Election-reform laws blocked in Ukraine

By Anna Melnichuk
The Associated Press

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KIEV, Ukraine — Supporters of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko lost a round to their foes in parliament yesterday when pro-government lawmakers helped block legal changes intended to prevent fraud in the Dec. 26 repeat of the country's presidential runoff vote.

Yushchenko had been hoping for quick approval of a raft of bills that would amend election laws and reshuffle the election commission, which the opposition accused of covering up fraud in the initial runoff, held Nov. 21. The opposition says the changes are needed to ensure the new vote is fair.

But the package was blocked when a compromise agreement fell apart and the parliament adjourned for 10 days without passing the legislation. However, the two sides continue to talk and legislators could reconvene sooner.

Communists, socialists and pro-government factions in parliament had promised to back the legislation in exchange for the opposition's support of a constitutional reform bill that would transfer some of the president's powers to parliament.

Yushchenko's supporters objected to the proposed changes, insisting instead that the parliament vote on electoral amendments now and consider the constitutional reforms after the presidential rerun.

"Combining electoral changes and constitutional reform is legally illiterate," said lawmaker Yulia Tymoshenko, a fiery Yushchenko ally. "We must first create legal conditions for holding elections. No one in the world passes constitutional changes in a rush."

Socialist leader Oleksandr Moroz accused Yushchenko of reneging on his promise. "No one is going to win from reneging on the agreement," Moroz said.

Wednesday's compromise agreement, which was sponsored by EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana, Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and other mediators, called for parliament to vote for the electoral and constitutional changes all at once.

Outgoing President Leonid Kuchma, who decided not to run after 10 years in office, called for a new round of European-mediated talks with the opposition tomorrow.
 
The jockeying for position came as the opposition celebrated its court victory, confident Yushchenko can beat Prime Minster Viktor Yanukovych if a fair runoff is held.

Yanukovych's spokeswoman yesterday brushed aside rumors that he would not compete in the rescheduled runoff. Some analysts had said it was possible Kuchma, who had designated Yanukovych as his successor, believed his prime minister could not win a fair election and would try to push him aside for a better candidate.

"There's no other way but to participate and win," Yanukovych spokeswoman Anna Herman said.

Buoyed by a momentous Supreme Court ruling a day earlier that ordered the new vote, Yushchenko's supporters vowed yesterday to force parliament to adopt the legislation by continuing their marathon protest in Kiev's central square.

Yushchenko told thousands of supporters gathered in Independence Square that government foes were trying to trim presidential powers, fearing his victory.

"They realized that they aren't going to win, so they decided to make constitutional changes to revise presidential powers," Yushchenko said.

"Despite Christmas, the international community must ensure strong observers' presence," he said at the rally. "That will be the day that will determine Ukraine's fate for decades and centuries ahead."

Yushchenko's supporters maintained a blockade of government buildings, and thousands massed outside the parliament building, breaking into regular chants of "Yushchenko!"

Dmytro Klishevych, 27, waved a Ferrari flag. "I want the victory to be as fast as a Ferrari," he said as thousands milled about, waving flags and posing for photographs.

Activists vowed to keep up the giant tent camp and continue besieging official buildings until Kuchma fires Yanukovych from his prime minister's post and electoral changes become law.

Anna Ponova, who has lived in the tent camp for 10 days, said supporters would await word from Yushchenko about how long to remain encamped.

"If he wants us to stay until victory, we'll stay," she said.