Canadian observer labels Ukraine elections grotesquely fraudulent

[Ulysses]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2...734286-cp.html

By LISA ARROWSMITH

EDMONTON (CP) - Canadians sent to observe elections in Ukraine saw campaign tents fire-bombed and heard of voters being roughed-up while trying to cast ballots, says the Edmonton lawyer who headed up a monitoring project.

The government of Ukraine declared Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych the winner in last Sunday's vote, but western-leaning rival Viktor Yushchenko claims he was robbed of victory.

"The election was completely and grotesquely fraudulent," James Jacuta said Friday, just hours after returning from a four-month stint in Ukraine for the University of Alberta.

"The abuses were systemic and widespread and had support from the authorities in power who wanted to hang onto power at any cost."

During the run-up to the vote, Yushchenko's motorcade was repeatedly blocked by police, who told him he didn't have local permits for rallies, Jacuta said.

And there were even stranger attempts to thwart his campaign.

"The main square in the city of Kirovohrad was blocked and unavailable because suddenly there was a circus that had occupied the square," he said.

"The campaign tents of the opposition leader in Luhansk were firebombed. Our observers have pictures of the tents being attacked."

Jacuta said on election day observers saw stuffed ballot boxes. Some people who arrived to cast ballots were told they'd already voted.

About 100 Canadians joined the effort by up to 3,000 international observers to closely monitor the Ukraine election campaign. Most found themselves working 24 hour shifts, living in terrible conditions and sometimes coming into conflict with local police.

"Canadian observers were detained for hours at a time and not allowed to do their job on the pretext they were in a stolen vehicle," Jacuta said.

"After being held for hours, they were told they were free to go. In other cases Canadian observers had their passports taken."

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which was in constant contact with Canadian observers, also compiled a long list of election irregularities.

"There was bribery, especially with senior citizens," said Irene Sushko, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

"They have very poor pensions and they were offered money, hoping to win them over," Sushko said from the organization's headquarters in Winnipeg.

Observers also found the names of dead people on voting lists, she said.

International pressure continued to build Friday for some kind of resolution to the political crisis, as thousands in Ukraine and Canada protested the election outcome.

Watching the drama has been agonizing for Zenon Kohut, director of the Canadian Institute for Canadian Studies at the University of Alberta.

He was born in Ukraine and has been in regular contact with family members who support the opposition candidate and have been blockading government buildings.

"They are completely enthusiastic," Kohut said, though he worried his relatives were putting themselves in harm's way by joining the massive protest.

"They think this is their chance to . . . reverse the process that has been going on in Ukraine, where these clannish, mafia-type groups have captured the state and are utilizing it for their own purposes, rather than allowing the people to express their will," he said.

An appeal of the election result is expected next week.

Jacuta hopes international pressure will make a significant difference to an outcome that will resonate in the region for years.

"It will affect whether this area of Europe will be stable and secure and whether Ukraine turns towards the West and the European Union or whether it turns back towards Russia and something like the old Soviet Union."

[nikolai]

Canada has a large population of people from Western Ukraine. Most of them support Yuschenko.

And it's no surprise that Canadian observers (many of whom probably have relatives in Western Ukraine) have sided with Mr. Yuschenko.

The problem with this election in Ukraine is that there are almost no unbiased observers.

Observers from the West want Yuschenko to win. And observers from Russia want Yanukovich to win. Both have some interest in seeing their side win.

[Edited by nikolai on 28th November 2004 at 13:02]

[Zoreiana]

Thats a pretty good observation Nikolai. I do not know what the solution to that would be, other than have the obsrevers from both sides present in as many places as possible.