Candidate Calls for Fair Play in Runoff

Tens of thousands of supporters of Viktor Yushchenko, a Western-oriented liberal facing Ukraine’s prime minister in a tense presidential runoff election Nov. 21, thronged Kiev’s main square to hear him call on authorities to play by the rules.

Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, backed by Russia, each finished last week’s balloting with about 40% support. Each accused the other of cheating or plotting to subvert the first-round of the election, which Western observers said fell far short of acceptable standards.

“How many people here saw a fair election?” Yushchenko asked the crowd in Independence Square. No one raised a hand. “There was manipulation at every polling station.”