Presidential election of 2004 Viktor Yushchenko

viktor yushchenko (first round) – percentage of total national vote



pro-orange revolution demonstration in brussels, belgium

in 2004, president kuchma s term came end, yushchenko announced candidacy president independent. major rival prime minister viktor yanukovych. since term prime minister, yushchenko had modernized political platform, adding social partnership , other liberal slogans older ideas of european integration, including ukraine s joining nato , fighting corruption. supporters of yushchenko organized in syla narodu ( power people ) electoral coalition, , political allies led, our ukraine coalition main constituent force.

yushchenko built campaign on face-to-face communication voters, since government prevented major tv channels providing equal coverage candidates. meanwhile, rival, yanukovych, appeared in news , accused yushchenko, father red army soldier imprisoned @ auschwitz, of being nazi, though yushchenko actively reached out jewish community in ukraine , mother said have risked life hiding 3 jewish girls 1 , half years during second world war.

dioxin poisoning

yushchenko @ university of amsterdam, chloracne tcdd dioxin poisoning (2006).

the campaign bitter , violent. yushchenko became ill in september 2004. flown vienna s rudolfinerhaus clinic treatment , diagnosed acute pancreatitis, accompanied interstitial edematous changes, due serious viral infection , chemical substances not found in food products. yushchenko claimed had been poisoned government agents. after illness, face disfigured: jaundiced, bloated, , pockmarked.

british toxicologist professor john henry of st mary s hospital in london declared changes in yushchenko s face due chloracne, results dioxin poisoning. dutch toxicologist bram brouwer stated changes in appearance result of chloracne, , found dioxin levels in yushchenko s blood 6,000 times above normal.

on december 11, dr. michael zimpfer of rudolfinerhaus clinic declared yushchenko had ingested tcdd dioxin , had 1,000 times usual concentration in body. not in medical community agreed diagnosis, including clinic s own chief medical director, dr. lothar wicke, stated there no evidence of poisoning other severe chloracne visible on yushchenko s face, , claimed have been forced resign because of disagreement. wicke claimed have been threatened yushchenko s associates. wicke s claims led question yushchenko s truthfulness , motives.

many have linked yushchenko s poisoning dinner group of senior ukrainian officials (including volodymyr satsyuk) took place on 5 september.

since 2005, yushchenko has been treated team of doctors led professor jean saurat @ university of geneva hospital. analysis of yushchenko s body fluids , tissues provided useful information on human toxicokinetics of tcdd , metabolites.

in june 2008, david zhvania, former political ally of yushchenko, discredited agent of moscow , ex-minister in first tymoshenko government, claimed in interview bbc yushchenko had not been poisoned in 2004 , laboratory results in case had been falsified.

yushchenko himself implicated david zhvania, godfather of 1 of children, of involvement in dioxin poisoning.

in august 2009, lancet published scientific paper swiss , ukrainian researchers on monitoring, form, distribution, , elimination of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (tcdd) in yushchenko in relation severe poisoning. 2004 tcdd levels in yushchenko s blood serum 50,000-fold greater in general population. new study concluded dioxin pure made in laboratory .

on september 27, 2009 yushchenko said in interview aired on channel 1+1 testimony of 3 men @ dinner in 2004 @ believes poisoned crucial finishing investigation, , claimed these men in russia. ukrainian prosecutors said russia has refused extradite 1 of men, former deputy chief of ukraine s security service, volodymyr satsyuk, because holds both russian , ukrainian citizenship. after arriving in russia satsyuk granted russian citizenship protecting him extradition.

unprecedented 3 rounds of voting

the initial vote, held on october 31, 2004, saw yushchenko obtain 39.87% of vote, ahead of opponent yanukovych 39.32%. because neither candidate reached 50% majority required outright victory, second round of run-off voting held on november 21, 2004. although 75% voter turnout recorded, observers reported many irregularities , abuses across country, such organized multiple voting , votes yanukovych after polls closed. exit poll results put yushchenko ahead in western , central provinces of country, , 1 poll gave him 11% margin of victory. however, final official result 3% margin of victory yanukovych.

the allegations of electoral fraud , discrepancy between exit polls , final tally prompted yushchenko , supporters refuse recognize results.

after thirteen days of massive popular protests in kiev , other ukrainian cities became known orange revolution, supreme court overturned election results , ordered re-vote of run-off election december 26. yushchenko proclaimed victory opposition , declared confidence elected @ least 60% of vote. did win re-vote of second round, 52% of vote.