Western countries want Yushchenko to be a president

Ukraine's Central Elections Commission declared Prime Minister &to= port.pravda.ru/main/2004/11/23/6583.html ' target=_blank>Viktor Yanukovych the winner of the country's bitterly disputed presidential vote Wednesday, defying strong pressure from the United States and other Western countries. In response, opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko called for a national strike starting Thursday. Following the commission's ruling that Yanukovych won 49.46 percent of the vote to 46.61 percent for Yushchenko, rhetoric from both camps escalated, with each accusing the other of planning a coup. Hundreds of thousands of opposition supporters remained in the streets, pressing their claim that Yanukovych stole the election. Smaller numbers of Yanukovych supporters also arrived in the city. Government remained largely paralyzed Wednesday in the former Soviet republic of 48 million people, where democracy has found infertile soil since independence in 1991. Ukraine has sided with the United States in sending troops to Iraq; at the same time U.S. officials have criticized the government of President Leonid Kuchma, saying it uses strong-arm tactics against opponents. Speaking after the election commission issued its official finding, Secretary of State &to= english.pravda.ru/main/2002/01/21/25886.html ' target=_blank>Colin Powell told reporters in Washington, "We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of &to= english.pravda.ru/columnists/2002/08/01/33649.html ' target=_blank>fraud and abuse , informs Detroit News. According to Reuters, Ukraine's opposition on Thursday takes its campaign to overturn a presidential election result they say was tainted by fraud to the railways and the shop floor by trying to organize a country-wide strike. Viktor Yushchenko, who says he was cheated out of the presidency, called for the stoppage after election officials defied calls by Western countries and declared Moscow-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich the winner. Outgoing President Leonid Kuchma, who backed Yanukovich in the campaign, warned Ukraine could plunge into civil war and urged the West to stay out of the country's affairs.

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