Ukraine parliament fails to endorse electoral changes
Ukraine’s parliament today failed to approve changes to electoral laws that the opposition wanted to prevent official fraud in a rerun of a presidential election later this month.
The legislature adjourned for 10 days without passing a package of bills that would amend election laws, reshuffle the central election commission and make other changes, to ensure fair balloting in the December 26 revote.
The communists and pro-government factions had promised to vote for the package in exchange for the opposition’s support for a constitutional reform bill that would trim president’s powers.
But the compromise deal collapsed after supporters of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko said they would only consider the constitutional changes after the December 26 vote.
On Friday the disputed presidential election was declared void by the Supreme Court.
The court handed a major victory to opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko by cancelling last month’s vote between him and his Kremlin-backed rival, sending opposition supporters into jubilant celebrations.
The decision was also a massive slap to Russia, which had strongly supported prime minister Viktor Yanukovych, fearing Ukraine would tilt further to the West under Yushchenko.
