Ukrainian opposition leader calls for police and army to join revolution

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Ukraine crisis

November 29, 2004

KIEV – President Leonid D. Kuchma Monday proposed holding a new election to end the political crisis threatening to tear the country apart, according to the New York Times.

Mr. Kuchma's remarks, which came as Ukraine's Supreme Court heard complaints of electoral fraud involving perhaps millions of ballots in the Nov 21 presidential election, represented the collapse of what had been the government's united position that Prime Minister Viktor F. Yanukovich won the election.

Amid protests of up to 200,000 over Ukraine's disputed presidential election, officially declared loser Viktor Yushchenko has called on the army and police to join a revolution against the government.

This comes after Yushchenko was symbolically sworn-in by deputies this weekend .

Western election observers have expressed doubts over the vote's credibility.

Viktor Yushchenko is a banker seen as pro-Western. His opposition is the incumbent Mr Yanukovich, who is seen as pro-Moscow, a sensitive issue in a former territory of the Soviet Union.

The Telegraph quotes Yuschenko as saying to deputies: "Ukraine is on the threshold of a civil conflict. We have two choices: either the answer will be given by the parliament, or the streets will give an answer."

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Sources

Revolution in Ukraine

Telegraph UK

http://nytimes.com/2004/11/29/international/europe/29cnd-ukra.html?hp&ex=1101790800&en=93f5ca7f542c1962&ei=5094&partner=homepage