- Title: UKRAINE: EUROPEAN ELECTION OBSERVERS PREPARE FOR UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
- Date: 28th October 2004
- Summary: (CEEF) KIEV, UKRAINE (OCTOBER 29, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF VIKTOR YANUKOVICH POSTER ATTACHED TO STAGE 0.07 2. SLV WORKERS HANGING YANUKOVICH POSTER ON BUILDING 0.11 3. WIDE OF ELECTION POSTER AND STAGE 0.16 (CEEF) KIEV, UKRAINE (OCTOBER 28, 2004)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 4. WIDE OF VIKTOR YANUKOVICH, UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER AT NEWS CONFERENCE 0.21 5. SLV CAMERA OPERATORS 0.27 6. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(Russian)VIKTOR YANUKOVICH, UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER, SAYING: "We must not gain power with violence, we can express our opinions only in a peaceful manner through the ballot box, this is my principal position. Those who incite people to engage in illegal acts will be subject to Ukrainian law. Let them remember that. So I am asking my electorate to come and vote and I think that we will guarantee order in the State." 1.12 (CEEF) KIEV, UKRAINE (OCTOBER 29, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7. WIDE OF STREET WITH SHOPS AND ORANGE ELECTION FLAGS 1.17 8. VARIOUS OF YUSHCHENKO SUPPORTERS CAMPAIGNING 1.22 9. VARIOUS OF WOMAN TAKING ELECTION LEAFLET 1.29 10. SLV OF CAR DRIVING PAST WITH SMALL ORANGE YUSHCHENKO FLAG 1.36 11. WIDE OF YUSHCHENKO PARTY FLAGS 1.41 12. WIDE OF VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE 1.46 13. WIDE OF JOURNALISTS 1.53 14. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(Russian) VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO, OPPOSITION LEADER, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: " Of course I do not have the right to lie and say that everything is all right here. Things are not peaceful and quiet here. As long as these people are in power then we can only expect that they will forge the results and choose a brutal approach to the voters. We should not try to calm ourselves down with the illusion that we will wake up tomorrow with a president and Yanukovich who would behave differently." 2.19 15. WIDE OF JOURNALISTS 2.24 16. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(Russian) YUSHCHENKO SAYING: "I am sure that if twenty thousand people will come to the administration of Sumy for example or to the regional electoral commission then it will help electoral commission to have a fair vote counting and this is a good incentive." 2.49 17. WIDE OF YUSHCHENKO NEWS CONFERENCE 2.54 18. SLV CAR WITH YUSHCHENKO CAMPAIGNING FLAG 3.00 19. WIDE OF INTERIOR OF OSCE ELECTIONS OBSERVATION MISSION 3.07 20. VARIOUS OF OSCE WORKERS AT COMPUTERS 3.17 21. SCU SOUNDBITE)(English) GEERT HINRICH AHRENS, HEAD OF OSCE ELECTIONS OBSERVATION MISSION SAYING: "I have discussed my observation with officials and parties, I must say that the Ukrainian authorities have cooperated with us. We have already had a 70-minute meeting with President Kuchma. We have said we would voice concerns which we have done. And there is the possibility to do something about it" 3.44 22. VARIOUS OF OSCE MEDIA MONITORING GROUP 3.49 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 12th November 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Reuters ID: LVA3PMA1Z1HVI2CY6JLQTCIIHA0J
- Story Text: European observers prepare for controversial
Ukrainian presidential vote
Official campaigning entered the last day on Friday
(October 29) for a hotly contested Ukrainian presidential
election that many believe will decide whether the country
leans toward Europe or Russia.
The poll to replace Leonid Kuchma, who is stepping down
after a decade in power and supporting his prime minister Viktor
Yanuko
vich, is Ukraine's closest and most bitter
poll most since independence in 1991.
Rival business groups are backing one or the other
leading candidate in what is seen as a turning point for
whether Ukraine looks more to the West or to Moscow. Each
side accuses the other of trying to derail the election
process.
The Western-leaning opposition challenger Viktor
Yushchenko served as central banker and prime minister
under Kuchma but now denounces him -- and Yanukovich -- as
part of a system riddled with corruption.
Yanukovich has campaigned by appealing to ethnic
Russian groups and emphasising his close relations with
Kuchma and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The state's enormous leverage over the media has been
brought to Yanukovich's full advantage and the prime
minister is calling on people to follow through on
television endorsements to vote him in and ignore
opposition protests.
"We must not gain power with violence, we can express
our opinions only in a peaceful manner through the ballot
box, this is my principal position. Those who incite people
to engage in illegal acts will be subject to Ukrainian law.
Let them remember that. So I am asking my electorate to
come and vote and I think that we will guarantee order in
the State," said Yanukovich.
But if Yanukovich dominates the airwaves and corridors
of power, then challenger Yushchenko has dominated the
streets.
He moves closely among his supporters--and he has
brought out thousands of them in pre-election
rallies--answering in Ukrainian and Russian that is
literary and conversational. And he speaks little good
about his challenger.
"Of course I do not have the right to lie and say that
everything is all right here. Things are not peaceful and
quiet here. As long as these people are in power then we
can only expect that they will forge the results and choose
a brutal approach to the voters. We should not try to calm
ourselves down with the illusion that we will wake up
tomorrow with a president and Yanukovich who would behave
differently," said Yushchenko.
Yushchenko and the opposition say they are ready to
confront vote fraud with an army of supporters.
"I am sure that if twenty thousand people will come to
the administration of Sumy for example or to the regional
electoral commission then it will help electoral commission
to have a fair vote counting and this is a good incentive,"
said Yushchenko.
But the odds are clearly stacked against the
challenger.
Regional airports have repeatedly refused permission to
land for planes carrying Yushchenko to campaign dates. He
travels hundreds of kilometres by car from engagement to
engagement.
Sites for rallies have been abruptly closed for
renovations or subject to power cuts without warning.
Yushchenko's campaign was put on hold for a month while
he underwent treatment for a mystery illness he says was
caused by an attempt by authorities to poison him.
Doctors said they had no proof to substantiate that.
Though recovered from the facial paralysis he suffered and
now able to speak without difficulty, his face remains
puffy and flushed.
European observers from the OSCE have set up
headquarters in Ukraine to monitor a vote that will almost
certainly be controversial.
They have already held meetings with President Kuchma
and voiced concerns.
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