Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=11/24/2004

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=UKRAINE ELECTION ASSESSMENT (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-320666

BYLINE=BARRY WOOD

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

HEADLINE: Washington Panel Assesses Ukraine Crisis

INTRO: As the Ukrainian crisis deepened Wednesday, with both sides in Sunday's disputed presidential election claiming victory, a non-government research institute in Washington with close ties to the Bush administration brought together several experts to discuss the situation. VOA's Barry Wood reports.

TEXT: The gathering was organized by Radek Sikorski, a former Polish politician who heads the American Enterprise Institute's East European program. Recently returned from Kiev, Mr. Sikorski says a revolution is under way in Ukraine. The forum opened with a phone call from Kiev, where member of parliament Roman Zwarych said 700 thousand people are on the streets demanding that opposition leader Viktor Yuschenko be declared the winner. Mr. Zwarych, an adviser to Mr. Yuschenko, said the crisis is escalating.

/// ZWARYCH ACT ///

"We (also) have several military divisions throughout the country who in all intents and purposes have thrown their support to Mr. Yuschenko."

/// END ACT ///

Amid fears that Russia could intervene in Ukraine, Dan Fried, President Bush's principal aide for Europe, told the AEI meeting of the numerous reports of voter fraud and urged the Ukrainian authorities to delay certifying the election result. Less than three hours later, Ukraine's election commission certified that pro-government candidate Viktor Yanukovych won the election. Mr. Fried says while there are limitations on what the United States can do, it can do something.

/// FRIED ACT ///

"What we want and what we can achieve are not always the same. In the first place we can achieve clarity and not a diplomatic muddle. We can achieve clarity about what this is about. This is about democracy and civil society and the Ukrainian people standing up for themselves and the principle of democracy."

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Yanukovych's candidacy was backed both by Ukraine's hard-line outgoing president and, controversially, by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, an AEI scholar and former U.S. national security adviser, said the Bush administration must tell Russia what the consequences will be if it intervenes in Ukraine. Mr. Brzezinski adds the Ukrainian struggle for democracy has huge implications for Russia.

/// BRZEZINSKI ACT ///

"If Ukrainian democracy prevails Russia has no choice but to go to the West and be a democracy. If Ukrainian democracy fails Russian imperial ambitions will be awakened."

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Brzezinski has no doubt that this is an historic turning point for the Ukrainian people.

/// 2nd BRZEZINSKI ACT ///

(What is happening) "It is the wedding of Ukrainian nationalism with Ukrainian democracy on a popular level. And that is a dramatic moment in the history of a nation of almost 50 million people."

/// END ACT ///

Oleksandr Potiekhin, a Ukrainian diplomat in Washington, says over 200 Ukrainian diplomats are protesting election fraud, a real sign of the changes taking place in Ukraine.

/// POTIEKHIN ACT ///

"(The) Foreign ministry (in Kiev) is in a state of revolution. It is the first ministry that has practically changed its alliance from (the) criminal regime of (Ukrainian president) Leonid Kuchma and his successor appointed by Mr. Kuchma, Mr. Yanukovych. We are with the Ukrainian people. We are with Mr. Yuschenko today."

/// END ACT ///

There was that little doubt among participants that democracy is at stake in Ukraine and that the outcome of the current struggle has significant implications for all of Europe. (SIGNED)

NEB/BDW/KL/FC