Today’s New York Times (requires simple registration) carries a remarkable story by reporter C. J. Chivers on the splits in the Ukrainian security forces that stopped Viktor Yanukovich from stealing the elections and from mobilizing Interior Ministry troops for what could have been a replay of the Tianamen Square massacre.
I had known that taped conversations between top Yanukovich figures had been released, but not how. Here’s an interesting exchange:
Even as the election commission deliberated over Mr. Yanukovich’s victory, Ukrayinska Pravda, a news Web site, posted transcripts of conversations from among members of the Yanukovich campaign.
The officials were discussing plans to rig the election, including padding the vote. One conversation, recorded on election night, was between Yuri Levenets, a campaign manager, and a man identified as Valery.
Valery: “We have negative results.”
Mr. Levenets: “What do you mean?”
Valery: “48.37 for opposition, 47.64 for us.”
Valery later added: “We have agreed to a 3 to 3.5 percent difference in our favor. We are preparing a table. You will have it by fax.”
Mr. Yanukovich won by 2.9 percent. In an interview, Mr. Ribachuk said he gave the transcripts to Pravda after receiving them from the S.B.U., which had bugged the Yanukovich campaign.
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