Democracy triumphs in Ukraine

Yushchenko's supporters celebrate in the streets of Kiev Keystone

Viktor Yushchenko has been declared the winner of Ukraine’s presidential election, which was described by a Swiss observer as both “free and fair”.

Rudolf Von Rohr, one of 12,000 international observers who were on-hand at polling sites around the country, told swissinfo that all sides had acted in good faith.

Opposition leader Yushchenko won 52 per cent of the votes in a race against the incumbent prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych, who took 44 per cent. Turnout was 77 per cent.

Yanukovych was declared the winner in last month’s run-off vote, but his victory was overturned by the Supreme Court, which agreed with opposition charges that the election had been rigged in his favour.

swissinfo: Would you say that this latest round of voting conformed to international standards?

Rudolf Von Rohr: In my opinion, yes, it was free and fair. I have been in Ukraine since the beginning of September and can compare all three rounds of voting. The third one was definitely the best and did not have any serious problems. It was in accordance with the law.

swissinfo: What exactly was different this time around?

R.V.R.: The most important thing was that new election commissions were appointed and they were more professional than before. Also, at the polling stations there were new, smaller commissions, which were more transparent… This was very important.

Ultimately, in this round, the majority of people tried to do their best to avoid the bad experience of the second round. The Ukrainian people and officials wanted to show to the world, and to Europe in particular, that they could do it right and better than before.

swissinfo: The prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych, has said that he will contest the election result. How might such a move affect the outcome?

R.V.R.: State news quoted the head of Yanukovych’s campaign as saying that if Yushchenko took a ten per cent lead, the prime minister would concede victory and would not file a complaint. I think the prime minister will accept the victory of Viktor Yushchenko.

swissinfo: This election is likely to determine Ukraine’s relationship with the European Union and Russia. Has there been any indication as to how Moscow and other European capitals are likely to react to Yushchenko’s win?

R.V.R.: That’s a difficult question. In the first round, there was a lot of pressure from the Russian side. But following the reaction from central Europe and the United States, the Russian government changed its strategy. As a result, the latest round of voting saw less pressure and intervention from Russia.

On the other hand, I was surprised to see so many Canadian and US election observers on-hand.

swissinfo: Why did that surprise you?

R.V.R.: Ukraine is close to Europe and I asked myself why so many Americans and Canadians would be interested in this country. Perhaps the reason is that many Ukrainians emigrate to Canada and the US, so there are large constituencies of them there.

But there are also rumours circulating that the US has a strategic interest in Ukraine and maybe that explains why they sent so many observers here.

swissinfo: Many people see Ukraine as divided with voters in the east and south supporting Yanukovych and other areas, including Kiev, mainly backing Yushchenko. As the new president, can he unite the country and build stability?

R.V.R.: I think it is possible to bridge this divide and Yushchenko will be the type of leader who seeks compromise.

Since the second round of voting, there has been a perception, especially in the western media, that the country is split. But I think that after this election, the new president will find a way of unifying Ukraine.

swissinfo-interview: Anna Nelson

In brief

Ukraine’s pro-western, liberal challenger, Viktor Yushchenko, has won the country’s presidential election.

He beat Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych, in Sunday’s election.

Under Ukrainian law, the president can hold office for no more than two consecutive terms.

President Leonid Kuchma has served two terms since 1994.

Key facts

Ukraine is a former Soviet republic in central Europe bordered by Russia to the east.
Population: 48 million.
Ethnic breakdown: Ukrainians – 78%; Russians – 17%.