ELECTION WATCH (11/14/04)

ELECTION WATCH

Pollster predicts Yushchenko victory

KYIV - A poll conducted by the Razumkov Center on November 3-7 among 2,027 adult Ukrainians suggested that 44 percent of respondents will vote for opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko in the November 21 presidential run-off, while 37 percent declared their support for Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, Interfax reported on November 9. The poll also indicated that 5 percent of respondents will vote against both candidates, 2 percent will not vote, and 12 percent have not made up their mind about the run-off. The poll's margin of error was about 2 percent. (RFE/RL Newsline)

50,000 rally for Yushchenko

KYIV - An estimated 50,000 people gathered for a rally dubbed "People Won't Be Overpowered" on Independence Square in Kyiv on November 6 to express support for opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko's presidential bid prior to his run-off with Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainian news agencies reported. Addressing the crowd, Mr. Yushchenko criticized the Central Election Commission (CEC) for being too slow in counting the October 31 voting results and charged that the presidential administration has adjusted the election returns. According to a parallel vote count by the Yushchenko campaign staff on the basis of data from 98.8 percent of polling stations, Mr. Yushchenko won 40.46 percent of the vote, while Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was backed by 38.51 percent of voters. The CEC reported on November 2 that, with 97.67 percent of the ballots counted, Prime Minister Yanukovych won 39.88 percent of the vote, while Mr. Yushchenko obtained 39.22 percent. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yanukovych nixes TV debate

KYIV - Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said on November 4 that he will not have television debates with his rival, Viktor Yushchenko, before the November 21 presidential run-off, Interfax reported. Mr. Yanukovych accused the Yushchenko campaign team of offending him and added that he will respond only with his "deeds" as prime minister. "If my opponents, who call themselves democrats, defamed me personally from the first day, and even before the election campaign began, and now they are offering to sit with me at the same table with them - what for?" Mr. Yanukovych told journalists, employing his characteristically idiosyncratic grammar. "For me to answer them in the same language? I can do that, but tête-á-tête. I will never say that before the whole nation, as they do." Yushchenko spokeswoman Iryna Herashchenko said that Mr. Yanukovych's refusal is a sign of disrespect for both voters and the presidential election law, which envisions television debates ahead of a run-off. Ms. Herashchenko added that Mr. Yanukovych's position on the debates indicates that he is unsure of his capabilities not only as an orator but also as a politician. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yushchenko to take part in TV debates

KYIV - Presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko told journalists in Kyiv on November 6 that he will take advantage of the presidential election law's provision calling for television debates of the two main presidential contenders before a run-off despite the fact that his rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, refused to do so, Interfax reported. Under the law, if one of the run-off participants does not take part in the debates, the full airtime envisioned for them is awarded to the other candidate. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yanukovych seeks apology

KYIV - Serhii Tyhypko, the manager of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's presidential campaign, said on November 9 that Mr. Yanukovych never refused to take part in a televised debate with opposition rival Viktor Yushchenko ahead of the November 21 run-off, Interfax reported. Mr. Tyhypko said Mr. Yanukovych will meet Mr. Yushchenko for debates if the latter apologizes for what Mr. Tyhypko called "personal insults." Mr. Tyhypko said Mr. Yanukovych has behaved "absolutely correctly" in all of his public appearances and addresses, whereas Mr. Yushchenko "insulted Mr. Yanukovych in practically all of his public speeches." Last week Mr. Yanukovych told journalists he would not have a television debate with Mr. Yushchenko. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Court nullifies voting in two districts

KYIV - An appellate court in Cherkasy Oblast on November 8 annulled the official protocols of the October 31 presidential ballot in electoral districts Nos. 200 and 203, thus invalidating the vote in those constituencies, Interfax reported. The verdict followed complaints filed by two minor presidential candidates, Oleksander Rzhavskyi (constituency No. 200) and Oleksander Bazyliuk (constituency No. 203). Preliminary figures suggest that opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko defeated Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych in those constituencies by large margins. Mr. Yushchenko's staff has announced that it will challenge the oblast court's verdict before the Supreme Court, a step that must take place within the two days of the annulment of the election results. Meanwhile, Central Election Commission Chairman Serhii Kivalov told journalists on November 8 that the commission received some 100 complaints regarding violations of the election law during the presidential election. Mr. Kivalov pledged that the commission will announce official results of the October 31 vote prior to the deadline imposed by the election law - that is, no later than November 10. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kirovohrad voting invalidated

KYIV - The Central Election Commission on November 10 invalidated presidential voting in district No. 100 in Kirovohrad, saying the protocol on voting results there was approved without the required two-thirds majority of territorial commission members, according to UNIAN. According to a copy of the protocol obtained by UNIAN, Viktor Yushchenko defeated Viktor Yanukovych in constituency No. 100 by a margin of 25,000 votes. Mr. Yushchenko's election staff said it will challenge the CEC's decision before the Supreme Court. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kivalov said to be under pressure

KYIV - National Deputy Oleh Rybachuk, from Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine parliamentary caucus, said in Kyiv on November 3 that Central Election Commission Chairman Serhii Kivalov has not yet announced the final vote count in the presidential election because the presidential administration has threatened to instigate a criminal case against his daughter if he fails to ensure a "necessary election result" for Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainska Pravda website (www2.pravda.com.ua) reported on November 3. Mr. Rybachuk said the criminal case could be linked with the business activity of the Antarktyka fishing company, but failed to provide details. Mr. Kivalov denied that the presidential administration is putting pressure on him personally and on the commission concerning the release of final results of the voting. "[My daughter] is not involved in any business activities," Interfax quoted him as saying. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Communists say no to both Viktors

KYIV - The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU) on November 4 called on CPU adherents to vote against both Viktor Yanukovych and Viktor Yushchenko in the November 21 presidential run-off, Interfax reported. "Support in the run-off for the candidates who represent the continuation of the current anti-popular course and regime is inadmissible," CPU leader Petro Symonenko told journalists. Mr. Symonenko added, however, that the CPU "reserves the right to conduct further work regarding political consultations with those political forces that are ready to hold such consultations on issues that are important for the working people." He did not elaborate. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Socialists support Yushchenko

KYIV - The Socialist Party of Ukraine led by Oleksander Moroz has decided to support Viktor Yushchenko in the presidential run-off on November 21, Ukrainian news agencies reported on November 6. Earlier that same day Messrs. Yushchenko and Moroz signed a political accord envisioning joint steps by both sides in the event of a Yushchenko victory. In particular, Mr. Yushchenko's Our Ukraine and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc agreed to work with the Socialist Party toward passing a constitutional-reform bill (registered in Parliament under No. 4180) by January 1, 2005, and put it in effect no later than January 1, 2006. Mr. Yushchenko also pledged to introduce, upon taking office, a ban on the sale of agricultural land, cancel "the acts of privatization of properties of strategic importance" and move for an immediate pullout of the Ukrainian military contingent from Iraq, Interfax reported. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kinakh signs accord with Yushchenko

KYIV - Anatolii Kinakh, leader of the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, signed an accord on November 8 throwing his support behind Yushchenko in the 21 November presidential runoff and urging transparent and democratic voting on that day, Interfax reported. According to preliminary election results published by the Central Election Commission on November 2, Mr. Kinakh placed fifth among presidential candidates on October 31 with 0.94 percent of the vote. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yushchenko meets with UOC-MP

KYIV - Presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko and his campaign manager Oleksander Zinchenko met with Metropolitan Volodymyr, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate in Kyiv on November 8, Ukrainian media reported. The candidate's press service reported the same day that Mr. Yushchenko and Metropolitan Volodymyr expressed concern about the tense situation in the country ahead of the November 21 presidential run-off and about an "artificial split of Ukraine 'into East and West for denominational and religious reasons.'" Mr. Yushchenko's press service added that the metropolitan blessed Mr. Yushchenko at the end of their meeting. On November 9, the UOC-MP press service issued a statement saying that the report by Mr. Yushchenko's press service on the meeting was a "dirty political tactic" intended to draw the Church into a political confrontation. "No joint appeals or assessments or statements were made or could be made [during the meeting]," Metropolitan Volodymyr's press service said. "At the end of the meeting, the metropolitan blessed the visitors." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Zyuganov supports Yanukovych

MOSCOW - Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov has called on Communists of Ukraine not to allow the victory of a "representative of pro-Western forces" in the second round of presidential elections. "Today, one must realize that the coming of pro-Western, pro-American protégés to power in Ukraine will put off prospects for reunification of our people for a long time - it threatens the unity of the Ukrainian state, unity of the people of Ukraine," he said in a published statement on November 5. Ukraine's Communists "should show political wisdom - commitment to the vital, strategic interests of working people," he said. Mr. Zyuganov earlier called on Ukrainian Communists to give their votes to Viktor Yanukovych. However, a Communist Party plenum decided not to give votes to any of the candidates. Meanwhile, Mr. Zyuganov said he did not rule out that Ukrainian Communists would reconsider their decision. He said on Ekho Moskvy radio that he had information that the Communist Party's representatives had held consultations with Mr. Yanukovych in Kyiv. "They have agreed on preparing a joint program of leading the republic out of the economic crisis, and Yanukovych has confirmed that he is ready to implement several provisions of the program of Communists," Mr. Zyuganov said. (Action Ukraine Monitoring Service)

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