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1)http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,542-255384,00.html The Times (London) April 3, 2002 Winning the East Ukraine's election has serious consequences for Europe -Ukraine, together with Belarus and Moldova, forms a ribbon of bad government along the former Soviet Union�s western border. -That ribbon happens also to be the grey zone for Nato expansion. As long as Moscow sees this expansion as directed against its own interests, it has no incentive to push for change in these countries. The West, by contrast, should make clear that unless there is change, they will remain excluded from Nato, from the European Union and from the continent�s mainstream. The outcome of the general election in Ukraine could hardly have been worse. The Government was not defeated, the reformers did not win and the likelihood now is a hung Parliament with the Communists and maverick independents holding the balance of power. Ukraine�s difficulties have been largely ignored by the rest of Europe. But with a land mass as large as France and with almost 50 million people, it is crucial to Europe�s strategic balance. A prime Western aim has been to prevent it drifting back, or being forcibly reabsorbed, into Russia�s orbit. This has prompted Western leaders to bolster its independence with aid and political support. Huge sums have been given to close down Chernobyl. The Americans give more aid to Ukraine than to almost anyone else. There is little to show for all this. The divisions in Ukrainian society that have thwarted all attempts to establish an identity and direction in more than 10 years of independence have been deepened. The election itself was so marred by fraud, violence and vote-rigging that the process of democracy has been discredited, giving those dissatisfied with the result an excuse to ignore the verdict. President Kuchma has no incentive to reform his scandal-prone administration, nor do the reformers have any incentive to push for change. Ukraine is condemned to further bickering, economic stagnation and debilitating corruption. Few Ukrainians had much hope that the election would pull their country out of stagnation. There are too many interests entrenched in the present sclerosis, in preventing reformers carrying out the necessary economic liberalisation or democrats insisting on a purge of corruption. The dismissal of the former Prime Minister, Viktor Yushchenko, by President Kuchma last year quashed the only real attempt to invigorate the economy and encourage outside investment. His party, Our Ukraine, won too few seats at the weekend, however, to avenge his dismissal; it could form a government only in coalition with the pro-Kuchma For United Ukraine, its political enemies, or the Communists, its economic opponents. Nor would any other political combination assure stability: the Communists have said they would seek to impeach Mr Kuchma. The election was seen by most as a test of Mr Kuchma�s popularity and a dry run for the presidential election, due in 2004, where he will seek a further term of office for himself or a hand-picked successor. The inconclusive result condemns the country to more uncertainty: Mr Kuchma, whose standing and authority have been seriously weakened by the uproar over accusations that he ordered the grisly murder of a political journalist and by charges of profiteering from illegal arms sales, has been hurt by a loss of parliamentary support. But he remains firmly at the helm. Russia has long been accused in Ukraine of trying to stifle independence, cynically supporting a weakened Kuchma in return for obeissance to the Kremlin and using Ukraine�s energy debts as a form of economic blackmail. The accusation would carry more weight if Russia had not so obviously outstripped its former possession in economic reform, democracy and political maturity. Ukraine, together with Belarus and Moldova, forms a ribbon of bad government along the former Soviet Union�s western border. That ribbon happens also to be the grey zone for Nato expansion. As long as Moscow sees this expansion as directed against its own interests, it has no incentive to push for change in these countries. The West, by contrast, should make clear that unless there is change, they will remain excluded from Nato, from the European Union and from the continent�s mainstream. 2)http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,3-255376,00.html The Times (London) April 03, 2002 Election allies rally to Kuchma >From Alice Lagnado in Kiev PRESIDENT KUCHMA looked set to continue dominating Ukraine�s parliamentary affairs yesterday, despite failing to win an overall majority in the weekend general elections. In a move which critics claim threatens to undermine the fledgling democracy on the borders of Europe, smaller parties are expected to unite with the pro-Kuchma bloc to form a coalition government. The continued rule of Mr Kuchma�s allies mean that he will not face impeachment proceedings over accusations of murdering a journalist critical of his Government and selling arms to Iraq. The main pro-Kuchma bloc, For a United Ukraine, won 101 seats in the 450-seat legislature. It is expected to gain the support of the Communist Party, which won 66 seats, the Social Democrats and other pro-presidential groupings. Ninety-three independent MPs may also side with the presidential bloc. The results were accompanied by widespread allegations of vote-rigging and intimidation of the opposition. Hanne Severinsen, head of a Council of Europe observer mission, said: �Queues were huge and people just gave up. This means fewer voters were able to cast their vote. Seeing the incompetence, (ballot-rigging) could have happened.� �We are disappointed that the Government of Ukraine did not move in a proactive manner to ensure a level playing field for all political parties,� Philip Reeker, a US State Department spokesman, said. Viktor Yushchenko, a former Prime Minister and leader of the main opposition bloc Our Ukraine, said his party might challenge some of the results in court. His Our Ukraine won 112 seats, far less than the number of votes needed for a majority. However, the reformist credentials of Our Ukraine have also been questioned: the bloc contains a broad grouping of candidates, ranging from representatives of Russian big business and scandal-ridden politicians with ties to Mr Kuchma. Observers doubt that the opposition will create a united anti-Kuchma front. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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