Do the street protests make the politics in Ukraine?

On Tuesday, some protesters forced through barriers at the parliament, massing near the door in frustration at the chamber's failure to consider motions to sack Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, the pro-Russian candidate declared official winner of the &to= english.pravda.ru/cis/2001/09/03/14124.html ' target=_blank>presidential poll. The opposition, which insists Yushchenko was cheated of victory in the November 21 ballot, pulled out of talks with authorities in favour of "People Power" and demanded a new election on December 12. U.S. President George W. Bush called on Tuesday for a peaceful resolution to the crisis, which has triggered mass street protests and threatened to tear the former Soviet republic apart. Bush said he had spoken by phone to Polish President &to= english.pravda.ru/politics/2001/10/15/18130.html ' target=_blank>Aleksander Kwasniewski, one of the international mediators trying to broker a way out of a standoff that has paralysed government and is beginning to hit Ukraine's economy. "It's very important that violence not break out there, and it's important that the will of the people be heard," Bush told a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin in Ottawa. Outgoing President Leonid Kuchma, who has warned the economy could collapse, was due to meet officials on Wednesday to consider measures to stabilise the financial markets, informs Reuters. According to the Boston News, Ukraine's political opposition dug in its heels in Kiev's frigid central square yesterday, rejecting an offer of the prime minister's job from the declared winner of the disputed presidential election and withdrawing from talks aimed at reaching a compromise. The election dispute sparked a struggle at &to= english.pravda.ru/cis/2001/12/21/24212.html ' target=_blank>Ukraine's parliament, with throngs of opposition supporters trying to storm inside after lawmakers tentatively approved a resolution that would cancel Saturday's nonbinding decision to declare the election results invalid. Protesters -- some crawling on each other's shoulders -- got as far as the lobby before police pushed them back. The government, which is supported by powerful neighbor Russia, pushed ahead with offers that sought to placate or isolate Ukraine's popular opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, who favors closer ties with the West. The talks were launched last week under the mediation of European Union foreign policy chief &to= english.pravda.ru/hotspots/2001/06/09/7408.html ' target=_blank>Javier Solana and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. President Bush, visiting Canada, said Kwasniewski's delegation will try ''to encourage the parties to reject violence and to urge the parties to engage in dialogue toward a political and legal solution to the current crisis."

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