{{date|November 25, 2004}}
{{missing image|Image:Orange revolution kyiv.jpg|thumb|Orange-clad supporters of Viktor Yushchenko gather in Independence Square in Kiev}}

[[Image:Ukraine ElectionsMap Nov2004.png|thumb|Voting results by region]]

== Background ==
In [[Ukraine]], a dead heat in the October 31 election between current Prime Minister [[Viktor Yanukovych]] and former Prime Minister [[Viktor Yushchenko]] resulted in a runoff election on November 21. The runoff was plagued with allegations of large-scale voter fraud, particularly in the oblasts (regions) of [[w:Donetsk Oblast|Donetsk]], [[w:Luhansk|Luhansk]] and [[w:Kharkiv|Kharkiv]] in eastern Ukraine where Yanukovych had the strongest support. Election observers from the [[w:Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe|Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)]] state that the election did not meet international standards and was subject to wide-scale, planned election fraud. On the other hand, some groups of international observers such as [[w:British Helsinki Human Rights Group|British Helsinki Human Rights Group]] give a quite different picture of massive violations in Western Ukraine, and pro-opposition bias of local media there: [http://www.bhhrg.org/CountryReport.asp?CountryID=22&ReportID=230 BHHRG Report](The report is discredited in this [[w:The Guardian|Guardian]] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1362333,00.html article ] ).

The declaration of Yanukovych as the winner of the runoff by the elections commission set into play mass demonstrations and demands for a recount or outright revote from Yuschchenko supporters.  The result has been widely criticised by Western media as fraudulent.

*[[w:Ukrainian presidential election, 2004|Ukrainian presidential election, 2004]]- from our sister project at Wikipedia.

== Timeline ==
* ''Sun. Nov. 21:'' Runoff elections take place.
* [[Ukrainian opposition leader calls for police and army to join revolution]]
* ''Thu. Nov. 25:'' [[Ukraine election results delayed by court]]. Protests continue for a fourth day, while Ukraine's highest court delays announcement of the final election results until it can resolve a dispute over the legitimacy of those results. Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko praises the court's action.  According to The Times of India outgoing President Leonid Kuchma met with pro-Russian officials who had threatened to declare regional autonomy but said after the meeting that any breakup of the Ukraine was unacceptable.
* ''Sat. Nov. 27:'' [[Ukraine parliament declares election invalid]]. In a non-binding, symbolic gesture, the Ukrainian parliament votes to declare the election results invalid, as well as passing a vote of no confidence in the elections commission. 
* ''Tue. Nov. 30'' [[Ukrainian election negotiations break off]]. Yushchenko broke off from negotiation talk with incumbent Prime Minister Yanukovych stating that the negotiations were one-sided.
** [[Ukrainian election negotiations restarted]]
* ''Wed. Dec. 1:'' [[Ukraine parliament sacks government]]. Ukraine's parliament passes a vote of no-confidence in the government of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.
* ''Fri. Dec. 3:'' [[Ukraine Supreme Court orders new election]]. 
*''Sat. Dec. 4:'' [[Election reforms fail in Ukraine parliament]].
*''Sat. Dec. 11:'' [[Ukraine opposition candidate Yushchenko is suffering from a Dioxin intoxication, doctors say]]. This is reported as being the second highest level of Dioxin ever found in a human.
* ''Mon. Dec. 27:'' [[Yushchenko claims victory in re-run]]. Pro-government candidate Yanukovych refuses to accept results.
* ''Fri. Dec. 31:'' Yanukovych declares his resignation from his post as Prime Minister.
* ''Sun. Jan. 23, 2005:'' Yushchenko sworn in as president of Ukraine

==Blogs==
* [http://fistfulofeuros.net/ A Fistful of Euros]
* [http://theperiscope.blogs.com/the_periscope_/ The Periscope] - particularly Victor Katolyk's running updates [http://theperiscope.blogs.com/the_periscope_/2004/11/live_from_ukrai.html#comments here] [http://theperiscope.blogs.com/the_periscope_/2004/11/victors_view_fr.html here] and [http://theperiscope.blogs.com/the_periscope_/2004/11/yushchenko_gain.html here]
* [http://www.postmodernclog.com/ Postmodern Clog]
* [http://www.s95451559.onlinehome.us/abdymok/ Abdymok]
* [http://vkhokhl.blogspot.com/   Neeka's Backlog]
* [http://www.scsuscholars.com/ SCSU Scholors]
* [http://europhobia.blogspot.com/ Europhobia]
* [http://www.orange-revolution.com/news.html Orange Revolution]
* [http://www.orangeukraine.squarespace.com/ OrangeUkraine]
* [http://tubbydev.typepad.com/ukraine_revolution/ Ukraine_Revolution]
* [http://foreignnotes.blogspot.com/ Foreign Notes]
* [http://tulipgirl.com/ Tulip Girl] 
* [http://windowglass.blogspot.com/ '' Ukraine, Russia, Europe, the US, Oh My!'']
* [http://www.tsymlyakoff.com/  Tsymlyakoff's Blog]
* [http://ukrainiandemocracy.serenatamusic.com/ International Support for Ukrainian Democracy]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/66178780@N00/  Vladimir Ivshin's photos]
* [http://1plus1.com.ua/video/camera.php/  Kyiv, Maidan Nezalezhnosti(Independence Square). Web-cam.]
* [http://eng.maidanua.org/ Maidan]
* http://hotline.net.ua/eng
* [http://livejournal.com/community/2004_vybory_ua/ LJ community dedicated to 2004 elections]

== Sources==
* http://tulipgirl.com/
* http://www.postmodernclog.com/

==See Also On Sister Projects==
===Wikipedia===
*[[w:Ukraine|Ukraine]]

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{{archived}}

[[Category:Ukraine]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Viktor Yushchenko]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Viktor Yanukovych]]
[[Category:Donetsk]]
[[Category:Leonid Kuchma]]
[[Category:Kharkiv]]
Voting results by region

The declaration of Yanukovych as the winner of the runoff by the elections commission set into play mass demonstrations and demands for a recount or outright revote from Yuschchenko supporters.  The result has been widely criticised by Western media as fraudulent.

*Ukrainian presidential election, 2004- from our sister project at Wikipedia.