11-25-2004, 10:37 AM
He is in the Ukraine right now on an work program of sorts. He's been there since late August and has been sending us updates frequently. Here is the latest with a CBC link to an article about them and the election. He is Mike Derbowka.
Pretty cool experience, assuming nothing goes hay wire.
"Ukrainian people have been on the streets for three days now. Despite the brutal weather (as the pictures attest to), the crowds seem to grow each day. I couldn’t even begin to estimate how many people were out today, but it is easily into the 100’s of thousands. Not only are they gathering at the heart of the city, but also at the Central Election Committee, Parliament, and the Presidential Administration. Kyiv has also been the drawing point for thousands of people from across Ukraine (both from east and west), while many other Ukrainian cities have been drawing crowds in the 10’s and 100’s of thousands. I even read that demonstrations have occurred in Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto. C’mon PA…(Melfort, Duck Lake, Mildred…) This afternoon, Yuschenko (the ‘People’s President’) gave a speech (right after Klitschko spoke!) in which he stated that a crowd of 20,000 from Donetsk in eastern Ukraine (home town of Yanukovych) are expected to descend upon central Kyiv in the early evening (the number of scheduled trains and planes arriving from Donetsk in the past day has magically quadrupled). As a result, I will not be venturing out too far. Instead, I will watch on TV from the confines of my apartment (which is still cool because I can hear the roar of the crowd out my window) and await the anticipated power disruption (which is also rumoured to be happening tonite). It is also believed that Marshall law will be implemented if/when there is civil unrest tonite. From what I’ve heard, most western nations have condemned the results from the election and have not acknowledged Yanukovych as the winner. Incidentally, it is only Russia and Byelorussia who have done so. In fact, Putin stated that the election was perfectly democratic. Yeah right….like how in certain eastern regions of Ukraine, voter turnout was 98%! Such numbers only exist in fairy tales (and in Iraq during the Hussein era).
Here’s a few more pics and also a link to an article (written by a fellow intern) about our observing experience.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_newh...41123.html
Here is the latest email he sent this morning:
"OK, here's the deal.....It is difficult for me to imagine the people of Ukraine spending countless hours in frigid temperatures as they push for change. The past few days in particular have witnessed nearly half a foot of snow! The amazing thing is that the weather has not been a deterrent (I guess when it's the welfare of your nation at stake, you're not so concerned about flurries). Anyhow, many thousands of people from across Ukraine have left their jobs and families to come to Kyiv to demonstrate their displeasure with the state of their nation. At night, most head to huge tent cities that have been constructed near Independence Square in an attempt to keep warm and nourish themselves. Really.....imagine this! Thus, a small Canadian contingent is dedicating an effort to assist a small fraction of these individuals. Specifically, we are taking monetary donations that will go towards supplying members of the student organization 'PORA' (a group dedicated to non-violent reform in Ukraine) with toques, gloves and socks. I know that the demographic I'm appealing to isn't the most wealthy (students....articling students...har har), but anything you might be able to spare will go a long ways. So reach into your pockets and please give a loonie or five! And hey, it's not every day that one is able to support this kind of thing!
Please send your donation in an envelope to my house in Saskatoon:
1128
4th Street East
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7H 1K8
(My girlfriend has kindly obliged to deposit the proceeds in my bank account).
Thank you! Mike Derbowka"
I know this doesn't affect you guys, but if you're able to help that would be great.
Pretty cool experience, assuming nothing goes hay wire.
"Ukrainian people have been on the streets for three days now. Despite the brutal weather (as the pictures attest to), the crowds seem to grow each day. I couldn’t even begin to estimate how many people were out today, but it is easily into the 100’s of thousands. Not only are they gathering at the heart of the city, but also at the Central Election Committee, Parliament, and the Presidential Administration. Kyiv has also been the drawing point for thousands of people from across Ukraine (both from east and west), while many other Ukrainian cities have been drawing crowds in the 10’s and 100’s of thousands. I even read that demonstrations have occurred in Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto. C’mon PA…(Melfort, Duck Lake, Mildred…) This afternoon, Yuschenko (the ‘People’s President’) gave a speech (right after Klitschko spoke!) in which he stated that a crowd of 20,000 from Donetsk in eastern Ukraine (home town of Yanukovych) are expected to descend upon central Kyiv in the early evening (the number of scheduled trains and planes arriving from Donetsk in the past day has magically quadrupled). As a result, I will not be venturing out too far. Instead, I will watch on TV from the confines of my apartment (which is still cool because I can hear the roar of the crowd out my window) and await the anticipated power disruption (which is also rumoured to be happening tonite). It is also believed that Marshall law will be implemented if/when there is civil unrest tonite. From what I’ve heard, most western nations have condemned the results from the election and have not acknowledged Yanukovych as the winner. Incidentally, it is only Russia and Byelorussia who have done so. In fact, Putin stated that the election was perfectly democratic. Yeah right….like how in certain eastern regions of Ukraine, voter turnout was 98%! Such numbers only exist in fairy tales (and in Iraq during the Hussein era).
Here’s a few more pics and also a link to an article (written by a fellow intern) about our observing experience.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_newh...41123.html
Here is the latest email he sent this morning:
"OK, here's the deal.....It is difficult for me to imagine the people of Ukraine spending countless hours in frigid temperatures as they push for change. The past few days in particular have witnessed nearly half a foot of snow! The amazing thing is that the weather has not been a deterrent (I guess when it's the welfare of your nation at stake, you're not so concerned about flurries). Anyhow, many thousands of people from across Ukraine have left their jobs and families to come to Kyiv to demonstrate their displeasure with the state of their nation. At night, most head to huge tent cities that have been constructed near Independence Square in an attempt to keep warm and nourish themselves. Really.....imagine this! Thus, a small Canadian contingent is dedicating an effort to assist a small fraction of these individuals. Specifically, we are taking monetary donations that will go towards supplying members of the student organization 'PORA' (a group dedicated to non-violent reform in Ukraine) with toques, gloves and socks. I know that the demographic I'm appealing to isn't the most wealthy (students....articling students...har har), but anything you might be able to spare will go a long ways. So reach into your pockets and please give a loonie or five! And hey, it's not every day that one is able to support this kind of thing!
Please send your donation in an envelope to my house in Saskatoon:
1128
4th Street East
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7H 1K8
(My girlfriend has kindly obliged to deposit the proceeds in my bank account).
Thank you! Mike Derbowka"
I know this doesn't affect you guys, but if you're able to help that would be great.
