Envoys, Contenders Meet in Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine —  This bitterly divided nation appeared headed for a possible rerun of a disputed presidential runoff election after President Leonid D. Kuchma met today with European and Russian envoys and rival presidential contenders to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

All sides “stand against any use of force that may lead to escalation of the conflict and bloodshed,” Kuchma said after 2 ½ hours of talks at the Mariinsky presidential palace.

Kuchma gave no details of a possible peaceful way out. But an extended legal battle in the courts or a repeat election appeared to be the major options. One of the contenders, pro-Western opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, swiftly proposed Dec. 12 for a new vote that would be supervised by a new electoral commission.

The outgoing president, who spoke in a joint appearance with the foreign mediators and the two presidential candidates, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and Yushchenko, said parties to the talks had set up a working group that would immediately start seeking a joint decision on how the bitter standoff should be settled.

“I would like to express my hope that we will find with dignity a peaceful solution of this political crisis, because it may lead to unexpected consequences and wrongdoings that will not benefit the whole country and the people of Ukraine,” Kuchma said

Kuchma gave no indication how the crisis should be resolved, and he took no questions. None of the other participants spoke during the joint appearance.

Other scenarios besides repeat voting could not be ruled out, but the day’s developments clearly added to Yushchenko’s momentum in seeking to block Yanukovich from taking office based the results of last Sunday’s election.

The pro-Western opposition leader smiled broadly as he greeted supporters outside the palace, while Yanukovich looked disgruntled.

This evening, Yushchenko appeared before tens of thousands of festive supporters massed in and around central Kiev’s Independence Square.

“We will only hold talks on staging a new vote,” Yushchenko declared. “We must not delay talks for three or four days. If there is no decision within one or two days, it means Yanukovich cannot hear you.”

Today’s meeting came hours after thousands of Yushchenko supporters for several minutes had blocked entrances to the cabinet building and roads leading to other government offices.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked publication of disputed presidential election results naming Yanukovich the winner, bolstering opposition supporters, who say Yushchenko won.

Many observers interpreted the court’s technical ruling as blocking the immediate inauguration of Yanukovich.

Yanukovich sought support today from a crowd of miners and others brought to Kiev by train from his power base in the country’s Russian-speaking eastern region, while Yushchenko’s supporters sustained a massive protest in central Kiev for a fifth day.

“Dear friends, together we must do everything so that an unconstitutional coup in Ukraine does not happen,” Yanukovich declared at the rally outside Kiev’s main train station. “I believe in our strength, I believe in the law, I believe in the constitution.”

Many of those he addressed were men carrying large sticks, raising fears of potential clashes with Yushchenko supporters, who earlier blocked the cabinet building and other government offices to back their demand that the official vote count be rejected as fraudulent.

The U.S. and other Western governments have described the election as so marred by fraud that it cannot be considered legitimate. The opposition is contesting Wednesday’s move by the Central Election Commission declaring Yanukovich the winner, with 49.5% to Yushchenko’s 46.6%.

But in speeches to passionate supporters, Yushchenko’s associates outlined plans for mass action that appeared aimed at winning a nonviolent revolution of the type that occurred in Yugoslavia in 2000 and in Georgia last year. In those cases, authoritarian leaders were ousted by massive postelection protests against fraudulent vote counts.

On Thursday, Yushchenko smiled broadly as he declared to an exultant crowd of more than 100,000 at a square in central Kiev, “This announcement of the Supreme Court means one thing: The people win!”