Supreme Court declares election invalid!
By Aussiegirl
According to Reuters, the Ukrainian Supreme Court has declared the recent election in Ukraine invalid and has ordered a revote on December 26, 2004. It appears the Court is suggesting that the revote be a repeat of the recent runoff election between Yanukovych and Yushchenko.
Let's hope that there is some way to ensure fair balloting this time. How this is accomplished is unclear, especially given the short time frame. Also what is unclear is what this will do to the crowds in streets and the demonstrations. Will the people go home to be able to vote? Is this a way for the authorities to help dispel the crowds and thus the pressure on the government? I'm still cautiously optimistic but very wary.
posted by Aussiegirl @ 3:31 PM
2 Comments:
From what I hear, the Russians have Special Ops soldiers in Ukraine to intimidate potential voters. I can understand why Parliament is pulling their troops out of Iraq; they need them to deal with this situation. It`s a real crisis in Ukraine. What happens there may well decide the course of events in all of Eastern Europe for the next 30 years or more. It will definitely affect our so called ``War on Terror``. What happens in the next few months is crucial!
Thanks so much for the kind words of appreciation, Tim, us new bloggers always feel good to think at least someone is reading our efforts.
The matter of Ukrainian troops is something else that I should address on the blog. You are absolutely correct, this is a historic time and Ukraine needs all its resources at home. But furthermore, the Iraq situation is somewhat muddy to the outside observer. The Kuchma government sent a small contingent of Ukrainian troops to Iraq in order to appease the Bush administration. The Kuchma government had been caught and severely reprimanded by the Bush administration for providing arms to terrorist nations and other nefarious deeds. In order to get the U. S. off his back he sent in those troops, and has offered to keep them there if his candidate wins as a sort of inducement to the Bush administration to back his man.
Yushchenko has called for bringing the troops home. The stationing of Ukrainian troops in Iraq is very unpopular, as Ukrainians do not see the relevance to their own situation, and it is understandable that Mideast terror is a far lesser worry to Ukraine than losing its hold on a chance at democracy. In time, Ukraine will be a much stronger partner and ally to the U. S. under a Yushchenko government, even if in the short term the reality of politics on the ground calls for Yushchenko to have a different policy than Yanukovych. I sincerely hope that there are wise heads in the Bush administration who understand this and see beyond the immediate situation.
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