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Corrupt Ukrainian Election is Overturned
Ukraine court overturns election
Friday, December 3, 2004 Posted: 3:17 PM EST (2017 GMT)
KIEV, Ukraine (CNN) -- Ukraine's Supreme Court has nullified the results of the country's disputed presidential election and called for a repeat of the runoff in three weeks.
Friday's ruling was a big win for opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, who claimed that widespread fraud robbed him of victory in the November 21 vote.
The judges' decision was met by cheers from opposition supporters in Kiev's main Independence Square, where they have gathered by the hundreds of thousands for nearly two weeks.
"The Supreme Court judges, they are real heroes today," Yushchenko told the crowd, decked out in the orange colors of his campaign.
"Freedom and truth are returning to Ukraine following today's decision."
He urged outgoing President Leonid Kuchma to fire election rival Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and his Cabinet.
The opposition leader also demanded a reshuffle of the Central Election Commission, which he said "betrayed" the nation by endorsing the fraudulent vote and declaring Yanukovych the winner.
"The Supreme Court has put a big final stop to the new election that Kuchma wanted," The Associated Press quoted Yushchenko as saying.
"Yushchenko! Yushchenko!" the crowd chanted.
The court set December 26 as the date of the new runoff. The court's decision is final and cannot be appealed, court chairman Anatoly Yarema said in announcing the ruling.
Polls show that Yushchenko has a good chance of winning another vote, CNN's Jill Dougherty reported from Kiev.
In its decision, the court partially recognized Yushchenko's claims of election fraud in eight of Ukraine's 25 administrative districts.
The court also ruled that the Central Election Commission's decision to declare Yanukovych the winner of the runoff was unlawful.
The fraud is alleged to have taken place in the eastern region where Yanukovych has most of his support. Yanukovych also claimed fraud, but in areas that supported Yushchenko.
After a five-day court hearing, both sides wrapped up their final arguments Friday. The 21 justices deliberated for about seven hours before announcing their decision.
The dispute has pitted the country's Western-leaning western regions, which mostly back Yushchenko, against the pro-Yanukovych, industrialized, mostly Russian-speaking east.
Yanukovych's backers in eastern Ukraine expressed anger at the decision.
"WE have a president: Viktor Yanukovych," AP quoted Konstantin Sadalsky as saying, as he shook his fist at a TV screen in a Donetsk cafe.
On Wednesday, the rival candidates reached a compromise agreement in which they said they would abide by the court's ruling.
The agreement also called for the opposition to lift its blockade of key government buildings and for both sides to work on unifying the country.
In addition, a working group has been formed to review Ukrainian law and introduce appropriate proposals.
On Thursday, Kuchma flew to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who spoke against the idea of repeating the election.
"A repeat of the runoff vote may fail to work," Putin said at Moscow's airport, where the two leaders met. "The revote could be conducted a third, a fourth, 25th time, until one side gets the results it needs."
Putin -- who backs Ukraine's government and has openly supported Yanukovych -- said it is up to Ukrainians alone to resolve their problem and blasted the opposition's call for a new runoff.
Kuchma, who had called for an entirely new election instead of just a new runoff, accused the opposition of acting in a "forceful, revolutionary way, disregarding economic consequences."
"Ukraine that existed before the elections no longer exists. It has been split up into two sides with absolutely opposite opinions," Kuchma said.
In Washington, the State Department welcomed the court ruling.
"We certainly agree with the decision ... that the last round was marked by significant fraud and that it therefore can't be upheld as a fair result," AP quoted spokesman Richard Boucher as saying.
"What is important now is to move ahead quickly ... to ensure a new vote that is fair, free and that results in an outcome that reflects the will of the Ukrainian people," he said.
On Thursday, U.S. President George W. Bush appeared to warn Russia against meddling in Ukraine's affairs, saying he believes "any election, if there is one, ought to be free from any foreign influence."
"These elections ought to be open and fair," he said. "The position of our government is that the will of the people must be known and heard. And, therefore, we will continue to monitor and be involved in a process that encourages there to be a peaceful resolution of this issue."
Meanwhile on Friday, Ukraine's parliament passed a measure demanding that Kuchma remove the country's nearly 1,700 troops from Iraq. (Full story)
Earlier this week the parliament passed a no-confidence vote in Yanukovych's government.
CNN's Jill Dougherty and Ryan Chilcote contributed to this report.
Yushchenko, left, and Yanukovych shake hands following Wednesday's news conference.
Friday, December 3, 2004 Posted: 3:17 PM EST (2017 GMT)
KIEV, Ukraine (CNN) -- Ukraine's Supreme Court has nullified the results of the country's disputed presidential election and called for a repeat of the runoff in three weeks.
Friday's ruling was a big win for opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, who claimed that widespread fraud robbed him of victory in the November 21 vote.
The judges' decision was met by cheers from opposition supporters in Kiev's main Independence Square, where they have gathered by the hundreds of thousands for nearly two weeks.
"The Supreme Court judges, they are real heroes today," Yushchenko told the crowd, decked out in the orange colors of his campaign.
"Freedom and truth are returning to Ukraine following today's decision."
He urged outgoing President Leonid Kuchma to fire election rival Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and his Cabinet.
The opposition leader also demanded a reshuffle of the Central Election Commission, which he said "betrayed" the nation by endorsing the fraudulent vote and declaring Yanukovych the winner.
"The Supreme Court has put a big final stop to the new election that Kuchma wanted," The Associated Press quoted Yushchenko as saying.
"Yushchenko! Yushchenko!" the crowd chanted.
The court set December 26 as the date of the new runoff. The court's decision is final and cannot be appealed, court chairman Anatoly Yarema said in announcing the ruling.
Polls show that Yushchenko has a good chance of winning another vote, CNN's Jill Dougherty reported from Kiev.
In its decision, the court partially recognized Yushchenko's claims of election fraud in eight of Ukraine's 25 administrative districts.
The court also ruled that the Central Election Commission's decision to declare Yanukovych the winner of the runoff was unlawful.
The fraud is alleged to have taken place in the eastern region where Yanukovych has most of his support. Yanukovych also claimed fraud, but in areas that supported Yushchenko.
After a five-day court hearing, both sides wrapped up their final arguments Friday. The 21 justices deliberated for about seven hours before announcing their decision.
The dispute has pitted the country's Western-leaning western regions, which mostly back Yushchenko, against the pro-Yanukovych, industrialized, mostly Russian-speaking east.
Yanukovych's backers in eastern Ukraine expressed anger at the decision.
"WE have a president: Viktor Yanukovych," AP quoted Konstantin Sadalsky as saying, as he shook his fist at a TV screen in a Donetsk cafe.
On Wednesday, the rival candidates reached a compromise agreement in which they said they would abide by the court's ruling.
The agreement also called for the opposition to lift its blockade of key government buildings and for both sides to work on unifying the country.
In addition, a working group has been formed to review Ukrainian law and introduce appropriate proposals.
On Thursday, Kuchma flew to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who spoke against the idea of repeating the election.
"A repeat of the runoff vote may fail to work," Putin said at Moscow's airport, where the two leaders met. "The revote could be conducted a third, a fourth, 25th time, until one side gets the results it needs."
Putin -- who backs Ukraine's government and has openly supported Yanukovych -- said it is up to Ukrainians alone to resolve their problem and blasted the opposition's call for a new runoff.
Kuchma, who had called for an entirely new election instead of just a new runoff, accused the opposition of acting in a "forceful, revolutionary way, disregarding economic consequences."
"Ukraine that existed before the elections no longer exists. It has been split up into two sides with absolutely opposite opinions," Kuchma said.
In Washington, the State Department welcomed the court ruling.
"We certainly agree with the decision ... that the last round was marked by significant fraud and that it therefore can't be upheld as a fair result," AP quoted spokesman Richard Boucher as saying.
"What is important now is to move ahead quickly ... to ensure a new vote that is fair, free and that results in an outcome that reflects the will of the Ukrainian people," he said.
On Thursday, U.S. President George W. Bush appeared to warn Russia against meddling in Ukraine's affairs, saying he believes "any election, if there is one, ought to be free from any foreign influence."
"These elections ought to be open and fair," he said. "The position of our government is that the will of the people must be known and heard. And, therefore, we will continue to monitor and be involved in a process that encourages there to be a peaceful resolution of this issue."
Meanwhile on Friday, Ukraine's parliament passed a measure demanding that Kuchma remove the country's nearly 1,700 troops from Iraq. (Full story)
Earlier this week the parliament passed a no-confidence vote in Yanukovych's government.
CNN's Jill Dougherty and Ryan Chilcote contributed to this report.
Yushchenko, left, and Yanukovych shake hands following Wednesday's news conference.