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Journalism of Courage
Talks to end the stand-off in the Ukrainian presidential elections are going badly, the outgoing President said on Sunday, while the country seethed with rallies from supporters of both camps.
8216;8216;As I understand, the working group talks are going on with considerable difficulty. No one can say what sort of compromise can be found or whether one will be found at all,8217;8217; President Leonid Kuchma said, opening the meeting of the National Security and Defence Council.
The country, meanwhile, edged towards a break-up as a powerful eastern region supporting the Moscow-backed Prime Minister on Sunday set a referendum for December 5 on forming a republic within a federal Ukrainian state.
The decision, at a rally near the Russian border, raised the temperature in a national feud between backers of PM Viktor Yanukovich and his liberal Opposition rival Viktor Yushchenko over the results of a run-off election.
In Warsaw, Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, a pivotal regional figure who has credibility on both sides in Ukraine, said a break-up was a real threat. He said Yushchenko was likely to become next President.
Yanukovich, attending a packed meeting in Severodonetsk, did not endorse the decision by delegates to a regional conference from Russian-speaking parts of the East and South in favour of a referendum 8216;8216;to determine the region8217;s status8217;8217;.
Asked if he supported the idea, Yanukovich replied: 8216;8216;No8217;8217;. But he said protests by pro-Yushchenko demonstrators paralysing Kiev had pushed Ukraine to the edge of disaster. 8216;8216;Today we are on the brink of catastrophe. There is one step to the edge,8217;8217; he declared, urging supporters not to take any radical action that would lead to bloodshed.
In Kiev, Yushchenko, addressing tens of thousands of supporters, accused authorities of playing 8216;8216;the dangerous card of separatism8217;8217;. 8216;8216;Those who are calling for separatism are committing crimes and will definitely receive severe punishment,8217;8217; he declared.
