly Yarema said.

Tens of thousands of opposition protesters who had converged on Kiev's central square to await the verdict cheered at the outcome, waving blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags and orange opposition flags, and chanting "Yushchenko! Yushchenko!".

Fireworks crackled throughout the sky.

"Today Ukraine has turned to justice, democracy and freedom," Mr Yushchenko told the jubilant crowd at Kiev's main Independence Square after the verdict.

"I would like to ask you today to specially applaud the judges of the Supreme Court. They are the true heroes today."

The Yanukovych camp condemned the court for playing "a political role".

The court "even went beyond the plaintiff's appeal... [that] did not ask for another run-off vote, but had asked to annul results," Interfax news agency quoted Stepan Havrysh, a Yanukovych aide, as saying.

'In line with the truth'

The president of Ukraine's western neighbour, Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, welcomed the ruling which he said was "in line with the truth and with the will of the people, creating a chance to quickly end the political crisis".

The European Union, which had criticised the original run-off poll, also hailed the ruling.

The judges had been pondering the case all week
"I urge all parties to work constructively for a rapid, just and transparent outcome," said External Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

In the US, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: "The court's decision is an important step in moving toward a peaceful, democratic resolution that reflects the will of the people."

President Vladimir Putin of Russia had backed calls for an entirely fresh poll to pre-empt further challenges and re-runs.

Mr Putin has also expressed concern about a possible split between the west of Ukraine, which generally supports Mr Yushchenko, and the east, which tends to lean towards Russia.

UPDATE


Ukraine candidate 'was poisoned'
Mr Yushchenko's appearance changed almost overnight
Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko's mystery illness was caused by poisoning, his Vienna doctors say.

The doctors said extensive tests showed a form of dioxin had been used, leaving Mr Yushchenko's face disfigured.

They described the poisoning as serious and said that if left untreated it could have killed him.

Mr Yushchenko, 50, was taken ill in September as he campaigned for disputed elections that have now been declared invalid because of irregularities.

His supporters staged mass demonstrations against election fraud after his opponent Viktor Yanukovych was initially declared the winner.

The second round is now being re-run on 26 December.

Analysts say he would have to dispel any doubts about his health before becoming president.

'No doubt'

At the time the opposition leader accused the Ukrainian authorities of trying to poison him - a charge they reject.

Doctors were at first unable to confirm the poisoning theory but have now carried out further tests.


There were high concentrations of dioxin, most likely orally administered
Michael Zimpfer
Rudolfinerhaus clinic head doctor

The poisoning theory
What is dioxin?
"There is no doubt about the fact that the disease has been caused by a case of poisoning by dioxin," Michael Zimpfer, the head doctor of the Rudolfinerhaus clinic where Mr Yushchenko is undergoing treatment, said.

"There were high concentrations of dioxin, most likely orally administered."

It is still not clear whether the poisoning was deliberate, though Dr Zimpfer said it was likely to have been caused by "a third party".

The question of who was responsible was a matter for the judicial authorities, he said.

Dr Zimpfer said the substance was soluble and could have been administered in something like soup.

The doctors said their findings were backed by clinical observations and the study of blood and tissue samples.

This was the first time since the event that they had conducted biopsies, they said.

Large dose

Mr Yushchenko's blood and tissue registered concentrations of dioxin 1,000 times above normal levels.

There appeared to be little lasting damage to Mr Yushchenko's internal organs, though experts say it could take more than two years for his skin to return to normal.


I find it horrendous that this kind of attack can happen in a political race
Matt, Edinburgh, Scotland

Your views: Yushchenko 'poisoned'

Mr Yushchenko said on arrival at the clinic on Friday that his health was getting "better every day".

Dioxins are common pollutants - produced as the result of many industrial processes.

But toxicologists say little is known about the effect of such a large single dose.

"It's usually low-level, long-term poisoning," Professor John Henry of London's St Mary's hospital told the BBC.

"A very large dose, nobody has any real idea of what it would cause. Now we do know."