Ukraine Today - An Independent Political Review

Tymoshenko has withdrawn her legal challenge to the Ukrainian 2010 Presidential election paving the way for Yanukovych inauguration on February 25. Tymoshenko was never going to win the court battle and her allegation of corruption in the court process is another example of how one day she places her faith in the people of Ukraine and the system only to reject that faith when it is obvious she was not winning. Tymoshenko has suffered a loss as a result of her actions the question is to what extent. With February 25 out of the way and Yanukovych instead as President the next challenge she will face is a vote of no confidence in her government. A number of factors will come into play not the least that if fresh parliamentary elections are held Ukraine will once again enter into a period of instability and political campaigning.  many existing members of parliament will not be returned if fresh elections are held. Lytvyn runs the risk of falling believe the 3% representation t...

The Ukrainian Central Electoral Commission has officially declared Viktor Yanukovych the victor  of the 2010 Presidential election.  Under the provisions of Ukraine's constitution Yanukovych must be worn in as President within 30 days. Having won the election in October 2004 and lost the it in a re-run election in December that year Yanukovych will be given a chance to show the wold that he can act in the best interest of Ukraine. Yulia Tymoshenko's attempts to declare the election null and void will fail. Everyone is against her, the hardest thing she will find is that the OSCE and PACE backed by all the Exit Polls have confirmed the result and election as being fair and a true refection of the people of Ukraine. Will Tymoshenko seek to disrupt Yanukovych swearing in ceremony?  This is yet to be seen. The good news is that Ukraine has less then 30 days before Viktor Yushchenko is ousted form office.  He has been extraordinary quite of late with most people ...

The Ukrainian Central Electoral Commission had registered all polling places' results. The Commission has until February 17 to officially declare the results of the election and then within 30 days the president elect Viktor Yanukovych should be sworn into office as Ukraine's next President. Candidate Vote Percentage Victor Yanukovych 12,481,268 48.96% Yulia Tymoshenko 11,593,340 45.48% Against All 1,113,51 4.37% Informal  305,844 1.20% Total vote 25,493,503 Virtual Election map Click here to view

Victor Yanukovych, contender in the 2004 Presidential  election and former Prime-minister of Ukraine 2006-2007 has become President elect  winning over 48% of the national vote three percent more then his rival the hero of the Orange revolution Yulia Tymoshenko. If there is a villain in this election it was out-going disgraced president Viktor Yushchenko.  Yushchenko received only 5.45% of the vote in the first round of the presidential elections.  He is widely seen as a failed president who divided Ukraine and did not live up to expectations.  Yushchenko demonstrated the futility of the presidential system. His term of office will be remembered as a complete failure. If Tymoshenko has anyone to blame for her loss it is Yushchenko.  His inability to accept the will of the people and the majority opinion of his own political alliance was his downfall.  He espoused the words of democracy yet his policies and actions where far from democratic. ...

IN what tuned out to be a closer match then expected Viktor Yanukovych, former prime minister and presidential hopeful in the 2004 "Orange revolution" has won the 2010 Presidential election  by a 3% margin. As of 20:30 Vote Percentage Viktor Yanukovych 12,372,737 48.81% Yulia Tymoshenko 11,562,112 45.61% Against All 1,108,582 4.37% Informal 1.19% Participation 25,346,432 69.30% Turn out 2% more punters voted this round then in the first round event The  outcome was in line with exit polls closest margin and in spite various protests by Yulia Tymoshenko Yanukovych, runner up in the final 2004 contest  is expected to be declared the winner of the 2010 parade.  The conduct of the election has received the all important stamp of approval by the OSCE. There will not be a repeat of the events of 2004.  The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into to.  Any attempt to overturn the result will fail and will only cause m...

Victor Yanukoych's slender majority is not an absolute mandate he failed to break over the 50% threshold.   Tymoshenko's'  support is never the less impressive and indicates the extent that Ukraine is divided. Yanukovych must acknowledge the support given to Tymoshenko's candidacy and reconsider his policy of confrontation and the proposed dismissal of Ukraine's parliament.  He must make every effort to find common ground and to once again join Tymoshenko at the negotiating table and seek a strategic alliance that is in Ukraine's best interest. Yanukovych has a limited mandate only.   He can only claim the right to represent 33% of Ukraine (48% of 69%). In making a conciliatory jester Tymoshenko must also concede the election which all the exit polls had  confirmed Yanukovych's slender win. With Yushchenko removed from office there is hope.  Hope that Ukraine can find a way forward without another round of elections and ongoing political conf...

Ukraine goes to the polls today. Voting had commenced first in Australia and then Japan as it sweept the globe, the Russian continent and Asia.  Next comes Ukraine where the bulk of the votes will be cast followed by Poland, Turkey, Europe, England then Canada and the USA. Polling opens 8:00AM and closes 6:00PM (Local time) Exit polls giving an indication of the first results are expected to be released by 8:00PM

It may be frustrating and at times boring but the Ukrainian 2010 Presidential parade never ceases to amaze. Ever since 2004 when Viktor Yushchenko was crowned head clown in a blaze of orange the world has look on and watched a state it its making.  More exciting the formation of galaxies or the explosion of a quasar star and the birth of a black hole.  Viktor Yushchenko who once held the support of 52% of the nation lost in the first round elimination parade and only managed to secure 5.45% support. A team of would be spoiler candidates stood against him making sure he would not be a final contender. Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine's Prime Minister and version of Evita "Don't die for me Ukrainiana"  versus Viktor Yanukovych,  back to the future "return of the dark horse villain". Most Cossackwood watchers and critics  have already awarded the event to the " Dark horse " who has odds less then  three to one.  Even the attention seeking antics of Ukr...

Ukraine's outgoing President Viktor Yushchenko has signed the new law on the Presidential election and a hysterical struggle for power has played out with Tymoshenko trying to prevent the publication of the law by commanding the Government printing presses in a desperate pathetic attempt to prevent the promulgation of the law. The basis for Tymoshenko's opposition on the new law is questionable as is her reaction.  The issue of concern over the quorum requirements only comes into effect if she and her party are planning on disrupting the election by not attending meetings and fulfilling their obligations. It only becomes an issue if Tymoshenko does not participate.  She is not being denied the right of representation. Tymoshenko's is being hysterical and is losing international respect at a fast rate of knots.  Party of Regions and the Parliament is not at fault in supporting this change. Tymoshenko's latest hysterics and call for a new Maidan is a cover up for he...

This latest gaff of Tymoshenko's has ruled her out of contention.  Three days before the final parade the clown will not go on. Instead of facing the audience she has walked off the set.  She can not make a comeback and may even have to give up her role in the other show. There is no logic or justification for the primadonna stunt she has tried to pull other then the fact that she knows she can not win. Even Yushchenko who was in a unwinnable position from  the start did not admit defeat before the first round ballot.   The Presidential circus parade  has cost over one billion dollars to stage. Yanukovych was criticized for not participating in the the lead up parade and now Tymoshenko is refusing to go on and participate in the final parade.  She did the same thing in Ternopil when she pulled out of that race. In the process she has betrayed not only those who supported her but Ukraine.  She will not be able to recover from this latest disas...

Ukraine's incumbent Prime-minister and candidate for the president Yulia Tymoshenko has admitted defeat and declared the election is over . Faced with knowing that she has lost the campaign she has embarked on another display of Yuilaism where she has sought to blame things that have nothing to do with her failure to win the election as the reason for her loss. She failed to win confidence of the Ukrainian people,  her antics today will  only reduce her standing. The amendments to the law on elections reduced the quota required to hold meetings of the regional election committees.  This is not a big deal and was deemed necessary to prevent misuse and abuse by political factions/candidate representatives walking out knowing that their candidate had lost the election.  A lower quorum does not prevent her or her team from attending meetings or fulfilling their duties. Tymoshenko is using this latest change as an excuse to justify her loss as she has been makin...

Weather outlook for Kyiv Sunday February 7   Day Snow High 1°C Precip 70% Last Updated Monday, Feb 1, 8:41 AM Local Time

In just Seven days time Ukraine will go to the polls in what is their fourth national ballot since Viktor Yushchenko took office. Yushchenko having lost in the first round vote is now engaged in a campaign of revenge and has offered his support to his past rival Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych remains in poll position and is most likely to win next week’s final ballot. At the end of the first round ballot held on January 17, Yanukovych on 35.32% was 10 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival current Prime Minister and heroine of the Orange revolution Yulia Tymoshenko. The decision as who will win the final ballot will be determined by the second choice vote of 36% who supported other minor candidates. The turn out on January 17 was also at the lower end of expectation and an additional 5-7 million Ukrainians (20%) could be motivated to cast a ballot in the final round. Expectation is that Tymoshenko will fall short by 5% points. Early results will show just how close it rea...

The first round ballot results show Viktor Yanukovych, leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, with 35.33% leading Yulia Tymoshenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine, who is on 25.05%. Yanukovych has a lead of 10.28% over Tymoshenko both will face off in a second round ballot scheduled for February 7, 2010. In order to win the election Yulia Tymoshenko would need to pick up two out of every three alternative " secondary " votes from minor candidates supported in the first round ballot. This is a huge task and is unlikely to be achieved as a number of defeated minor candidates including Viktor Yushchenko and Anatoliy Hrytsenko have indicated that will be advocating that their supporters vote "Against All" in the second ballot. Every additional vote for  "Against All"  option is effectively a vote for Yanukovych as it will make it that much harder for Tymoshenko to breach the 10.4% gap. Click here to view the Virtual Electoral Map

At just overt 50.36% of the polling places counted: (11021832 votes) Candidate 50% Counted Viktor Yanukovych 36.75% Yulia Tymoshenko 24.47% Serhiy Tihipko 13.05% Arseniy Yatsenyuk 6.79% Viktor Yushchenko 4.85% Petro Symonenko 3.67% Volodymyr Lytvyn 2.43% Against all 2.23% Oleh Tyahnybok 1.30% Anatoliy Hrytsenko 1.17% Inna Bohoslovska 0.43% Oleksandr Moroz 0.42% Yuriy Kostenko 0.22% Liudmyla Suprun 0.19% Vasyl Protyvsikh 0.17% Oleksandr Pabat 0.14% Serhiy Ratushnyak 0.13% Mykhailo Brodskiy 0.06% Oleh Riabokon 0.03% Progressive Election Results Click here to view

Click here to view Our Virtual Map is up and running and we hope to update it every 30 minuets. Update: 44.18% counted

The Democratic Initiative a US funded think tank update National Exit Poll data as of 23:00 of the results of voting by the constituents of Ukraine on January 17, 2010: Candidate Democratic Initiative National Exit Poll Viktor Yanukovych 31.3% Yulia Tymoshenko 27.1% Serhiy Tihipko 13.4% Arseniy Yatsenyuk 7.8% Viktor Yushchenko 6.0% Petro Symonenko 2.7% Volodymyr Lytvyn 2.4% Oleh Tyahnybok 2.1% Anatoliy Hrytsenko 1.6% Oleksandr Moroz 0.5% Inna Bohoslovska 0.4% Serhiy Ratushnyak 0.2% Liudmyla Suprun 0.2% Yuriy Kostenko 0.2% Vasyl Protyvsikh 0.1% Oleksandr Pabat 0.1% Oleh Riabokon 0.1% Mykhailo Brodskiy 0.0% Against all 2.8% The National Exit Poll 2010 Consortium is made up of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) and the Oleksandr Raz...

Summary of exit polls Candidate Research & Branding Ukrainian Institute of Social Studies ICTV Savik Shuster Studio Inter TV channel Viktor Yanukovych 37.7% 34.7% 35.0% 34.7% 36.6% Yulia Tymoshenko 26.1% 24.8% 25.7% 25.0% 25.8% Serhiy Tihipko 11.6% 11.5% 13.4% 13.2% 13.5% Arseniy Yatsenyuk 7.9% 8.9% 6.9% 7.1% 6.6% Viktor Yushchenko 5.1% 5.4% 5.6% 5.8% 5.2% Petro Symonenko 3.0% 3.1% 3.2% 3.0% 3.2% Volodymyr Lytvyn 2.1% 2.2% 2.3% 2.5% 2.0%

It is over. Ukraine has spoken and in doing so had sounded a strong rejection to President Victor Yushchenko's polices of divisions and destabilization, ending his five years of terror and betrayal of democratic values. It cost over one billion dollars and still is not yet over, but the first round of voting in the Presidential election has delivered Ukraine a massive victory and a sound defeat for Yushchenko. The results of the exit polls reflect early predictions and the 2007 Parliamentary results. Victor Yanukovych leads the race with 34.7-37.7% of the vote followed by Yulia Tymoshenko with 24.8-26.1% In what was seen as a referendum on Victor Yushchenko's term of office Yushchenko has only managed to return 5.1-5.8%. The first round was not even close. Our Ukraine failed to win support, Yushchenko was never in a position to come close to out polling Yulia Tymoshenko. Combined Our Ukraine only just held on to their 12% to 14% they won in the 2006/2007 election. Whilst it ...

Polling has opened in Ukraine to elect Ukraine's next head of state in what has been touted as being a referendum on incumbent Viktor Yushehnko's last five years since the events of 2004 Orange Revolution Viktor Yushchenko has seventeen candidates, four from his own political faction, running against him.  Yushchenko is expected to lose in the first round of voting with his rival Viktor Yanukovych and Yulia Tymoshenko making to the second round of voting scheduled for February 7, 2010. Polling closes at 6:00PM tonight and first exit polls are expected to be announced at 8:00PM