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Ukraine officials fail to vote on reforms
Lawmakers fought over and failed to pass legal reforms aimed at ensuring a fair rematch of Ukraine's fraudulent presidential runoff, accusing each other Tuesday of acting in bad faith as several thousand orange-clad protesters besieged parliament and chanted, "Parasites! Parasites!" The demonstrators, supporters of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, have grown impatient over lack of progress in approving the electoral amendments sought for the Dec. 26 repeat vote. Yushchenko supporters say the changes will close loopholes for fraud that marred the Nov. 21 runoff and prompted the Supreme Court to cancel the victory of Kremlin-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. But a loose coalition of communists, socialists and pro-government factions in parliament agreed to pass the electoral changes only together with constitutional changes, which would turn some presidential powers over to parliament. Yushchenko has balked at the changes, saying that allies of outgoing President Leonid Kuchma want to weaken his authority should he win. In a development that could have a dramatic effect on the rematch, the Times of London Web site reported late Tuesday that doctors who treated Yushchenko for a mysterious illness during the initial campaign have determined there "was an attempt on his life" with a biological or chemical agent or a rare poison. "There is no longer a question for discussion," the newspaper quoted Dr. Nikolai Korpan, who treated Yushchenko at the Rudolfnerhaus clinic in Vienna, Austria. "We are now sure that we can confirm which substance cause this illness. He received this substance from other people who had a specific aim." The newspaper then said it asked Korpan if the aim had been to kill Yushchenko, to which the doctor was quoted as responding: "Yes, of course." Yushchenko fell ill September 6 and was rushed to the Vienna clinic four days later. Yushchenko has accused the Ukrainian authorities of poisoning him. His detractors suggested he'd eaten some bad sushi. Known for his ruggedly handsome, almost movie star looks, Yushchenko's skin now is severely pockmarked. His face is haggard, swollen and partially paralyzed. One eye often tears up. Late last month, Korpan had said the cause of Yushchenko's illness remained "totally open." He told the Times on Tuesday that the substance that was administered to Yushchenko would be identified in a matter of days, but physicians needed him to return to Vienna for an examination. "We need to check him again here in Vienna. If we received him today, we could finish the whole investigation in two or three days," Korpan was quoted. In Sofia, Bulgaria, Secretary of State Colin Powell rejected Russian charges of Western political manipulation in Ukraine's electoral process. Powell addressed the 55-nation Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe after hearing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggest the West was interested in a power grab in Ukraine. At a joint news conference with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy before his speech, Powell denied that the West was playing sphere of influence games in Ukraine in the name of democracy. "The people of Ukraine are playing democracy in the name of freedom," he said. He added that the people of Ukraine are saying: "We want free, fair and open elections." The dispute in parliament underscores the stakes for Yanukovych and Kuchma as they and their allies maneuver to try to slow Yushchenko's momentum following Friday's court ruling. A compromise had appeared close Monday, when both Yushchenko's allies and his foes agreed to pass the changes all at once on condition that the constitutional changes would be implemented only after parliamentary elections in 2006. This tentative deal collapsed Tuesday when the opposition withdrew its backing for the package deal, saying that first the election law must be enacted and the election commission members replaced.
"We won't vote for any package deals," said Yushchenko's fiery ally Yulia Tymoshenko. She and other opposition lawmakers promised to back constitutional changes after the electoral changes are approved. Communist Party chief Petro Symonenko accused Yushchenko of reneging on a pledge made during European-brokered talks last week to vote for electoral and constitutional changes all at once. "He has broken an international agreement, so how can we trust his faction in parliament?" Symonenko said during debate. Yushchenko's supporters also have pushed for Yanukovych's resignation, but Kuchma has refused to fire him. On Tuesday, Kuchma approved Yanukovych's leave for the campaign period, naming a deputy premier as caretaker. Throngs of opposition demonstrators, many of them haggard after two weeks of street vigils in freezing temperatures, pledged that they would maintain their raucous, often noisy vigil until the legislation was passed. "We have grown tired physically, but spiritually we are longing for a victory," said Olha Pokalchuk. Standing amid dozens of picketers trying to warm themselves around an improvised fire burning in a metal barrel, 33-year-old Ilya Goyuk said they would continue besieging the Cabinet. "We feel tired, but the euphoria and striving for victory makes us feel stronger," he said. Yanukovych's supporters, who briefly visited the capital early in the crisis, have retreated to their home regions in the east, along the border with Russia. The exodus of Yanukovych's top allies also continued, following the resignation of his campaign chief last week, with senior lawmaker Stepan Havrysh saying he wouldn't take part in Yanukovych's campaign. In an apparent effort to expand his support base, Yanukovych has sought to disassociate himself from Kuchma to shed his image as the president's puppet. His new campaign chief, Taras Chornovil, accused Kuchma on Tuesday of trying to discredit Yanukovych and said the president's billionaire son-in-law was financing Yushchenko's campaign. |
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