NR friend Robert McConnell is over in Ukraine to observe the election redo. Here’s his first dispatch, the content of an e-mail he sent out to his address book a little bit ago, reprinted with his permission. I found it worthwhile reading, so thought I’d pass it along. Revolutions are fascinating to watch.

Return to Kyiv – International Interest Everywhere
Though I traveled to Ukraine many times in the last years of the Soviet Union and in the early years of Ukraine’s independence, and even though I continuously have met with, hosted and communicated with people from all across Ukraine, and even though Nadia has regularly traveled to Ukraine, it has been many years since I last was in Ukraine.
Even before I left Washington the growing interest in Ukraine was evident. Obviously we all are aware of the daily and prominent stories about the Orange Revolution and evolution of Ukraine’s presidential election. But there at Dulles International waiting to board my plane on Tuesday afternoon I quickly found myself in conversation with two women also flying to Ukraine to serve as observers at the December 26th revote.
Upon landing Wednesday afternoon at Kyiv’s Borispol Airport the immense international interest in Ukraine was evident everywhere. At passport control I believe at least 8 of the 14 check-through lines were designated for Canada’s arriving international observer corps. Upon passing passport control there were many facilitators meeting people with signs, “Canadian Observers,” “OSCE,” “NDI,” etc. There were others anticipating the arrival of teams from international news organizations, NBC, Sky News, etc. Further on, past the customs check-through, there were more people waiting for arriving elections observers. Cliff Downen had his sign for one of the former congressmen who was arriving a day before the rest of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation-Association of Former Members of Congress delegation, and Markian Bilynsky (Vice President of the Foundation and Director of Field Operations) was there to meet me.
The influx of what I understand to be over 8,500 registered international election observers is well underway.
The rest of our team of former United States senators and congressmen and former European parliamentarians arrived today and met tonight for dinner and the beginning of our briefings, training, preparations and dispersal throughout Ukraine on Friday, Christmas Eve.
Kyiv is Yushchenko Country
Yesterday, as soon as Markian and I left Borispol the “orange” became prevalent. Cars with orange flags flying and/or inside tied around the rear view mirrors, people with orange armbands, billboards, and this was only along the access road between Borispol and Kyiv.
As we came into the capital there was more and more orange. It was like arriving in Dallas on the weekend of the Texas-Oklahoma football game when the whole city is decked out with Texas’ burnt orange and Oklahoma’s red. The difference is that here everything is Yushchenko orange – – more billboards, more cars with banners, seemingly everyone walking on the sidewalks has scarves, hats, armbands of orange. There are orange ribbons tied around trees, organizational tents of orange along major streets, orange banners waving from buildings.
Headlines and On-going International Communications Only Tell a Fraction of the Story
In the late afternoon yesterday we met with a key campaign contact on the latest developments in the campaign and political maneuverings. From the stand point of observing this upcoming revote most interesting were the reports of plans to discredit Yushchenko. Groups already on the move from the Donetsk region to central and western Ukraine with the intention of causing disruptions that then can be blamed on Yushchenko supporters. We heard of these and other plans to disrupt the vote in ways that can be charged against Yushchenko supporters and used to support post-vote charges of election fraud.
There were more reports on the efforts in a number of Eastern Ukrainian cities to prohibit entry of a large motorcade of citizens. The motorcade, mentioned in some western newspapers, is a mixture of Yushchenko supporters and less aliened Ukrainians championing a free and fair revote.
Of course there was discussion about Yanukovych’s growing charges against President Kuchma and “the government” (though he insists he is still the Prime Minister) and his calls for an open and fair election while, at the same time, his making no public effort to dissuade people in his home region from dispatching the troublemakers to the West or the hooligans blocking access to his hometown and other Eastern cities.
There were more details on the arrest of the Russians responsible for the positioning of a car bomb outside Yushchenko’s Kyiv headquarters several weeks ago. After the bomb was discovered and disarmed these men were caught and arrested. They have admitted being paid in Russia and of having entered Ukraine on false passports with materials provided to them.
The point of course is, again, this election is not over. Polls, calmer public declarations from President Kuchma and Russian President Putin’s acceptance-like comments in Germany this week, all are very welcome but such sentiments are not necessarily reflected in what is going on below the public radar screen as the revote approaches.
A number of Donetsk oligarchs have told western reporters and analysts of their desire to integrate their businesses with Europe, sounding sanguine about the potential of a Yushchenko victory, while at the same time they sponsor disruption.
On the positive side there may be close to 8,500 international observers, a massive international media build-up and a citizenry with a heightened sense of election propriety, but there are still 33,000 polling places, many regional vote tabulation stations and forces determined to disrupt what might otherwise be seen as inevitable.
So This Is Post November 21st Independence Square!
After our meeting we walked to Independence Square. Seeing it on television, in pictures and reading and hearing about this “revolution” is one thing. Walking through and standing with these people is something quite different.
It is night and the closer you get to the central square the thicker the crowds. They spread out in every direction from the great square itself.
Everyone is friendly, everyone is calm. They stand decked in orange, holding everything from small orange flags, to large orange banners on long poles, to Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag, to a huge banner saying in English, “Welcome to Ukraine.” They listen to music from the massive stage and politely listen to short comments from political spokespeople. When there is a periodic lull in music or comment from the stage the chant begins, “Yu-chshen-ko, Yu-chshen-ko, Yu-chshen-ko….”
In the middle of the crowd I look around at the changes in downtown Kyiv, the lights, the signs of bustling commerce, the huge monument to independence (with a huge orange flag flying from its top) on the square below the massive building where, in the basement, Stalin had something over 1,000 bards gathered and killed, the new buildings, and the Christmas decorations.
I think back to a time in the early 1990s, in an apartment the windows of which are barely visible in the distance beyond the Yushchenko stage, where I first met Viktor Yushchenko. It was at a small and informal dinner in Katya Chumachenko’s apartment where she wanted me to have time to visit with my already old friend Yuri Kostenko and the young and reform-minded banker I had been told so much about. So much has changed, so much has happened, so much needs to be done.
I marveled at this crowd. Thousands and thousands of people standing quietly, no rancor, no uncivil words heard, little talking as they listen to music and political comments, in temperatures -5 centigrade. Some are passing out more orange ribbons. Some visit quietly, no voices raised except when the periodic chant begins only to subside when the next song or voice is heard from the stage. There were old and young, groups, couples and individuals.
At one end of the crowd is the stretch of street where many tents remain from the 24-7 demonstration immediately after the November 21st vote. Young people still living in their city of tents, friendly, posing in front of their tents with yellow banners and clothes. Their humor found in the names over the portable toilets – – “Yanukovych Headquarters,” etc.
Then a little past 8:00 PM music started that invigorated the crowd, essentially Yushchenko’s theme song. This meant that Viktor was here and would be addressing his supporters. He came out onto the stage to a warm greeting. A massive screen projected his picture so that all could see.
First he spoke to what the crowds meant to him, to what they have done. He listed what these people have accomplished since November 21st. He talked about their accomplishments – – the finding of the vote to have been fraudulent, the scheduling of the revote, the dismissal of the prime minister, the dismissal of the procurator general, the changes in the laws, the historic and unprecedented opening up of Ukraine’s press. He applauded the crowd. He talked of how they – – citizens of Ukraine – – opened their arms to those who traveled from Donetsk to demonstrate for his opponent but who had no shelter, and ran out of food and support. He talked of their generosity as Ukrainians, taking in those with a different political view. He talked of the businesses and the restaurants that provided food and supplies to demonstrators. He talked of the heroes in the streets – – the citizens he was looking at – – the diplomats who put their careers on the line by denouncing the fraudulent November vote, the others who took personal risks to declare their values. And he remembered Ukraine’s past patriots and heroes who he reminded had never had a chance to see such changes and witness what he saw before him from the stage.
Yushchenko summarized his program from pension payments, to limiting the service of those conscripted into the armed forces to one year, to making certain that no Russian language schools are closed, to making sure that there are no divisions due to language, religion or ethnicity, to focusing on the needs of all Ukraine – – focusing just as much on the regions that do not support him as those the will.
He urged all to vote and to be vigilant on the day of the revote.
Yushchenko ended asking God’s blessing for Ukraine and for all citizens of Ukraine.
Friends in the Crowd
As Markian and I made our way of to find dinner it was fun to meet people I have met before. I believe it was three different young people who interned at the U.S.-Foundation and had traveled to Washington and had been guests in our home. I was introduced to a man – – a Ukrainian-American – – I have corresponded with by email.
Music into the Night
After dinner I returned to the Dnipro Hotel several blocks away from Independence Square. My room faces in the direction of the Square and I went to sleep listening to the on-going concert with the periodic chants of “Yu-shchen-ko, Yu-shchen-ko, Yu-shchen-ko…”
It is terribly cold in Kyiv, but the people are warm.