UKRAINE/RUSSIA: SOME UKRAINIANS BLAME THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE POSONING OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VIKTOR YUSCHENKO

Record ID: 649217

  • Title: UKRAINE/RUSSIA: SOME UKRAINIANS BLAME THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE POSONING OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VIKTOR YUSCHENKO
  • Date: 12th December 2004
  • Summary: (U4)KIEV, UKRAINE (DECEMBER 12, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. LV/SV OF STREET IN KIEV (2 SHOTS) 0.09 2. MCU (Russian) IRYNA, KIEV RESIDENT, SAYING: "I think his health will be much damaged, but I believe people have united around him even more and they all wish him luck." 0.19 3. SV/SLV STREET SCENES (2 SHOTS) 0.28 4. MCU (Ukrainian) IRYNA, KIEV RESIDENT, SAYING: "I only want that those bandits who have done this are found. This is my only wish. Because to do such things as they do here will take us too far." 0.40 5. SLV STREET OF KIEV 0.45 6. MCU (Ukrainian) LYDMILA, KIEV RESIDENT, SAYING: "I think that the present government is to blame. One immediately remembers the death of Chornovil, the terrible death of Gongadze, of all those who has died in these recent years. It is all the dirty work of the government." 1.04 7. MCU (Ukrainian) VASIL, KIEV RESIDENT, SAYING: "Who is responsible? The government is - the Ukrainian authorities are, who have been doing everything no to let Yushchenko win, to isolate him from society, from power." 1.23 8. LV STREET SCENES (2 SHOTS) 1.33 (W5)MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 12, 2004) (REUTERS) 9. LV OF PROTEST 1.40 10. SLV/SV OF PROTESTERS WEARING ORANGE SCARFS AND RIBBONS (3 SHOTS) 1.58 11. MCU (English) KONSTANTIN BOROVOI, LEADER OF "DEMOCRATIC UNION" MOVEMENT, SAYING: "No doubt that he [Yushchenko] was poisoned and unfortunately I think that here are a lot of signs that it was done with support of former Russian Special Forces. It is their type of behaviour, unfortunately it is very close to KGB type of activity. I support Yushchenko. I think it is very good sign for everybody not only in Ukraine but here in Russia to understand how dangerous it is to fight against democratic forces and normal human behaviour." 2.50 12. SV/MCU/SLV VARIOUS OF PROTEST (3 SHOTS) 3.07 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 27th December 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Reuters ID: LVA5ZQ5680IB9MDK5JW0J0PTB7AZ
  • Story Text: Some Ukrainians blame the government for the
    poisoning of Yushchenko, while some Russian liberals
    believe Russian Special Forces were involved.




    People on the streets of Kiev on Sunday (December
    12) were blaming Ukrainian government for poisoning the
    presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko.

    Yushchenko, who hopes to become Ukraine's next president
    was the victim of poisoning by dioxin -- a toxic
    chemical that can easily be administered in soup containing
    cream, Austrian doctors said on Saturday (December 11).

    Yushchenko faces Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich later
    this month in a re-run of November's rigged presidential
    election.

    His illness kept him out of the early stages of the
    November election campaign in the former Soviet republic
    and left his face bloated and pock-marked.

    A woman named as Iryna said: "I think his
    (Yushchenko's) health will be much damaged, but I believe
    people have united around him even more and they all wish
    him luck".

    "I think that the present government is to blame. One
    immediately remembers the death of Chornovil, the terrible
    death of Gongadze, of all those who has died in these
    recent years. It is all the dirty work of the government",
    a woman identified as Lydmila said.

    Viacheslav Chorovil, a famous Ukrainian dissident, died
    in a car accident which many believe was a political murder.

    Georgy Gongadze, popular opposition journalist, was
    found beheaded. Those responsible for the murder were never
    found.

    A man identified as Vasil said: "Who is responsible?
    The government is, the Ukrainian authorities are, who have
    been doing everything not to let Yushchenko win, to isolate
    him from society, from power."
    Yushchenko says after attempting to poison him, his
    enemies used fraud to try to steal the run-off vote on Nov.

    21, in which Yanukovich, backed by giant neighbour Russia,
    was declared winner.

    The Supreme Court struck down the result on grounds of
    irregularities and ordered a new vote on Dec. 26.

    In Moscow, the liberal movement "Democratic Union"
    staged a protest on Sunday in support of Yushchenko.

    Democratic Movement leader Konstantin Borovoi, who
    attended the protest, said Russian Special Forces were most
    likely involved in the poisoning: "No doubt that he
    [Yushchenko] was poisoned and unfortunately I think that
    here are a lot of signs that it was done with support of
    former Russian Special Forces. It is their type of
    behaviour, unfortunately it is very close to KGB type of
    activity."
    Borovoi added: "I support Yushchenko. I think it is
    very good sign for everybody not only in Ukraine but here
    in Russia to understand how dangerous it is to fight
    against democratic forces and normal human behaviour."

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