Putin demands new Ukraine poll (No run off. Could take a while)

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/ukraine/story/0,15569,1365328,00.html

Nick Paton Walsh in Kiev
Friday December 3, 2004
The Guardian

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, yesterday threw his weight behind a totally new round of elections in Ukraine, pointedly contradicting the opposition and EU's demand for a quick repeat simply of the run-off vote.
On the eve of an expected supreme court verdict today on opposition allegations of election fraud, he met the outgoing president of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, who made a brief visit to an airport in Moscow.

The largely symbolic meeting will anger the Ukrainian opposition and protesters, who have long condemned Russia's intervention in their presidential elections and expressed their loathing of Mr Kuchma and his increasing role in finding a political solution to the crisis.

Mr Putin told Mr Kuchma: "A repeat of the run-off vote may fail to work." He added: "A re-vote could be conducted a third, a fourth, 25th time, until one side gets the results it needs. It would yield nothing." snip

Mr Putin's comments will bolster Mr Kuchma's apparent attempts to delay another election until he can find a suitable alternative successor to the prime minister, Viktor Yanukovich, whose claim of victory in the November 21 run-off Russia had applauded.

more

[htuttle]

1. Whatta flip-flopper!

I read exactly the opposite thing this afternoon:

Putin Ridicules Idea of a New Election in Ukraine
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1039059

Wonder if it's a situation of misinterpretation, or whether he's changed his mind in the space of a few hours? If so, why?

[NNN0LHI]

6. He was ridiculing the idea of a run off which the west wants quickly

Putin is demanding another complete brand new full blown election sometimes next year or so. He is screwing Chimp boy again here.

Don

[Brundle_Fly]

9. hmm Guardian VS. NYTimes...n/t

[Bob3]

2. And don't forget

His tanks are a lot closer to Ukraine than our tanks are.

[robcon]

3. No flip flop.

Putin doesn't want a run-off until he can find a stronger candidate. He wants the election to be open again for the first round of voting. He thinks Yanukovich is a weak candidate, and wants to get a different guy into the ultimate run-off.

What a putz Putin is.

[Scrooge]

4. KGB

Putin is KGB to the core. He reminds me of the shrub, only better looking.

[NDFan]

5. ...

And that's not saying much! }(

[NNN0LHI]

7. Oh, Christ. I never gave it any thought before, but beady eyed Putin...

...is the better looking one of the two.

Don

[DeepModem Mom]

8. kick