Ukrainians gather to protest call for election
04 April 2007
Published in Washington Post
Thousands of flag-waving supporters of Ukraine's Russian-supported prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych, set up a camp near the parliament building Tuesday to protest a decision by the pro-Western president to dissolve the legislature and call early elections.
The two leaders, whose rivalry dates to the 2004 Orange Revolution that swept President Viktor Yushchenko to power, met in Yushchenko's office for four hours to try to resolve the standoff.
Yushchenko stood by his order of Monday dissolving parliament and calling elections for May 27, and appealed for support from foreign ambassadors, law enforcement officials and governors. Hundreds of his supporters set up their own tents on the capital's Independence Square.
Thousands of flag-waving supporters of Ukraine's Russian-supported prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych, set up a camp near the parliament building Tuesday to protest a decision by the pro-Western president to dissolve the legislature and call early elections.
The two leaders, whose rivalry dates to the 2004 Orange Revolution that swept President Viktor Yushchenko to power, met in Yushchenko's office for four hours to try to resolve the standoff.
Yushchenko stood by his order of Monday dissolving parliament and calling elections for May 27, and appealed for support from foreign ambassadors, law enforcement officials and governors. Hundreds of his supporters set up their own tents on the capital's Independence Square.
Yanukovych said the majority coalition in the
450-seat legislature would continue meeting until
the Constitutional Court rules on the validity of
Yushchenko's order.
The crisis, which has been building for months, followed the breakdown of an awkward power-sharing agreement between the president and prime minister.
Under the pact, reached in August, Yushchenko accepted Yanukovych's return as prime minister in exchange for promises that he would support the president's domestic and foreign policies. Yushchenko has since accused Yanukovych of violating the agreement.
The United States and Russia appealed for calm in this country of 47 million people, which is now caught between its historic ties to Moscow and aspirations for closer relations with Europe and the United States. Despite the rallies, there was little tension in the capital on Tuesday and no noticeable increase in the number of police.
In 2004, thousands of Yushchenko's supporters created a tent city that stretched from the square down the city's main boulevard. The demonstrators camped for weeks until the Supreme Court ruled that Yanukovych's election victory was fraudulent and nullified the vote.
Yushchenko, who was disfigured by dioxin poisoning during the campaign, won another vote.
Yanukovych staged a remarkable comeback last year, when his party won the largest share in parliamentary voting. He has since expanded his ruling coalition by persuading lawmakers from pro-presidential factions to defect. Last month, 11 lawmakers joined the coalition, moving it closer to a 300-seat, veto-proof majority that would allow Yanukovych's allies to change the constitution. Yushchenko calls the defections illegal, saying the law permits only blocs, not individual lawmakers, to switch sides.
Russia has offered to mediate, but both Yushchenko and Yanukovych seemed more interested in getting help from Western Europe. Yushchenko met with the ambassadors of the Group of Eight industrial nations, and Yanukovych's party appealed to the Council of Europe.
The crisis, which has been building for months, followed the breakdown of an awkward power-sharing agreement between the president and prime minister.
Under the pact, reached in August, Yushchenko accepted Yanukovych's return as prime minister in exchange for promises that he would support the president's domestic and foreign policies. Yushchenko has since accused Yanukovych of violating the agreement.
The United States and Russia appealed for calm in this country of 47 million people, which is now caught between its historic ties to Moscow and aspirations for closer relations with Europe and the United States. Despite the rallies, there was little tension in the capital on Tuesday and no noticeable increase in the number of police.
In 2004, thousands of Yushchenko's supporters created a tent city that stretched from the square down the city's main boulevard. The demonstrators camped for weeks until the Supreme Court ruled that Yanukovych's election victory was fraudulent and nullified the vote.
Yushchenko, who was disfigured by dioxin poisoning during the campaign, won another vote.
Yanukovych staged a remarkable comeback last year, when his party won the largest share in parliamentary voting. He has since expanded his ruling coalition by persuading lawmakers from pro-presidential factions to defect. Last month, 11 lawmakers joined the coalition, moving it closer to a 300-seat, veto-proof majority that would allow Yanukovych's allies to change the constitution. Yushchenko calls the defections illegal, saying the law permits only blocs, not individual lawmakers, to switch sides.
Russia has offered to mediate, but both Yushchenko and Yanukovych seemed more interested in getting help from Western Europe. Yushchenko met with the ambassadors of the Group of Eight industrial nations, and Yanukovych's party appealed to the Council of Europe.