Election Fallout in Ukraine
A few weeks ago I said that I was "all electioned out" and hopeful that there'd be no more nail-biting elections this year to watch.
Boy, I couldn't believe just how TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY WRONG I was. I'm back to election-watching -- and this time it's the mess in Ukraine. Here's the story as it is:
Official results from the presidential runoff indicate Kremlin-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych won. But his Western-leaning opponent, Viktor Yushchenko, says the ballot was rigged, and Western observers have concurred. |
But listen to a real Ukrainian:
"I am just a little Ukrainian. But the whole pyramid of |
Their capital of Kiev is currently a mess of protests and demonstrations, and there are pro-democracy strikes ongoing.
For way better blogging than mine, check out the indispensable Chrenkoff, who also points out how Poland is trying to defuse the Ukrainian standoff. He's done several good posts lately, here -- and here -- and especially here on Poland.
Here's blogging from someone who's actually in Ukraine -- lots of photos of Yushchenko supporters here and here. Keep an eye on his blog -- he's reporting from the thick of the Ukrainian crisis. Watch blogress TulipGirl too, also blogging from Ukraine, Ukraine, Oh My!, and A Fistful of Euros.
UPDATE: More great photos here -- pictures speak for themselves, so don't panic at the Cyrillic font!