Ukraine Slips Into Election Crisis

This country slipped into a deepening crisis today as preliminary official results show Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich winning a bitter presidential election, as opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko brought supporters into the streets to press his claim to be the true winner.

“Remain where you are,” Yushchenko told a crowd of about 50,000 supporters at central Kiev’s Independence Square this morning. “From all parts of Ukraine, on carts, cars, planes and trains tens of thousands of people are on their way here. Our action is only beginning.”

Tens of thousands of protesters remained at the square and in the city’s adjacent central street throughout the day, listening to recorded rock music and speeches in an atmosphere that mixes a sense of festivity with high political tension.

The Central Election Commission announced that with 99.14% of voting districts counted, Yanukovich led with 49.4% to Yushchenko’s 46.7%.

But Richard Lugar, the Republican head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who was monitoring the election as a personal envoy of President Bush, charged at a news conference today that the results had been rigged.

“It is now apparent that a concerted and forceful program of election day fraud and abuse was enacted with either the leadership or cooperation of governmental authorities,” Lugar said.

“I believe that President Kuchma has the responsibility and the opportunity for producing even at this point an outcome which is fair and responsible,” Lugar added. “He will enhance his legacy by prompt and decisive action which maximizes worldwide confidence in the presidency of Ukraine and the extraordinary potential future which lies ahead of this country.”

Yushchenko had claimed victory in the pre-dawn hours today based on an exit poll financed in part by the U.S. Embassy and other Western diplomatic missions that showed him winning 54% to 43%.

He also charged that authorities had begun a “coup d’etat” by falsifying the vote count. Speaking at the square later today, he charged that official turnout had exceeded the number of registered voters in some districts of eastern Ukraine, where Yanukovich is particularly popular.

A foreign observers mission, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, also criticized the balloting for failing to meet international democratic standards.