The beefy ex-mechanic narrowly won Sunday's election thanks to the votes of Ukraine's Russian-speaking industrial east and the frustration of the European-friendly west with a revolution turned sour.
Fiery revolutionary and glamorous prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, was silent on Monday, ignoring a call by international election monitors to accept defeat and shake hands with the victor.
But there was no sign of the street demonstrations that met Yanukovich's last victory in 2004, when tens of thousands braved sub-zero temperatures on Independence Square to protest the fraud of a sleazy post-Soviet establishment.
The euphoria of 2004 quickly turned to disappointment with the paralyzing infighting of Orange Revolution co-architects Ms. Tymoshenko and Viktor Yushchenko, the man swept to the presidency but who proved ineffective and out of touch.
The tandem proved incapable of governing through an economic crisis that saw no improvement in living standards.
“The expectations of the people were not met,” said 72-year-old pensioner Olexiy Onash. “Many people have lost faith in what was once good.”
Like others in snow-bound Kiev, he admitted voting reluctantly for Ms. Tymoshenko out of no personal affection for the former gas tycoon but a visceral distaste for Mr. Yanukovich, a rough-hewn 59-year-old from the hard-scrabble mining region of Donetsk in the east.
“I wasn't going to vote for anyone, then I saw those drunken idiots from Donetsk, and I thought if it's him (Yanukovich), then everything will be terrible,” said Onash. “There was no option. I picked the lesser evil.”
Like Ms. Tymoshenko, Mr. Yanukovich says he wants integration with Europe. But he is seen as closer to Moscow, and was tagged the Kremlin's stooge in 2004.
Ms. Tymoshenko won 65 per cent of votes in the capital against 26 per cent for Mr. Yanukovich. But tellingly, more than 8 per cent voted against both, an option in Ukrainian elections. The election again exposed Ukraine's deep divide.
Ukrainians of Kiev harbour particular disappointment in Mr. Yushchenko, who came a humiliating fifth in the first round of the election in January.
“Our president made big mistakes. He's smart, and a good president, but he found power difficult,” said musician Ihor Rudy, 38. “Some people are probably angry that nothing got better for them,” he said. “I'm for a new generation of politicians.”
There was no talk of replaying the Orange Revolution.
“I'm sorry, but you can't have a revolution every five years,” said 28-year-old law graduate Svitlana.
“In five years, maybe those people who were for Yushchenko are disappointed in those leaders. Now, maybe the other half of Ukraine will face disappointment with the reign of Yanukovich.”
Source:theglobeandmail.com/
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