UKRAINE: PRIME MINISTER YANUKOVICH'S LEAD NARROWS AS MORE VOTES ARE COUNTED IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS/ YUSHCHENKO SUPPORTERS RALLY IN CENTRAL KIEV
Record ID:
328665
UKRAINE: PRIME MINISTER YANUKOVICH'S LEAD NARROWS AS MORE VOTES ARE COUNTED IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS/ YUSHCHENKO SUPPORTERS RALLY IN CENTRAL KIEV
- Title: UKRAINE: PRIME MINISTER YANUKOVICH'S LEAD NARROWS AS MORE VOTES ARE COUNTED IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS/ YUSHCHENKO SUPPORTERS RALLY IN CENTRAL KIEV
- Date: 22nd November 2004
- Summary: (W3) KIEV, UKRAINE (NOVEMBER 22, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. INTERIOR OF CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS FOR OPPOSITION LEADER VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO/ SUPPORTERS CHEER AND APPLAUD AS YUSHCHENKO AND AIDES ARRIVE TO ADDRESS GATHERING 0.17 2. CHEERS AND SHOUTS OF "YUSHCHENKO! YUSHCHENKO!" PAN TO YUSHCHENKO AND AIDES ON STAGE 0.25 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) OPPOSITION LEADER AND PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO SAYING: "I do not believe the count of the Central Eelection Commission. That's the first issue. The second point is what is happening with the voting figures in several regions of Ukraine, proves that we will witness after 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) even more profound and more involved manipulation with the results of the voting. Add to this, there are three or four districts totally controlled by Yanukovich, and the counts there are still going on." 1.01 4. WIDE OF GATHERING 1.07 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) OPPOSITION LEADER AND PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO SAYING: "A coup d'etat is already under way in Ukraine; it started in Donetsk by the headquarters of Yanukovich. It is only a matter of time before this team provides this nation with surprises." 1.29 6. WIDE OF YUSHCHENKO AND AIDES 1.35 7. SUPPORTERS CHEERING 1.41 8. LV: YUSHCHENKO AND AIDES LEAVING STAGE 1.47 9. WIDE INTERIOR OF UKRAINE'S CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION/ NEWS BRIEFING UNDERWAY ON LATEST ELECTION RESULT 1.53 10. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) HEAD OF UKRAINE'S ELECTION COMMISSION SERHIY KIVALOV SAYING: "Now please let us see the latest results as of 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) this morning." 1.58 11. VIDEO SCREEN SHOWING ELECTION RESULT TALLY SO FAR FOR YUSHCHENKO AND UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR YANUKOVICH; YANUKOVICH 48.65% AND YUSHCHENKO 47.72% 2.16 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 7th December 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Reuters ID: LVA4Q92E7OIY0HWYH291GFPVZOX4
- Story Text: Ukrainian PM's lead narrows as more votes are
counted; Yushchenko supporters rally in central Kiev.
Ukraine faced political turmoil on Monday (November
22) as partial results in a presidential election put the
prime minister backed by Russia in a slight lead, while his
liberal challenger alleged cheating and called for street
protests.
Figures from Ukraine's Central Electoral Commission
said Yanukovich had won 48.65 percent of the vote to
Yushchenko's 47.72 percent. The tally was based on 75.24
percent of votes cast in Sunday's run-off poll, or about
21.66 million ballots.
Earlier, Yushchenko, buoyed by an exit poll that gave
him a 54 to 43 percentage point lead over Yanukovich,
alleged that blatant falsification by the authorities was
afoot in an attempt to rig victory for the establishment
candidate.
"A coup d'etat is already under way in Ukraine,"
Yushchenko told supporters after midnight in his campaign
headquarters.
"It started in Donetsk at Yanukovich's headquarters,"
he said, referring to the prime minister's power base, a
major coal mining city in eastern Ukraine.
Fulfilling an earlier threat, Yushchenko, a 50-year-old
West-leaning economist, called his supporters to rally in the centre
of
the capital Kiev from 9 a.m. (0700 gmt).
"We won. Full-stop," he said.
Hundreds of supporters of Yushchenko heeded his call
and gathered on Monday morning on Kiev's main thoroughfare
and Independence Square where only hours before on Sunday
night thousands gathered on news of the exit poll that
foresaw his victory.
Thousands gathered to support him, clad in the bright
orange campaign colours of the challenger, waving flags,
swaying and singing along with pop groups shown on giant
screens.
The mounting tension followed a bruising battle for
power that could decide whether the ex-Soviet state tilts
towards the West, following the example of three new
European Union members on its borders, or towards Russia,
its old imperial master.
Thirteen years after gaining independence, Ukraine,
while potentially an industrial and agricultural
powerhouse, remains outside the European mainstream and
many of its 47 million people get by on a monthly salary of
$60 or less.
Yushchenko, a former prime minister, advocates a
gradual integration of the country into European
institutions.
Yanukovich, 54, who favours greater state control in
the economy and wants closer ties with Russia, has been
publicly backed by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and is
endorsed by outgoing President Leonid Kuchma.
Putin's backing for Yanukovich shows the stakes are
high for Russia which wants to keep its influence in its
former empire after last year's election of a pro-Western
leader in Georgia.
Yanukovich made no public statement after polls closed
on Sunday night.
Yushchenko's call for street demonstrations was a
direct challenge to Kuchma, who urged people on the eve of
the poll to be calm and disregard such appeals.
In his early morning appearance, Yushchenko urged the
world community to take note of what was happening in
Ukraine.
He said appeals would be made to the European Union and
the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and
called for an emergency session of parliament to
investigate the ballot.
He alleged cheating by authorities had been
particularly flagrant in two areas of eastern Ukraine where
Yanukovich is particularly strong.
Incomplete figures put turnout at about 79 percent of
the 37 million voters -- even higher than the Oct. 31 first
round and testament to the politically charged nature of
the election.
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