After the second round of presidential elections, Viktor Yanukovytch finally became the new president of Ukraine. Despite the fact that Europe, the U.S. and OSCE observers declared the election free and democratic, on Feb. 10, his opponent Prime Minister Youlia Tymoshenko was still contesting the result.
The Central Elections Commission said that Yanukovytch garnered 48, 95 percent of the vote compared with 45, 47 percent for Tymoshenko, with some four percent of the votes for “against all.” The second round of voting attracted about 69, 07 percent of total voters, slightly more than the 66, 76 percent of votes cast in the first round.
Some political analysts might say that Tymoshenko’s strategy failed. Even, if her political program was said to be more pragmatic, the woman with the braid hair did not convince Ukrainian citizens. After two mandates as prime minister, Tymoshenko failed to stem the economic crisis that severely hit Ukraine’s economy as the GDP decreased by 15 percent in 2009 alone.
For Yanukovytch, it is more than a victory. Elected president at the end of 2004, the strong Orange Revolution brought about his resignation in favor of Viktor Yushchenko. After six years of campaigning in his political stronghold in eastern Ukraine, Yanukovytch is back in Kiev.
As expected, Yanukovytch received a large share of votes from the east, and Tymoshenko from the west, but the rest of the country shunned the elections. Tymoshenko’s block claimed that there was massive corruption in eastern and southeastern Ukraine. In fact, some Western journalists reported cases of the sale of votes and wired transactions, but officials said the cases of voting corruption were not a major trend.
On Feb. 10 Tymoshenko’s party said that they wanted to challenge the results of the vote in court and recount in some areas. Tymoshenko has not issued a statement since Sunday night but her headquarters declared that more than a million votes have been falsified. In fact, the three percent vote differential between the two candidates represents about 800,000 to one million voters. That would lead to a third round of the presidential elections.
“I want to remind Mrs. Tymoshenko that the basis of democracy is the will of the people,” Yanukovytch said. “Democratic leaders always accept the results of the elections. The country does not need a new crisis.”
Many countries congratulated Yanukovytch for his victory. Officials in Russia, who sent an ambassador to Kiev after the first tour, said they expected Yanukovytch’s victory. In fact, the pro-Russian candidate could establish balanced relations with both the EU and Russia. On Sunday, the day of the second round of voting, Mikheil Zurabov, the new Russian ambassador in Ukraine, visited the two candidates but expressed his desire to have Yanukovytch visit Moscow immediately upon winning the election. “It would be a strong signal that Ukraine is ready to restart its relations with Russia,” Zurabov said.
After his election, in an interview to CNN, Yanukovytch explained that he didn’t want to be “Moscow’s puppet,” but he said he would try to balance both relations with the EU and Russia, while working for Ukrainian national interests. He also said that his priority was to secure and stabilize gas supplies.
In the Feb. 9 edition of Kommersant, newspaper owned by the Russian giant Gazprom, an article stated that Yanukovytch would propose to divide the Ukrainian gas network into three equal parts: 33, 3 percent to Gazprom, 33, 3 percent to Naftogaz (the Ukrainian national gas company) and 33, 3 percent to European companies. Such a policy would secure European gas supply because 80 percent of Russian gas to Europe is transmitted via Ukraine. A division of the gas network might also help avoid major crises similar to those that broke out in 2006 and 2008 between Russia and Ukraine that deprived Europe of gas.
Concerning Ukraine’s possible membership in NATO, Yanukovytch told CNN that the people need to decide through a referendum. However, the priorities of the new president remain economic growth, stability and fight against corruption.
“Within 10 years, Ukraine will be part of the top 20 world economies,” Yanukovytch said.
However, the new president will first have to find a majority in the national Rada, co-opting deputies of other parties in order to build a coalition. If he doesn’t succeed, he will have to cooperate with current Prime Minister Yulya Timshenko, his political opponent.
In any case, on Feb. 8 in the heart of Maydan Square, Yanukovytch’s supporters said they felt relieved.“It’s over … It’s the end of the Orange plague.”
The Central Elections Commission said that Yanukovytch garnered 48, 95 percent of the vote compared with 45, 47 percent for Tymoshenko, with some four percent of the votes for “against all.” The second round of voting attracted about 69, 07 percent of total voters, slightly more than the 66, 76 percent of votes cast in the first round.
Some political analysts might say that Tymoshenko’s strategy failed. Even, if her political program was said to be more pragmatic, the woman with the braid hair did not convince Ukrainian citizens. After two mandates as prime minister, Tymoshenko failed to stem the economic crisis that severely hit Ukraine’s economy as the GDP decreased by 15 percent in 2009 alone.
For Yanukovytch, it is more than a victory. Elected president at the end of 2004, the strong Orange Revolution brought about his resignation in favor of Viktor Yushchenko. After six years of campaigning in his political stronghold in eastern Ukraine, Yanukovytch is back in Kiev.
As expected, Yanukovytch received a large share of votes from the east, and Tymoshenko from the west, but the rest of the country shunned the elections. Tymoshenko’s block claimed that there was massive corruption in eastern and southeastern Ukraine. In fact, some Western journalists reported cases of the sale of votes and wired transactions, but officials said the cases of voting corruption were not a major trend.
On Feb. 10 Tymoshenko’s party said that they wanted to challenge the results of the vote in court and recount in some areas. Tymoshenko has not issued a statement since Sunday night but her headquarters declared that more than a million votes have been falsified. In fact, the three percent vote differential between the two candidates represents about 800,000 to one million voters. That would lead to a third round of the presidential elections.
“I want to remind Mrs. Tymoshenko that the basis of democracy is the will of the people,” Yanukovytch said. “Democratic leaders always accept the results of the elections. The country does not need a new crisis.”
Many countries congratulated Yanukovytch for his victory. Officials in Russia, who sent an ambassador to Kiev after the first tour, said they expected Yanukovytch’s victory. In fact, the pro-Russian candidate could establish balanced relations with both the EU and Russia. On Sunday, the day of the second round of voting, Mikheil Zurabov, the new Russian ambassador in Ukraine, visited the two candidates but expressed his desire to have Yanukovytch visit Moscow immediately upon winning the election. “It would be a strong signal that Ukraine is ready to restart its relations with Russia,” Zurabov said.
After his election, in an interview to CNN, Yanukovytch explained that he didn’t want to be “Moscow’s puppet,” but he said he would try to balance both relations with the EU and Russia, while working for Ukrainian national interests. He also said that his priority was to secure and stabilize gas supplies.
In the Feb. 9 edition of Kommersant, newspaper owned by the Russian giant Gazprom, an article stated that Yanukovytch would propose to divide the Ukrainian gas network into three equal parts: 33, 3 percent to Gazprom, 33, 3 percent to Naftogaz (the Ukrainian national gas company) and 33, 3 percent to European companies. Such a policy would secure European gas supply because 80 percent of Russian gas to Europe is transmitted via Ukraine. A division of the gas network might also help avoid major crises similar to those that broke out in 2006 and 2008 between Russia and Ukraine that deprived Europe of gas.
Concerning Ukraine’s possible membership in NATO, Yanukovytch told CNN that the people need to decide through a referendum. However, the priorities of the new president remain economic growth, stability and fight against corruption.
“Within 10 years, Ukraine will be part of the top 20 world economies,” Yanukovytch said.
However, the new president will first have to find a majority in the national Rada, co-opting deputies of other parties in order to build a coalition. If he doesn’t succeed, he will have to cooperate with current Prime Minister Yulya Timshenko, his political opponent.
In any case, on Feb. 8 in the heart of Maydan Square, Yanukovytch’s supporters said they felt relieved.“It’s over … It’s the end of the Orange plague.”
Yanukovich avait mis sur le pied de guerre les mineurs de Donetsk, obliges d'accepter sous peine d'etre renvoyes de leurs usines (que c'est bon d'etre copain, ou plutot de faire partie, des mafieux de Donetsk, une ville ou l'on deterre encore les cadavres des concurrents).
RépondreSupprimerDans le cas ou elle perdrait, Timashenko avait, elle aussi, promis de contester les resultats en lancant ses troupes contre son rival. Cela avant meme d'avoir, en pratique, eu l'occasion de soupconner des tricheries.
Et nous savons tous les deux qu'ils achetent des montres... What else?