Orange_Revolution Orange_Revolution

Orange Revolution - Definition and Overview
Related Words: Accommodation, Adaptation, Alteration, Anarchism, Anarchy, Antinomianism, Apostasy, Beat, Bowling, Break, Capsize, Cataclysm, Centrifugation
Orange-clad supporters of Viktor Yushchenko gather in Independence Square in Kiev.

Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" of 2004-2005 was a series of protests and political events that took place throughout the country in response to allegations of massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud during Ukraine's Presidential Run-off Election of November 21, 2004 (November 2004 Ukrainian presidential election), as reported by numerous domestic and foreign observers. The run-off was called to give one of the two finalists of the presidential election held on October 31 a clear mandate to become the country's third president since its 1991 independence following the demise of the Soviet Union. Orange was adopted by the protesters as the official color of the movement because it was the predominant color in opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko's election campaign during his run for president.

Sometimes called the Chestnut Revolution due to the chestnut trees in Kiev — the capital city of Ukraine and center of the revolution which included a large tent city—the action was highlighted by a series of nationwide protests, sit-ins, and planned general strikes, organized by supporters of opposition candidate Yushchenko following the disputed results of the November 21 run-off election.

Due in large part to the movement's efforts, the results of the original run-off were annulled and a second run-off election was ordered by Ukraine's Supreme Court for December 26. Under intense international scrutiny, the official results of the second run-off proved to be virtually problem-free, legally valid and clearly in Yuschenko's favor. He was declared the official winner and with his inauguration on January 23, 2005 in Kiev, the Orange Revolution reached its successful and peaceful conclusion.

Contents
1 The Protests
2 Yushchenko
3 Internal security during election unrest
4 Background
5 See also
6 External links
7 Sources

The Protests

"Glory to Great Stalin, Putin", an Ukrainian poster in the time of the "Orange Revolution", showing president of Russia Vladimir Putin dressed in a NKVD uniform.

Protests began the day after the second round of voting in the contest between incumbent prime minister Viktor Yanukovych and opposition candidate Yushchenko, when official returns differed markedly from exit polling results; exit polls gave Yushchenko up to an 11% lead, while official results gave the election to Yanukovych by 3%. Yanukovych supporters have claimed that Yushchenko's connections to the Ukrainian media explain this disparity. Meanwhile, Yushchenko supporters and many foreign observers alleged electoral fraud to favor the government-backed Yanukovych.

Beginning on November 23, 2004, massive protests began in cities across Ukraine: one in Kiev's Independence Square attracted an estimated 500,000 participants, who peacefully marched in front of the headquarters of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, many wearing orange or carrying orange flags, the color of Yushchenko's campaign coalition. Kiev, Lviv, and several other cities refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the election returns that day, and Yushchenko took a symbolic oath of office.

Yushchenko

Although Yushchenko entered into negotiations with President Leonid Kuchma in an effort to peacefully resolve the situation, the negotiations broke down on November 24, 2004. After Yanukovych was officially certified as the victor, Yushchenko spoke to supporters in Kiev that morning, urging them to begin an "Orange Revolution" of general strikes and sit-ins with the intent of crippling the government and forcing them to concede defeat:

A path to a compromise through people demonstrating their will is the only path that will help us find a way out of this conflict. Therefore, the committee of national salvation declares a nationwide political strike.

On December 3, 2004, Ukraine's Supreme Court agreed with Yushchenko's allegations and cast a non-binding Vote of no confidence, unofficially invalidating the results of the second election and breaking the political deadlock. The declaration triggered a night of ecstatic street celebrations in Kiev. A third round of elections was scheduled and took place on December 26, 2004. Yushchenko was declared official winner on December 28, 2004.

Additionally, the parliament was scheduled to amend laws to provide a legal framework for the new round as well as a new government.

Internal security during election unrest

On November 28, 2004 over 10,000 IM (Internal Ministry) troops mobilized to put down the protests in Independence Square in Kiev according to their commander Lt. Gen. Sergei Popkov. The SBU (Ukrainian Security Service, successor to KGB) warned opposition leaders of the crackdown. Oleksandev Galaka, head of GRU (military intelligence) made calls to "prevent bloodshed". Col. Gen. Ihor P. Smesko (SBU chief) and Maj. Gen. Vitaly Romanchenko (military counter-intelligence chief) both warned Popkov to pull back his troops, which he did. Senior officers known as the siloviki were successful in preventing election fraud, bloodshed and possibly averted civil war.

Background


Orange_ribbon,Ukraine_presidential_elections_2004.png
Image:Orange ribbon,Ukraine presidential elections 2004.png


Orange ribbon, a symbol of solidarity with Yushchenko's movement in Ukraine

The symbol of solidarity with Yushchenko's movement in Ukraine is an orange ribbon or a flag bearing his "Tak! Yushchenko!" slogan. The Orange Revolution builds on a pattern first developed in the ousting of Slobodan Milošević in Serbia and continuing with the Rose Revolution in Georgia. Each of these victories, though apparently spontaneous, was the result of extensive grassroots campaigning and coalition building among the opposition. Each included election victories followed up by public demonstrations after attempts by the incumbent to hold onto power.

Each of these social movements included extensive work by student activists. The most famous of these was Otpor, the young people's movement that helped bring in Vojislav Kostunica in Serbia. In Georgia the movement was called Kmara. A so far unsuccessful movement in Belarus is named Zubr. In Ukraine the movement has worked under the succinct slogan Pora— "It's Time".

Activists in each of these movements were funded and trained in tactics of political organization and nonviolent resistance by a coalition of Western pollsters and professional consultants funded by a range of Western government and non-government agencies. According to The Guardian, these include the U.S. State Department and US AID along with the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, Freedom House NGO and billionaire George Soros's Open Society Institute. Writings on nonviolent struggle by Gene Sharp formed the strategic basis of these student campaigns.

See also

External links

Sources


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