UKRAINE Support grows for new elections

Backers of the losing presidential candidate continue massive protests.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine's outgoing president, Leonid Kuchma, gave tentative blessing Monday to the idea of holding new presidential elections, paving the way to a possible solution of the political crisis that's gripped his country in the wake of the disputed Nov. 21 presidential vote.
"If we really want to build peace and accord, we may have to hold another election," Kuchma said.
Kuchma's remarks followed earlier conciliatory comments by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who said he would support calls for a new election, should fraud allegations be proven. Yanukovych, a political ally of Kuchma, was declared the official winner of the vote, but he said he would have to rally his supporters to win again in the event of a new election.
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians continued to camp on icy streets Monday to protest what they believe was massive voter fraud that gave the election to the wrong man.
U.S., Russia differ on candidates
At stake is whether this former piece of the Soviet Union, with about 50 million residents, aligns itself politically with Russia or with Europe and the United States. Yanukovych has the strong backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin. His opponent, Viktor Yushchenko, is likely to draw the nation closer to the West.
In the pro-government east, which borders Russia, regional leaders talked about seceding if the election is given to Yushchenko.
Secretary of State Colin Powell called Kuchma on Monday to urge him to solve the crisis peacefully.
"We are very pleased that there has been no real violence, that people are being allowed to assemble peacefully and demonstrate peacefully," Powell said. "If we can keep things calm and allow the leaders and the politicians and members of the international community who are trying to help the Ukrainians all come together, then, hopefully, a peaceful solution will be found."
Supreme Court review begins
While the political deadlock continued into a second week, the Ukrainian Supreme Court began Monday sifting through allegations of voting corruption in eight pro-Yanukovych districts. The court gave Yanukovych's legal team until this morning to examine evidence of fraud. The court is reviewing more than 10,000 fraud allegations.
The review comes after Saturday's nonbinding vote by the Ukrainian parliament, which declared the election invalid and said that the defeat of Yushchenko didn't reflect the will of the people.
Outside the court, there's a growing sense that the Ukraine will never return to what most agree was an uneasy pre-election peace.
The country, the largest in Europe, is split. The east, closer in spirit and geography to Russia, backed Yanukovych. Western Ukraine, nearer Europe, went overwhelmingly for Yushchenko, also a former prime minister. His supporters are staging a mass protest, which while peaceful, has control of the capital and a number of western cities.
Mykhailo Merlavskiy, an engineer from Ternrejne in the west, arrived Nov. 22 for the protest and says he doesn't plan to move from the streets until Yushchenko is acknowledged as president.
"If we go home, if we leave, we lose our chance at ever being a free nation," he said. "This is not a battle for the streets. It is a fight for the soul of our country."