50,000 rally in Ukraine, claiming votes rigged
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Agence France-Presse
Kiev, Ukraine- More than 50,000 supporters of Ukraine's opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko rallied in Kiev Saturday to protest what they claimed was vote-rigging in the first round a week ago.
Demonstrators from all over the former Soviet constituent republic ignored an official ban on the demonstration by city authorities and gathered in a main square to hear Yushchenko charge: "The central electoral commission manipulated the results of the vote of Oct. 31."
Ukraine is heading for a runoff on Nov. 21 after the first round ended with the main candidates - pro-Russian prime minister Viktor Yanukovich and Western-leaning opposition leader Yushchenko - evenly splitting the vote.
The poll came under criticism from various quarters in the west including the European Union, which said it had failed to meet international standards.
The United States said it was a step backward and called for a second round without irregularities.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/ba... ~~~The vote was rigged in the former USSR and the US is going to get involved to help clean it up?! HELLO!
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x967668