In Soviet Russia, Kitchen Goes to You

Bold move . Or maybe it just seems bold by my American standards. I haven't been over there in a long time, but I think this kind of an attitude toward women is still commonplace in Ukraine. Still, it's amazing to think that if a politician said something like this in the U.S., he'd get slaughtered.

Yanukovych to Tymoshenko: "Go Back to the Kitchen"
Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych on Wednesday told his rival for the country’s top spot, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, to take responsibility for herself or “go back to the kitchen.”

The leader of Ukraine’s Regions Party, Yanukovych addressed supporters in the Kharkiv region Wednesday and proclaimed that he is unafraid to criticize Tymoshenko.

“I’m told that it is useless and wrong to argue with a woman,” he said. “I don’t agree with this. First and foremost, I think that if she is prime minister, she has to be held responsible for everything she says. And if she is a woman, she has to go back to the kitchen.”

Read the full story here.

Round One - The Winner Is ...

No surprises here. I'm curious to see whether the runoff election will go just as smoothly as the first round. Anyone want to take bets if there will be fraud allegations or other mishaps?

Yanukovych, Tymoshenko Advance to Ukrainian Presidential Runoff
Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych appeared to be the winner of the first round of the Ukrainian presidential election Sunday, with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko coming in second.

Exit polling showed that Yanukovych, who is a former prime minister and the current leader of the Party of Regions in the Ukrainian parliament, received approximately 35 percent of the vote. Polls showed Tymoshenko capturing about 25 percent of the vote.

Yanukovych and Tymoshenko will face each other in a runoff election, which is scheduled for Feb. 7. Read the full story here ...

Ukraine is Against All in Presidential Race

There is some mighty interesting stuff going on in Ukraine as of late. All of it has to do with the lead up to the presidential election this coming Sunday. It's not hard to see that the Ukrainian people are not too thrilled with the choices they have in the contest to determine their next leader. And it's also not hard to see why - given the thinly-veiled corruption and political grandstanding that goes on there. Still, it's mighty fun to watch it all go down.

"Against All" Runs in Ukrainian Presidential Election
With the first round of voting in Ukraine's presidential election less than a week away, many in the country have expressed dissatisfaction with all of the election's candidates. And that disenchantment is what one candidate hopes might improve his chances.

Rather than cast a vote for Viktor Yanukovych or Yulia Tymoshenko or any of the more than 10 candidates in the race, voters have the option of marking their ballot with a cross symbol – indicating that they are against all of the candidates.

Vasyl Humeniuk, who is among the lesser known candidates in the presidential race, is officially running under the name Vasyl Protyvsikh – which in Ukrainian means Vasyl “Against All.” Read the full story here ...

Ukraine Gets to Ready to Rock the Vote ... Well, Sort of ...

An interesting and educational look at the Ukrainian presidential election - though a little dumbed down. From what I've heard, nobody in Ukraine is particularly excited about this election - more of the same no matter who wins. But it's still a momentous occasion. I'm inclined to think neither Tymoshenko or Yanukovych will do much to improve the country's situation. If I had a voice, my support would go to Yatsenyuk - the only man who doesn't seem to have hidden motives. But I don't have a voice. All I can do is sit back and watch it all go down.

The Ukrainian Presidential Election of 2010
It's election season in Ukraine. On Jan. 17, voters in the country will take to the polls to have their say about who should guide the country through the economic crisis and represent the country's interests to both the west and Russia. Here is an overview of the election and some of the candidates.

Background and the Orange Revolution

Current President Viktor Yushchenko rose to power in the wake of a tumultuous election in 2004. Considered to be the main opposition candidate in that election, Yushchenko competed against the government-supported and Russian-favored candidate Viktor Yanukovych.

Read the full story here ...