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Timoshenko warns of revolution in Ukraine if legislative polls rigged

Timoshenko urged the international community to “isolate the Yanukovich regime politically and morally”

KIEV, September 3 (Itar-Tass) —— Falsification of the results of parliamentary elections in Ukraine will lead to mass protests and possibly to “a new revolution but by far not as peaceful as that in 2004”, former Prime Minister and opposition Batkivshchina party leader Yulia Timoshenko said.

In a statement posted on her website on Monday, September 3, Timoshenko says that “[President] Viktor Yanukovich’s regime intends to falsify the results of the elections to the parliament in order to establish total dictatorship in Ukraine”.

In her opinion, “the establishment of dictatorship in Ukraine is in an active stage and Yanukovich will complete his only ‘construction project’ with the parliamentary elections in October of this year. If he succeeds with his plans to rig the polls, the president and his political henchmen will create a constitutional majority and thus drive the last nail in the coffin of Ukrainian democracy for decades to come,” Timoshenko said.

“Ukraine needs the help of the democratic world now while there is still a chance to bring the country back into the European family with European values. Now, not after the elections when it will be too late,” she said.

Timoshenko urged the international community to “isolate the Yanukovich regime politically and morally” so as not to punish the people twice.

“How can a country be punished twice? Once with inside dictatorship, and second with outside sanctions?” she said.

The former prime minister believes that the democratic world must re-examine how it deals with dictators. “The major powers must not be satisfied with a successful global economy, they must also ensure their values – freedom, justice, democracy and peaceful life for people – are spread around the world,” she said.

“My greatest fear is apathy. We are ready to fight for our freedoms – we need moral support from Europe,” she added.

Timoshenko stressed that Ukraine is a vital link for Europe. “Ukraine connects the European Union and Eurasia. We’re the melting pot of Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity. The democracy we founded with the Orange Revolution has to be an example for other post-Soviet states. If the West allows our democracy to be ruined, this example will be lost. You will see an authoritarian conglomerate forming on the European borders,” she said.