Quotable notes (12/19/04)

Quotable notes

"I think it would be appropriate to compare this [Orange Revolution in Ukraine] to the fall of the Soviet Union or the fall of the Berlin Wall. I am very happy that we were able to mobilize the Ukrainian community to stand up for its rights."

- Viktor Yushchenko speaking in Kyiv on December 12, as quoted by an RFE/RL correspondent.

"No politician from Viktor Yushchenko's team, let alone those from the rival camp, knew before November 22 how a revolution works, what its internal mechanism looks like. Everybody thought that if a large-scale [election] falsification occurred and, God forbid, [Viktor] Yanukovych was declared president, a million of people would gather and start smashing shop windows and expensive cars, plunder the party offices of our opponents and resort to violence with regard to state officials. It turned out, however, that the mechanism of a revolution is completely different. This was more like a shrine. Those unique orange rallies resembled shrines in the open air. And they influenced state officials with a moral force, not a physical one. State officials have become different - policemen, soldiers and officers were coming to the maidan [Independence Square] to pledge allegiance to the people."

- Yulia Tymoshenko, Viktor Yushchenko's political ally, in an interview with the Ukrainska Pravda website (www2.pravda.com.ua) on December 14, as cited by RFE/RL Belarus and Ukraine Report.

"They [supporters of Viktor Yushchenko] cried thief because it was them who stole. It was our victory that has been stolen, not Yushchenko's."

-Taras Chornovil, newly appointed campaign chief for Viktor Yanukovych, speaking about the invalidated results of the November 21 presidential run-off election, as quoted by the Associated Press on December 10.

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