New Delhi: From late November 2004 to January 2005, Ukraine witnessed political upheaval due to a series of protests which were known as the Orange Revolution. It was the general population of the country who drove the momentum of the protests. The aftermath of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election run-off sparked protests when the election was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter intimidation and electoral fraud.
The Orange Revolution: A state of unrest in the Ukraine
During the Presidential elections in Ukraine in 2004, the stage was considered to be the ‘ideal condition’ for the public to erupt in protests. At that time, the Ukrainians were impatient while waiting for political and economic change. And when the results of the election were deemed to be filled with fraud, all hell broke loose.
Thanks to the Orange Revolution, many Ukrainians took to the streets and participated in the protests. Some of them took part in the protests for even 17 days. While the entire nation did not participate in the protests, it was done mostly by the western and central Ukrainians. In 1991, Ukraine gained independence and it was the quest for that freedom that played a key role behind the Orange Revolution. Ukrainians for the most part wanted to be largely disassociated from the past history of the Soviet Union.
The young Ukrainian voters played a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the presidential election in 2004. They were born in the post-Soviet era of Ukraine and had different views of the main figures in Ukraine. The negativity from Kuchmagate skewed their visions. Many young people took part in the protests which showed that the sense of nationalism was increasing in the country. The Orange Revolution was so popular that it drew people of all ages.
Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, was the centre of the Orange Revolution as thousands of protesters demonstrated every day. In the other parts of the nation, several acts of civil disobedience, sit-ins, and general strikes were organized by the opposition movement as people vented their frustration on the fact that the authorities rigged the results of the run-off vote of November 21, 2004, between leading candidates Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych in favour of the latter. Due to the Orange Revolution, the original run-off was annulled, and a revote took place which was declared to be free and fair. In the final outcome, Yushchenko won with 52 per cent of the vote, compared to Yanukovych’s 44 per cent. Yushchenko was declared the official winner and the Orange Revolution ended when he was inaugurated on January 23, 2005, in Kyiv.
During the Presidential elections in Ukraine in 2004, the stage was considered to be the ‘ideal condition’ for the public to erupt in protests. At that time, the Ukrainians were impatient while waiting for political and economic change. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
