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Ukraine PM agrees eastern re-vote
Mon Nov 29, 2004 14:00
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Ukraine PM agrees eastern re-vote
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4052457.stm

Ukraine's Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych says he will accept a partial re-vote if claims of fraud in the disputed presidential poll are proven.


21 Nov: Viktor Yanukovych declared winner of run-off poll
Independent observers declare the elections flawed, and thousands take to the streets
25 Nov: Supreme Court suspends publication of result until it considers the opposition's complaints
26 Nov: Mr Yanukovych and Mr Yushchenko hold talks and agree to seek peaceful solution
27 Nov: MPs declare election invalid, pass vote of no-confidence in the election commission
28 Nov: Eastern regions threaten to secede if Mr Yushchenko is declared president

Analysis: Divided Ukraine
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4043315.stm

He said he would agree to a re-run in two of his eastern strongholds - the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Mr Yanukovych was declared the poll's winner, but opposition rival Viktor Yushchenko has challenged the result.

Ukraine's Supreme Court is currently considering Mr Yushchenko's appeal.

However, the court has said it will not issue any ruling on Monday.

Outgoing President Leonid Kuchma said later in the day that staging new elections might now be the only way out of the bitter dispute.

Click here to see a regional breakdown of the official results

The Russian government has suggested it might reverse its opposition to a new election. The EU has already called for a re-run.

Mr Yanukovych's supporters in the east and south of the country have warned they will hold a referendum on regional autonomy if Mr Yushchenko is declared winner.

On Monday, Ukraine's central bank said negative political comments by leaders had fuelled a run on bank deposits, but pledged to meet increased demand for cash.

'Begging' voters

"If a decision is taken to hold a re-run vote in Donetsk and Luhansk, in that case I will ask the inhabitants of Donetsk and Luhansk to go to the polls and vote," Mr Yanukovych said in televised remarks.

"I will ask the people, I will beg their forgiveness," he said.

But Mr Yanukovych again said that he had not seen any evidence of fraud during the 21 November run-off.

He stressed that the decision of Ukraine's Central Electoral Commission - which declared him the winner - could not be "declared invalid by any legal or constitutional means".

There was no immediate response to Mr Yanukovych's remarks from Mr Yushchenko's camp.

Mr Yanukovych won 96.2% and 92.73% of the vote in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions respectively, according to the poll's official results.

Split fears

Mr Kuchma said he could not accept any division of Ukraine, after talks with regional leaders who have threatened to demand autonomy.

Fears of a split in Ukraine intensified after officials in the eastern Donetsk region scheduled a referendum on autonomy.

Officials from some other regions also met to consider seeking autonomy in the event that Mr Yushchenko becomes president.

The parliament of Donetsk region will hold an emergency session on Tuesday to consider the plan to hold a referendum on 5 December.

"My position is that we cannot allow the division of Ukraine," Mr Kuchma said in televised remarks.


UKRAINE SUPREME COURT
Considering Yushchenko camp's complaints of poll abuses and arguments of pro-government camp
Cannot order a new election, but can annul results in specific districts, paving way for a re-run
At least 22 judges meeting on Monday
Upheld some opposition complaints after first round

Court's tough decision
Tug of war over Ukraine

His warning was echoed by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who said "the unity of Ukraine is fundamental".

After a meeting with EU and Nato ambassadors, Mr Solana said dialogue must continue in Ukraine and "what we have to avoid is the outbreak of violence".

Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer agreed that maintaining Ukraine's territorial integrity was essential.

Focus on court

Near the court building in central Kiev, several thousand rival supporters stood together, shouting "Yu-shchen-ko!" and "Yanu-ko-vych!" and waving the orange flags of the opposition and blue-and-white Yanukovych flags.

Last week, the court suspended the official results, which saw Mr Yanukovych declared the winner with 49.46% of the vote to Mr Yushchenko's 46.61%.

Mr Yushchenko's team has submitted thousands of allegations of ballot-rigging to regional courts and one complaint to the Supreme Court.

But the government has also lodged 7,000 complaints of irregularities to regional courts.

Mr Yushchenko has declared himself the rightful winner, alleging massive fraud. His concerns have been backed by international observers.

But the Supreme Court could take up to a week to reach a decision.

The court - seen as relatively independent - cannot invalidate the whole election, but it can uphold a complaint and order a partial or full recount.

It could on the other hand proclaim Mr Yanukovych the winner.

The BBC's Jonathan Charles in Donetsk says the referendum warning and the more measured response of other eastern areas is clearly meant to be a threat - a way of putting pressure on the crisis talks.

Addressing his supporters earlier, Mr Yushchenko made it clear he would not tolerate a break-up of the country.

"Those people who will raise the issue of separatism will be held criminally responsible under the Ukrainian constitution," he said.

Meanwhile, the head of Mr Yanukovych's campaign team, Serhiy Tyhypko - who also headed the Ukrainian central bank - has resigned from both posts.

Mr Tyhypko said Mr Yanukovych had been badly advised to support moves in the Donbass towards a referendum on autonomy. He said talk of splitting Ukraine was "madness".


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