Changes

== Prime Minister ==

== Prime Minister ==

Mr. Yushchenko was confirmed by Parliament in December 1999.  He served as Prime Minister under [[Leonid Kuchma]].  He served through April 2001 brought on economic reforms that helped turn around Ukraine’s then-struggling economy. Despite his excellent record as Prime Minister, the corrupt Ukrainian parliament voted to remove him from office in 2001  

Mr. Yushchenko was confirmed by Parliament in December 1999.  He served as Prime Minister under [[Leonid Kuchma]].  He served through April 2001 brought on economic reforms that helped turn around Ukraine’s then-struggling economy. Despite his excellent record as Prime Minister, the corrupt Ukrainian parliament voted to remove him from office in 2001  

 

==Our Ukraine (Наша Україна)==

==Our Ukraine (Наша Україна)==

In January 2002 Yushchenko brought together a broad group of pro-democracy parties and groups to create the party coalition “Our Ukraine”, which had large gains at the Parliament elections that year, gaining a quarter of all votes cast and forming the largest parliamentary faction with 101 MPs in the 450-seat legislature. Yushchenko is the leader of this coalition.

In January 2002 Yushchenko brought together a broad group of pro-democracy parties and groups to create the party coalition “Our Ukraine”, which had large gains at the Parliament elections that year, gaining a quarter of all votes cast and forming the largest parliamentary faction with 101 MPs in the 450-seat legislature. Yushchenko is the leader of this coalition.

[[Image:Ukraine political map.jpg|right|thumb|Politics in Ukraine]]

[[Image:Yushchenkopoison.jpg|right|thumb|The price of freedom]]

== Presidential Election "Orange Revolution"==

== Presidential Election "Orange Revolution"==

Yushchenko was elected in what came to be known in the West as the “[[Orange Revolution]]”.  He defeated the pro-Russian candidate [[Viktor Yanukovych]].  While the election was going on, Yushchenko became very ill.  He was treated for [[dioxin]] poisoning.  It is suspected that he was poisoned by the secret police<ref>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article400357.ece</ref>.  The election required three votes to be taken, as Yanukovych and his supporters tried to cheat.  He was inaugurated on January 23, 2005.

Yushchenko was elected in what came to be known in the West as the “[[Orange Revolution]]”.  He defeated the pro-Russian candidate [[Viktor Yanukovych]].  While the election was going on, Yushchenko became very ill.  He was treated for [[dioxin]] poisoning.  It is suspected that he was poisoned by the secret police<ref>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article400357.ece</ref>.  The election required three votes to be taken, as Yanukovych and his supporters tried to cheat.  He was inaugurated on January 23, 2005.