Ukraine PM Resigns as Rivals Ready for New Year Party

Ukraine PM Resigns as Rivals Ready for New Year Party
Fri Dec 31, 2004 02:19 PM ET

By Ron Popeski

KIEV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukraine's Viktor Yanukovich said on Friday he was resigning as prime minister, though he refused to concede defeat in a presidential election, while the liberal winner of the poll prepared a momentous New Year celebration.

Yanukovich has denounced rival Viktor Yushchenko's victory in the re-run of last month's rigged election and has vowed to press on with legal challenges to overturn the outcome.

But in a televised New Year's address, he acknowledged the appeals to election authorities and the Supreme Court stood little chance of success.

"In view of this, there is no point in staying on as prime minister. The political role of the Yanukovich government as a factor of stability in the past year is all but exhausted," he said. "I have taken the formal decision to resign." The results of last Sunday's ballot, ordered by the Supreme Court, handed West-leaning Yushchenko an eight-point lead over Yanukovich, backed in the contest by Moscow.

The polls followed massive protests and a successful campaign to have an earlier election declared fraudulent.

Yanukovich had looked increasingly isolated without a power base or any sign of backing from voters in his stronghold in eastern Ukraine to keep fighting to overturn the outcome.

The Supreme Court rejected efforts to have the vote annulled on procedural grounds. The Central Election Commission, which has rejected several of his submissions, examined new arguments.

Yanukovich was initially declared winner of the original Nov. 21 run-off against Yushchenko, prompting huge street protests by his rival's supporters alleging mass fraud. The Supreme Court overturned the result.

NO PRESIDENTIAL DECREE

Parliament dismissed Yanukovich early this month, but he stayed in office as outgoing President Leonid Kuchma, who backed him in the earlier ballot, never signed the necessary decree.

Seated at a desk, the prime minister said he was the rightful winner of the original election.

"We are still fighting, but I do not have much hope for any decisions from the Central Election Commission or the Supreme Court," he said. He vowed to remain in politics but would take on no position "in a state under such an administration."

In Independence Square, the focus of the past weeks' "orange revolution" by protesters in Yushchenko's campaign colors, at least 100,000 were expected for festivities as Ukrainians appeared eager to put weeks of turmoil behind them.

Celebrations were to culminate in a midnight appearance by Yushchenko with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. The Georgian leader's landslide election victory after a "rose revolution" a year ago inspired many activists in Ukraine.

Saakashvili, who studied law in Kiev in the late Soviet years, toured the tent city of Yushchenko supporters in Kiev's main street, saying in commendable Ukrainian: "I felt again like a Kiev resident during your revolution."

Yushchenko and Saakashvili have frequently consulted since the Georgian leader led the revolt to topple veteran President Eduard Shevardnadze. Saakashvili also met Kuchma.

Yanukovich's lawyers pressed their case before the election commission, citing violations in regional voting jurisdictions.

The commission rejected the prime minister's case concerning the country as a whole Thursday, though that ruling could be contested again in the Supreme Court.

Yushchenko's team says the prime minister is wasting time.

Further challenges could come once the results are formally proclaimed. There is no indication when that will take place.

Canada, influential with its one million ethnic Ukrainians, pledged to help Yushchenko develop democratic institutions.

The European Union has offered similar wishes and the United States has said it hopes legal issues would soon be resolved.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, quick to congratulate Yanukovich on the tainted vote, has been silent this time. The protests have caused disquiet in other ex-Soviet states, where the opposition is weak.