Beyond Ukraine

[Ivo Skoric]

So, Ukrainians will get to do the elections again. But nobody profits 
more from the re-vote than the incumbent Kutschma (I love German 
spelling) who gets to stay President for longer time. From his 
perspective perhaps the elections should be repeated many times, 
maybe as long as he is alive. Milosevic also repeated elections in 
1996/97. And he won the repeated elections as well, despite the three 
months of continuous protests on Belgrade streets.

While Bush and Putin both each push their candidates, Kutschma 
cunningly concedes to election fraud, which is the only way to keep 
*himself* in power. And the winter in Kiew is much worse than in 
Belgrade. I doubt we will see marches in February at -30 degrees. The 
West continues to underestimate the Byzantine ways of eastern 
politics. The Otpor strategy works better in smaller countries like 
Serbia and Georgia, as in the smaller societies changes could be 
effected quicker.

But the alleged electoral fraud in Ukraine is taking the focus from 
the real issue: the possible electoral fraud in the world's first 
democracy: the U.S.; and the American opposition's startling 
acquiescence. This is far more important to the fate of our planet.

ivo

------- Forwarded message follows -------

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-GOP-Phone-Jamming.html

December 2, 2004
Former Bush Campaign Official Indicted
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 2:40 a.m. ETCONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- President Bush's former 
New
England campaign chairman was indicted Wednesday on charges he took
part in the jamming of the Democrats' get-out-the-vote phone lines on
Election Day 2002.

James Tobin, 44, stepped down Oct. 15 -- two weeks before Election 
Day
-- after the Democrats accused him of involvement.

``I am saddened to learn that this action has been taken against 
me,''
he said in a statement. ``I have great respect for the justice system
and plan to fight back to clear my name.

''In 2002, six phone lines run by the Democrats and the Manchester
firefighters union were tied up for 1 1/2 hours by 800
computer-generated hang-up calls. Federal prosecutors said Tobin and
other Republicans had hired a company to make the calls to disrupt 
the
organizations' get-out-the-vote efforts.

Tobin was charged with conspiracy to commit telephone harassment and
aiding and abetting. He could get up to five years in prison.

At the time of the jamming, Tobin was Northeast political director 
for
the Republican Senatorial Committee, which works to elect Republicans
to the Senate.

Among the races affected by the jamming was the Senate contest 
between
Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Rep. John E. Sununu.
Sununu won by about 20,000 votes.

The Democrats praised the indictment but questioned its timing.``I
think it's unfortunate the Justice Department delayed, for whatever
reasons that it did, until after the election,'' state Democratic
chairwoman Kathy Sullivan said. ``I hope this was not delayed for
political reasons.

''Over the summer, Chuck McGee, former executive director of the New
Hampshire Republican Party, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and admitted
paying $15,600 to a Virginia telemarketing company that hired another
business to make the calls. A GOP consultant with the telemarketing
company also pleaded guilty. The two men are awaiting sentencing.



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