Tuesday, Nov 23, 2004
A strategic victory for Putin in Ukraine
By Vladimir Radyuhin
MOSCOW, NOV. 22. The Russian-backed Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovich, won a crucial presidential election in Ukraine, defeating his pro-Western rival, Viktor Yushchenko, in a close runoff on Sunday.
With over 99 per cent of the votes counted, Mr. Yanukovich got 49.42 per cent against 46.7 per cent for Mr. Yushchenko. The latter had come slightly ahead in the first round of voting three weeks ago, but a heavier turnout in the pro-government eastern and southern provinces in the runoff tipped the vote in favour of the Prime Minister.
'Chestnut revolution'
Mr. Yushchenko has refused to admit defeat and led a 50,000-strong demonstration in the capital, Kiev, to demand annulling the poll results.
Opposition leaders threatened to stage a "chestnut revolution" in Ukraine, modelled after the "rose revolution" in Georgia that brought to power a pro-U.S. leader last year. Authorities have pulled armour and troops in a show of firm resolve to put down any disturbances.
The vote is a strategic victory for the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Mr. Yanukovich (54) is the first post-Soviet leader to have come to power with Moscow's support.
He has promised to make Russian a second state language and sign a pact with Russia allowing dual citizenship to the nationals of the two biggest Slavic countries.
Mr. Putin visited Ukraine six times in the past few months to demonstrate Moscow's solid support for the Russia-leaning Prime Minister.
The U.S. and the European Union have backed the former Premier, Mr. Yushchenko (50), who has a U.S.-borne wife and has vowed to take Ukraine into NATO and the E.U.
"Ukraine is a football field on which Russia is playing against the West," the outgoing Ukrainian President, Leonid Kuchma, once remarked.
Key role for Russia
Had Mr. Yushchenko won the presidency he would have buried Moscow's hopes for rebuilding what Western media has called a "Soviet-type empire." The victory of Mr. Yanukovich opens the way for Mr. Putin to reassert Russia's leading role in the former Soviet Union and to push for closer re-integration of the newly independent states.
Ukraine is now expected to stop dragging its feet over Mr. Putin's plan to forge an economic union among leading post-Soviet states - Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus, complete with a free trade zone and a common currency.
Copyright © 2004, The Hindu.