The Other Shoe

Will democracy prevail in the Ukraine?

The situation is still in flux:

The crisis over Ukraine's disputed election deepened Sunday, as a key eastern province called a referendum on autonomy and the opposition demanded the president fire his prime minister, the official winner of the vote that has bitterly divided the country.

Autonomy? Shades of the Bosnian War, no doubt with Putin's Russia riding in to save the day this time, keeping Ukraine whole...and, as in days gone by, firmly in Russia's orbit.

Meanwhile, both sides in the mounting standoff awaited a crucial Supreme Court session on Monday on an appeal by opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko against the official results of the November 21 presidential runoff, which declared Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych the winner.

The court's ruling could pave the way for a new vote - which the opposition is demanding - or remove the only barrier to the inauguration of Yanukovych, who has the backing of President Leonid Kuchma and the Kremlin.

Yushchenko, who claims his victory was stolen amid serious election irregularities, rejected government appeals to call off tens of thousands of protesters and urged his throngs of supporters to maintain their week-long round-the-clock vigil. Protesters packed Kiev's main street and central Independence Square, and choked off entrances to the Cabinet and presidential administration buildings for a fourth day.

It's still too early to tell whether the Ukraine crisis will come to a head relatively peacefully, like events in East Germany did, or whether the Tienanmen Square Massacre will be replayed on the streets of Kiev.

Makes a man long for the peace and tranquility of the Cold War, when all we had to worry about was nuclear annihilation.

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