JKX in 2005

Thanks Jack - some more:

Yanukovych may give up presidential ambitions
By Askold Krushelnycky in Kiev
01 January 2005


A peaceful transition to a new president and government in the Ukraine looked assured last night. The outgoing head of state told the nation that everyone must accept its democratic choice and the Prime Minister, who had rejected the result of the rerun presidential vote, resigned his post and hinted he was about to abandon his legal challenges against the result.

The outgoing President, Leonid Kuchma, told the nation in a televised address that "in 2005, there will be a new president. Every region and every citizen of Ukraine must accept this democratic choice as their own because this person will need your support."

The president-elect, Viktor Yushchenko, and the Georgian President, Mikhail Saakashvili, welcomed in the New Year side by side on Kiev's Independence Square, the centre of mass protests that overturned the political order in this nation of 48 million.

Mr Yushchenko, wearing an orange scarf, congratulated his crowd of supporters, telling them: "We weren't free. Today we are independent. Today we are free."

The Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych, who was backed by Russia in the presidential vote, had been clinging to office despite a decision by parliament three weeks ago to dismiss him. Mr Kuchma, who had backed his campaign, had refused to sign a decree to sack him but showed signs he was near doing so. That may have persuaded Mr Yanukovych to leave office.

His resignation triggers the immediate resignation of the 20-member cabinet. Under to the constitution, Mr Kuchma must accept Mr Yanukovych's resignation and appoint a new government within 60 days, although he is likely to appoint a caretaker until the new president is inaugurated.

Yuriy Kliuchkovskiy, a lawmaker and Yushchenko ally, called Mr Yanukovych's decision an acknowledgment that his position was "hopeless". "There is his pride. He did not want to submit his resignation documents to newly elected President Yushchenko," he said.

The Prime Minister won the first presidential vote on 21 November, which the opposition and international monitors said was rigged. After weeks of protests dubbed the "Orange Revolution", after Mr Yushchenko's campaign color, the Supreme Court ruled that the election had been corrupted by mass fraud, annulled the result and ordered a revote.

Mr Yanukovych had pledged to never recognise the result of that Boxing Day vote and submitted challenges to the supreme court and election commission. These were rejected and in the broadcast last night he seemed close to admitting defeat. The Prime Ministerr described last week's election result as a "profanation" but said: "We are still fighting, but I do not have much hope for any decisions from the central election commission or the supreme court."

The announcement drew an immediate joyous response from tens of thousands of Mr Yushchenko's supporters who had gathered in Independence Square. One, Yaroslav Rivnay, said: "This is a great New Year's Eve gift for Ukraine and democracy."

Mr Saakashvili, who has displayed his support for Mr Yushchenko by regularly wearing an orange tie, made his first stop in Kiev the opposition's tent camp on the city's tree-lined main street. The Georgian leader, who studied international law in the Ukrainian capital, told the crowd in Ukrainian: "I couldn't support you as an official during your revolution, but I was with you and I feel myself again a resident of Kiev".

Opposition sources told The Independent that Mr Yushchenko, who has never been a member of a political party, was expected to announce last night the formation of a party to fight parliamentary elections in 2006. Mr Yushenko wants to install a new government as soon as possible. He has expressed fears that the old regime is using its last days in power to loot state funds and assets.

Mr Yushchenko has pledged to nudge Ukraine closer to the West, making it a priority to pursue a future EU membership. He also has left open the possibility of joining Nato at some point. Mr Yanukovych had wanted to restore ties with Russia.

;-)