3dGameMan
12-27-2004, 08:20 AM
Ukraine's Yushchenko Declares Victory: ~source (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041227/ap_on_re_eu/ukraine_election)
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20041227/capt.xkiv10312270250.ukraine_election__xkiv103.jpg
By ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC, Associated Press Writer
KIEV, Ukraine - Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko said Monday that Ukraine will finally be free after declaring himself the winner of the rerun of fraud-filled presidential elections, while supporters of his pro-Russian opponent vowed to challenge the results in court.
The Western-leaning Yushchenko, who was disfigured by dioxin poisoning, thanked orange-clad protesters who spent weeks camped out in the capital's frigid streets for helping secure his electoral victory Sunday. Orange is his campaign color.
"Now, today, the Ukrainian people have won. I congratulate you," he told a jubilant crowd in Kiev's Independence Square, the center of massive protests following the Nov. 21 presidential runoff that was annulled after fraud allegations.
"We have been independent for 14 years but we were not free. Now we can say this is a thing of the past. Now we are facing an independent and free Ukraine."
No election-related violence was reported.
Three exit polls gave the Western-leaning Yushchenko a 15-20 percentage-point lead over Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the Kremlin-backed candidate. The official vote count gave Yushchenko a narrower but unassailable lead — 52.3 percent to 43.9 percent with ballots from 98.5 percent of precincts counted.
The Central Election Commission has 15 days after the election to announce the final results. ...
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20041227/capt.xkiv10312270250.ukraine_election__xkiv103.jpg
By ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC, Associated Press Writer
KIEV, Ukraine - Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko said Monday that Ukraine will finally be free after declaring himself the winner of the rerun of fraud-filled presidential elections, while supporters of his pro-Russian opponent vowed to challenge the results in court.
The Western-leaning Yushchenko, who was disfigured by dioxin poisoning, thanked orange-clad protesters who spent weeks camped out in the capital's frigid streets for helping secure his electoral victory Sunday. Orange is his campaign color.
"Now, today, the Ukrainian people have won. I congratulate you," he told a jubilant crowd in Kiev's Independence Square, the center of massive protests following the Nov. 21 presidential runoff that was annulled after fraud allegations.
"We have been independent for 14 years but we were not free. Now we can say this is a thing of the past. Now we are facing an independent and free Ukraine."
No election-related violence was reported.
Three exit polls gave the Western-leaning Yushchenko a 15-20 percentage-point lead over Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the Kremlin-backed candidate. The official vote count gave Yushchenko a narrower but unassailable lead — 52.3 percent to 43.9 percent with ballots from 98.5 percent of precincts counted.
The Central Election Commission has 15 days after the election to announce the final results. ...