Support for Yanukovich strong among Ukrainian miners

[nikolai]

"In the Ukraine, the opposition's "orange army" has again begun protesting in the capital, Kiev, ahead of this Sunday's repeat Presidential poll. Their support for the pro-Western leader Viktor Yushchenko has earned them plaudits as heroes of the so-called "Orange Revolution".

But not in the eastern half of the country. There, the protestors are viewed as lazy troublemakers, especially by the thousands of hardworking coalminers who say their efforts to keep Ukraine's economy running are being affected."
...

"At the last election, Yanukovich won 87 per cent of the vote in this region. That poll was annulled because of fraud, but it's not hard to imagine that his genuine support here is that high.

Voters here feel their voices have been lost, overtaken by the vibrant opposition protests in Kiev. They plan to speak out as loudly as their orange adversaries, if Viktor Yanukovich doesn't win this time."

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1270978.htm