UKRAINE: OSCE ELECTION MONITORS AND UKRAINIANS PREPARE FOR "KNIFE-EDGE" PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RUN-OFF
Record ID:
647356
UKRAINE: OSCE ELECTION MONITORS AND UKRAINIANS PREPARE FOR "KNIFE-EDGE" PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RUN-OFF
- Title: UKRAINE: OSCE ELECTION MONITORS AND UKRAINIANS PREPARE FOR "KNIFE-EDGE" PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RUN-OFF
- Date: 20th November 2004
- Summary: (EU) KIEV, UKRAINE (NOVEMBER 20, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. INTERIOR OF A KIEV POLLING STATION 0.06 2. POLLING STATION STAFF PREPARING BALLOT BOXES AHEAD OF SUNDAY'S BALLOT 0.13 3. INFORMATION POSTERS ON DISPLAY AT POLLING STATION ON SUNDAY'S TWO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO AND VIKTOR YANUKOVICH 0.18 4. MV/SCU: POLLING STATION STAFF PREPARING BALLOT BOXES (2 SHOTS) 0.29 5. INTERIOR OF OSCE (ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE) HEADQUARTERS IN KIEV/ STAFF 0.35 6. OSCE STAFF 0.43 7. VARIOUS OF OSCE STAFF WATCHING SCREENS AND MONITORING ELECTION ADVERTISEMENTS USED BY THE TWO SIDES (4 SHOTS) 1.17 8. GEERTHINRICH AHRENS, HEAD OF OSCE ELECTION MONITORING MISSION IN UKRAINE WALKING THROUGH OFFICE 1.23 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GEERTHINRICH AHRENS, HEAD OF OSCE ELECTION MONITORING MISSION IN UKRAINE SAYING: "As the two contenders were neck by neck, each between 39 and 40 percent in the previous round, it is very important that the elections are very accurate and played to the rules, and I will not hide from you that we have certain concerns and that is why we need to have as many observers in the field as possible." 1.45 10. CU: OSCE ELECTION MONITORING MISSION SIGN AND LOGO 1.51 11. VARIOUS OF YANUKOVICH CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS (BLUE AND WHITE POSTERS ON WALLS AND STAFF WEARING BLUE AND WHITE KERCHIEFS)/ STAFF (6 SHOTS) 2.19 12. VARIOUS WORKERS AT YUSHCHENKO CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS PUTTING UP ORANGE BALLOONS (ORANGE IS THE COLOUR ADOPTED BY YUSCHENKO FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN)/ BALLOONS, STAFF MEMBER BLOWING UP BALLOONS/ DJ/ORANGE ROSES/ STAFF (8 SHOTS) 3.00 13. VARIOUS OF FIRST WINTER SNOW FALLING IN KIEV/ PEOPLE WALKING ON THE STREET (2 SHOTS) 3.14 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th December 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Reuters ID: LVAC6AHRZJIR2XFUF2ZYV23MGTCN
- Story Text: Ukraine prepares for knife-edge election amid
concerns about poll violations and threat of street
protests.
Ukraine prepared on Saturday (November 20) for a
knife-edge presidential election amid threats by the
opposition contender to launch street protests if he is
denied the leadership by cheating.
Sunday's (November 21) run-off ballot presents the
ex-Soviet state with the choice between an establishment
candidate who seeks closer ties with the old imperial
master Russia, and an opponent who favours gradual
integration into the European mainstream.
Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, who has the backing
of Russia's Vladimir Putin, was narrowly edged into second
place in the Oct. 31 first round by liberal challenger
Viktor Yushchenko.
But he has since put up a strong performance in a
television face-off with Yushchenko. Few analysts are ready
to predict the outcome of the battle of the two Viktors.
Commentators see the race as one of the most critical
of the post-Soviet period in terms of Russian influence in
the region. Yushchenko, an economist who was himself prime
minister for 15 months in 2000-2001, upped the stakes on
Friday by predicting widespread attempts at electoral fraud
by the Yanukovich camp.
He has argued he was cheated out of an outright win in
the first round and pledged on Friday to bring his
supporters into the streets if robbed of the presidency.
International election observers are in Ukraine in
large numbers to monitor the conduct of the second round
ballot.
The head of the OSCE election monitoring mission in
Ukraine, told Reuters Television on Saturday that he had
some concerns about the conduct of Sunday's run-off vote,
adding it that it therefore had been essential to deploy as
many election monitors as possible across Ukraine.
"As the two contenders were neck by neck, each between
39 and 40 percent in the previous round, it is very
improtant that the elections are very accurate and played
to the rules, and I will not hide from you that I have
certain concerns and that is why we need to have as many
observers in the field as possible," said Geerthinrich
ahrens, Head of the OSCE election monitoring mission.
Some 565 OSCE observers are in place across the country
to monitor Sunday's vote. A report by the organisation on
the second round of voting is expected on Monday (November
22). After the first round vote the OSCE said the polls had
fallen short of international standards.
As the winter's first snow fell on Kiev, outgoing
President Leonid Kuchma, who has endorsed Yanukovich as his
successor, scheduled a final television appearance and was
certain to urge voters to reject calls for protests.
Counting was to begin immediately after polls closed at
8 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Sunday.
But Yushchenko's threats and the 10 days it took an
official result to be announced in the first round
suggested the prospect of a confused, even chaotic, picture
well into next week.
Both contenders scored about 40 percent in the first
round, but two hopefuls knocked then have backed
Yushchenko.
First-round voting underlined the division between the
nationalist western and the central regions backing
Yushchenko and the Russian-speaking, industrial east behind
Yanukovich.
An early trend could be difficult to see as counting
tends to start in big eastern cities, where Yanukovich
holds sway.
The country of 47 million sits at the crux of the old
East-West divide in Europe, sharing borders with three new
European Union members as well as Russia and three other
states.
Putin's intervention on behalf of the premier reflects
Moscow's desire to retain strategic influence in the region
after the election last year of a pro-Western leader in
Georgia.
Western countries have said they are concerned about
foul play and the EU has urged Kuchma to ensure a clean
contest.
Both Russia and the United States have sent
high-ranking officials to monitor the election.
Although voters are polarised by the candidates'
different strategic priorities, higher incomes and greater
spending power also matter. Ukrainians live far below the
standards of mainstream Europe, with average monthly
salaries of $60.
In clear vote-catching tactics, Yanukovich, 54, raised
pensions and public sector wages ahead of the contest.
Yushchenko left his sharpest attacks on his opponent
until Friday, when campaigning ended. In an interview with
Reuters, he said Yanukovich's criminal convictions for
robbery and assault when he was a youth would embarrass
Ukraine if he were elected.
Yanukovich acknowledges the convictions. His aides say
the charges were later struck from the record.
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