Regions Choose Own President

Several western Ukrainian oblasts and numerous cities that rejected the initial findings of the Central Electoral Commission have instead recognized Viktor Yushchenko as Ukraine’s next president and descended on Kyiv.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians in major cities across the west and central regions of the country have protested what they believe were the falsified results of the Nov. 21 runoff vote. Late on Nov. 21, CEC head Serhiy Kivalov announced that Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was ahead of Yushchenko by a three percent margin. Almost immediately, buses and cars from across began heading to Kyiv to join in demonstrations that began in Maidan Nezalezhnosti.

Not all Ukrainians are joining in the pro-Yushchenko protests, however. Thousands of black-jacketed men from Donetsk and Luhansk have arrived in the capital by bus, plane and train to support Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

Western heartland

On Nov. 22, protesters arriving from pro-Yushchenko regions of the country helped form a tent city on Maidan Nezalezhnosti and Khreshchatyk soon after the initial results were announced. Later they cheered the decision of Kyiv City Council to reject the findings of the CEC which also called on parliament not to recognize the results.

On Nov. 22, about 200,000 Yushchenko supporters gathered outside the Lviv Regional State Administration, demanding that Yushchenko be declared the winner of the elections, said Rostyslav Koval of Yushchenko’s Lviv HQ press service. Lviv City Council and oblast council declared Yushchenko as the legitimate president. Deputies called on citizens to fulfill only the orders of Yushchenko and expressed distrust with the heads of Lviv oblast police, western regional customs officials, the Lviv oblast tax administration and the Lviv railway.

The demonstrations in Lviv continued into Nov. 23 and Nov. 24, with local residents filling the central streets and main square of the city. Crowds were estimated at 100,000. All universities, as well as most major businesses went on strike. Orange boards posted outside many businesses read, “Gone to rescue democracy in Ukraine. Don’t sleep!”

Train tickets to Kyiv were nearly impossible to buy in Lviv for the week of Nov. 22-27. From Nov. 22-24, more than 200 buses from Lviv and Lviv oblast, as well as about 400-500 cars left, said Bohdan Bedrylo, Lviv city council deputy and a member of Yushchenko’s HQ on Nov. 24. The tires of many cars were punctured by nails scattered on the roads leading out of the city to the capital. On the border of Rivnenska oblast, cars were stopped again by sandbag barriers covered with concrete blocks. Additional buses were ordered in Poland for those willing to go to Kyiv, Bedrylo said.

About 15,000 people gathered outside the building of the Ternopil Oblast State Administration in support of Yushchenko on Nov. 22. Ternopil City Council held an emergency vote officially censuring the CEC. Two local colleges, a porcelain factory and other enterprises in Ternopil went on strike. Demonstrations continued in the city through Nov. 24, and tents have been erected on the city’s central square. On Nov. 24, Ternopil Oblast Council recognized Yushchenko as president and also expressed no confidence in the CEC.

Others rally in the west

Still other cities joined the protest immediately following the announcement of the official election results on Nov. 21:

– 10,000 people took to the streets in Lutsk, where the city council expressed distrust in the CEC, rejected the official vote results and obliged the city Interior Affairs office to secure the order and safety of protesters;

– Khmelnytsky City Council declared its official mistrust of the CEC and its results, declaring the latter invalid, and demanded the vote count in favor of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych be recognized as invalid;

– Businesses and universities in western Rivnenska and Volynska oblasts threw their support behind Yushchenko. In particular, a large silk production plant in Volyn announced a strike, and workers of the Torchynproduct food enterprise in Volynska oblast signed a statement declaring their indignation with the “blatant and cynical falsification of the presidential elections by criminal power” and announced that they support calls for a general strike in Ukraine. The Lutsk car plant also declared its support for Yushchenko;

– The city council of Ivano Frankivsk recognized Yushchenko as president, demanded the CEC recognize the “real and actual election results,” and called on all city enterprises to join in the strike. As well, oblast councils in Vinnytsya, and the city councils of various other, smaller city councils also declared Yushchenko president.

Closer to the capital

Two days after the election, 40,000 people attended a rally in support of Yushchenko in Zhytomyr. The crowd demanded Yushchenko be recognized as president and called for the resignation of the head of Zhytomyr Oblast State Administration, Serhiy Ryzhuk.

In Kharkiv, 50,000 Yushchenko supporters gathered in the center of the city and demanded the city council reject the vote results and recognize Yushchenko as president. Participants expressed distrust in the CEC and called for civil disobedience and a strike until the vote results are overturned.

Usually inert Odessa residents numbering 20,000 on Nov. 23 demonstrated outside the city council in support of Yushchenko, and in Dnipropetrovsk local residents on Nov. 22 witnessed one of the largest protests in recent years, according to police, when 10,000 supporters of Yushchenko began picketing the oblast state administration. People chanted “Yushchenko, Yushchenko,” “Kyiv, we are with you” and “Hold on, Ukraine.” Interfax Ukraine reported that protestors tore down a large poster that read “Yanukovych is our choice” from the facade of the opera house. Participants called on the oblast and city councils to reject the vote results.

Also, citizens of Zaporizhya on Nov. 23 began collecting signatures in protest of the alleged vote falsifications. In Cherkasy, 7,000 people gathered outside the city council on Nov. 23 yelling “Yuschenko is our president.” On Nov. 24, deputies of the oblast council asked the CEC to immediately examine reports of voting violations and called on the presidential candidates “to accept responsibility for the fate of Ukraine and its people via thorough dialogue” and provide for a civilized, bloodless development of events.” More than 1,500 Cherkasy residents left for Kyiv on Nov. 22, headed for tent city in Kyiv’s center.

Government support

Even before thousands of black-jacketed men from Donetsk and Luhansk began arriving in Kyiv by Nov. 24, in Donetsk, 30,000 gathered to support Yanukovych on Nov. 22, and in Luhansk and several regions of Donetsk oblast, rallies numbering between 5,000 and 30,000 were held in support of Yanukovych.

Various business leaders in eastern oblasts last week signed declarations on behalf of their workers supporting the PM and condemning Yushchenko supporters. For example, workers’ collectives of two industrial plants in Donetsk on Nov. 24 called on Yushchenko to admit his defeat in the elections and start negotiations with Yanukovych. The plants, controlled by coal and steel mogul Rinat Akhmetov’s System Capital Management, were joined by similar businesses in the southern industrial city of Kryvyi Rih and in Dnipropetrovsk oblast.

Heads of state enterprises and institutions in Kirovohrad sent workers to pro-Yanukovych demonstrations on Nov. 23. Many, after listening to the speeches for a few minutes, wandered off however, while the majority joined a 10,000-strong pro-Yushchenko demonstration held in another part of the city, Interfax reported.

Read the original issue here.