The most staunch supporters of the Orange opposition have not left their tents on Independence Square in Kiev's centre, even with Christmas and New Year celebrations close at hand. Strolling along their tents are merrymakers carrying posters, "Father Frost our president!", to refer to a Slav folk analogue of Santa Claus. The challenge was met. Running for presidency now are not Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovich, but Yushchenko and Father Frost.
We do not know what underlies the comedy. Is it en evidence of common sense or light-minded euphoria that all too often ushers in big disaster? If we are to believe eyewitness accounts that came down to us in numerous memoirs, Europe never came through merrier spells than before the two world wars. Russia, too, saw wild merriment on the eve of World War I, which brought the Revolution in its wake.
Political passions have rent Ukraine asunder, and presidential candidates are whipping those passions up, so this is hardly the best time to crack jokes and laugh the suspense-laden matter off. Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko is not at all sure a revote will take place, after all. His rival's people are plotting to torpedo it, he was warning in repeated public addresses. Viktor Yanukovich is paying in kind. To believe him, even if Yushchenko scores a formal victory, he will not actually get to presidency. Several dozen thousands of his own campaigners, the Blue-and-White, are ready to come to the country's capital any day, and Mr. Yanukovich is not sure he can keep them in check. If dozens of thousands of Blue-and-White t clash with the dozens of thousands of Orange, long by now in Kiev, it may be a formidable fight. Ukrainian police has grown apprehensive and menacing as soon as it recovered from the first dramatic runoff. They may have to shoot after the revote.
Whatever news is coming from Kiev does not encourage merriment. First, Mr. Nicholas, OSCE envoy to Ukraine, openly declares support for the Orange so to trespass his mandate, which prohibits taking sides. He makes no secret of spending his international organization's cash on one of the candidates. Mr. Brzezinski comes in next to say that Ukraine is not to be ceded to Russia at all cost. The battle-scarred politician is true to his wont, appearing on the political scene just before things get real hot in whatever part of the world.
But is the game worth the candle, after all? Leaders of the Pora (High Time) youth organization, which flocks round Viktor Yushchenko, openly said to a recent news conference in Moscow that their candidate would certainly be no good as president. They are siding with him merely because Viktor Yanukovich will make an even worse president. That was why they came to Independence Square.
With all that, Father Frost really appears the best choice Ukraine can make. The two camps will really meet each other halfway with that option. Noses runny and frozen white in outdoor New Year celebrations is the worst damage the new presidential candidate can do.
