Ukraine Riots

Thousands of Ukrainians Refuse to Accept Election Results
That is the headline for this article in the NY Times. The country is divided between the rivals who are separated by three points nationwide according to preliminary count. Why is the country so bitterly divided now? Because the exit polls indicated a clear win for former Prime Minister Viktor A. Yushchenko, but the election results favored Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. BBC News reports:

Official results from Sunday's run-off election showed a narrow win for Mr Yanukovych, although exit polls had indicated a clear win for the pro-Western opposition leader, himself a former prime minister.

Mr Yanukovych, who has the backing of Russia, has said a "small group of radicals" are trying to split the country.
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The opposition says it has recorded thousands of voting irregularities, including very high turnouts in government strongholds. International observers have described the poll as seriously flawed.
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State television has not shown pictures of the events in Kiev and dozens of journalists have resigned over what they say is state censorship.

Sound familiar? W won by how many percent? About three. Voting irregularities are rampant all over Ohio; the recount will take place. Dan Rather has just stepped down without a successor, out of nowhere. You think that he's doing this on his own accord? He's retiring a full year ahead of his own schedule. I think he's being pushed out by the CBS brass over the whole service record ordeal of W in the Air National Guard. A story we all know to be true, but Rather just flubbed it.

Photo: Mykola Lazarenko/Reuters

Comments

[Frank]

Wow. There were pictures of crowds of this size supporting John Kerry before the election (my favorite shot was of Kerry and Clinton in Philly). Yet George BUsh continues to claim a mandate and his science-hating, gay-bashing crowd thinks they can oppress whomever they want. Glad the Ukranians care enought to stand up for their rights.