Compromise Is Reached on Procedures for New Vote
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KIEV, Ukraine – Ukraine’s political rivals agreed early today on legislation to ensure a fair vote during the rerun later this month of the fraud-ridden presidential runoff but remained divided on constitutional amendments trimming presidential powers.
In addition to supporting changes in election laws, outgoing President Kuchma agreed to change the Central Election Commission, which was accused of covering up rampant fraud during the November 21 runoff.
Yesterday, Mr. Kuchma and President Putin of Russia had said they would abide by the results of the new election, removing major question marks surrounding the December 26 rematch. The vote was ordered by the Supreme Court, which last week struck down the election commission decision that Kremlin-backed Prime Minister Yanukovich won the runoff.
“Of course we will…accept the will of any nation in the former Soviet space, and will work with any elected leader,” Mr. Putin said during a state visit to Turkey.
Mr. Yanukovich emerged from seclusion and declared he was confident of victory. Mr. Kuchma had supported Mr. Yanukovich in the runoff against Western-leaning opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko but has distanced himself from the prime minister over the past two weeks as protesters swarmed the capital.
Today’s agreement on electoral law changes was reached during six-hour talks involving Mr. Kuchma and the two candidates and brokered by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, the president of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, and the president of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski.
Mr. Kuchma emerged from the talks after midnight and said the parties had failed to reach agreement on his initiative to push through constitutional reform to transfer some powers from the presidency to Parliament.
Mr. Yushchenko had opposed the constitutional changes, saying that Mr. Kuchma and his allies want to weaken the presidency, fearing his victory in the election rematch with Mr. Yanukovich.
However, just before the talks, Mr. Yushchenko’s allies in Parliament reached a tentative agreement with pro-government lawmakers to approve changes in the electoral laws and the constitutional amendments on presidential powers simultaneously today.
The later announcement appeared to indicate that the deal was in trouble and could collapse when it comes to a vote. Mr. Yushchenko had refused to support such a compromise when it was raised in Parliament on Saturday.
The agreement also called for the lifting of the opposition blockade of government buildings after the approval of electoral changes in Parliament. Tens of thousands of Mr. Yushchenko’s supporters have besieged official buildings in Kiev for nearly two weeks, paralyzing the government’s work.
The talks were held at the presidential Mariinsky palace, which was surrounded by Mr. Yushchenko’s supporters who shouted: “Down with Kuchma!”
In his remarks, Mr. Putin warned against foreign interference in the new ballot and suggested the opposition was seeking power at any price. He left open how Russia – which considers this nation of 48 million people part of its sphere of influence – would deal with a Yushchenko government.
On the streets of the Ukrainian capital, opposition demonstrators countered Mr. Putin’s warning with an appeal of their own, unveiling a 200-footlong petition – inscribed on a roll of cloth in the opposition’s trademark color of orange – urging the Russian leader to stay out of Ukrainian affairs.
“Putin has his own country to rule,” said Yura Shtoiko,28, a supporter of Mr. Yushchenko.
Mr. Kuchma sought to defuse tensions, saying in televised remarks that he is ready for “further steps to ease the absolutely baseless tension in society.”
In his first public comment since the court decision, Mr. Yanukovich told supporters he had appointed a new campaign chief and would reshuffle his regional campaign headquarters.