Image credit: RIA Novosti
MINSK, 21 December (BelTA) – The latest episode of the documentary series Time Chose Us aired by the TV channel Belarus One looked into reasons behind the “orange revolution” that took place in Ukraine in 2004, BelTA has learned.
An “orange revolution” happened in the center of Kiev on 22 November 2004. Viktor Yushchenko had lost the presidential election. His supporters set up a tent camp. According to recollections of witnesses, Yushchenko’s staff had not expected the candidate to win. Viktor Yanukovych was backed by Moscow and Ukraine’s oligarchs.
The balance of power shifted due to Yushchenko’s poisoning with dioxin. The presidential candidate was rushed off to an Austrian clinic. His chances of survival were minimal. Later on the former Ukrainian prime minister Nikolai Azarov noted that there were no documents indicating Viktor Yushchenko’s blood contains serious doses of dioxin.
Nevertheless, the situation gave a reason for him to summon his supporters in order “to fight the usurpers”. Support for Viktor Yushchenko noticeably improved. But Viktor Yanukovych still won the election in the second round by a small margin. Fearing a civil war, he authorized the third round contrary to the Constitution and Viktor Yushchenko won it. It was a delayed-action bomb that undermined Ukraine’s statehood.
You can learn even more about significant and vivid events of the past years in BelTA's YouTube-project “How it was: DOC”.
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