A Christmas Miracle in Ukraine
Monday, December 27, 2004
Western leaning Ukrainian opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko claimed victory today. With 99.5% of the vote counted, Yushchenko appeared in Kiev’s Independence Square today to make his victory speech. Yushchenko currently holds a 52% to 44% lead over Yanukovych, the candidate preferred by Russian President, Putin. In his speech, Yushchenko said, "The people proved their power. They rebelled against probably the most cynical regime in eastern Europe."
The Presidential election held in November was clearly fraudulent.
The Presidential election held in November was clearly fraudulent. Ukrainian traditions for fraudulent elections are different from the US. On the opposition’s side, Protesters took to the streets for two weeks of mass protest. The pro-Russian, traditionalist Yanukovych supporters responded by poisoning Yushchenko and nearly killing him, and kidnapped Yushchenko’s kitten.
he desperately wanted to get home for Christmas.
Yushchenko’s kitten Markov, 7 months, spent a grueling 3 weeks in the hands of Eastern supporters. Finally, ten days ago, Markov took his chances on an escape and began the grueling walk from Chernihiv back to Kiev in the cruel Ukrainian winter. Markov suffered many bitter defeats on the way to Ukraine before finally being taken in by a kindly sugar beet farmer. While Markov was indebted to the farmer, he desperately wanted to get home for Christmas. Markov knew he had to press on for the sake of the election.
Finally, on the 24th, the kitten pulled itself up to the doorstep of Yuchchenko’s Kiev headquarters, just in time for both his first Christmas and the election. After suffering the elements, Little Markov looked half starved and bedraggled, much like Teresa Kerry on the eve of the US presidential election. Ironically, Markov didn’t know that most Ukrainians don’t celebrate Christmas until the 7th of January.
