Rough Transcript and Translation of Yuschenko/Yanukovych Debate - Chronological

Yuschenko - Yanukovych Debate Underway
Rough transcipt/translation during debate

Yuschenko - orange tie
Yanukovych - blue tie

19:00
Yuschenko greets the nation with beginning of New Years holidays and St Nicholas holiday.
The nation has fought for freedom this year. And he is sure that St Nicholas gave everyone the gift that they wished for.
Why are these 2 guys debating again? There is one reason to bring us here. Because more then 3 million votes were stolen by my opponent. That is why all those people came out on the street. It's not only that after 20:00 in Donestk false votes were made. As a result of the people's efforts, the gov't was thrown out. CVK out. Head of National bank out.People want freedom.People don't want to live in the closed company of Yanukovych, kuchma, medvechuk

Yanukovych speaks in Russian.
I want to briefly address the issues. For the all of us. at the end of the soviet union had alot of problems.

Yanuk calls the orange revolution an "orange putsch" which was illegal.

Yusch question: You are the representative of the authorities. The whole country was covered with your billboards that you'll make the country better. But the budget you prepared can't support your promises . Are your mistakes the mistakes of unprofessionalism or fooling the people?

Yanuk - You're the authorities representative. More than half the people voted for me. Some people voted for you. Regarding the budget - my gov't did its job and people got higher wages. And people know this and that's why I got such great support from the people in their votes. People have gotten their pensions and are used to them. But if you're elected you won't pay out the pensions. We will pay out the pensions because I know what it is to be poor and won't permit it.

During the election campaign there were alot of "NGO's" that supposedly supported "democratic" elections. But they got lots of foreign money. Don't you agree with me that foreign gov'ts shouldn't interfere.

Yusch - I have never taken anything that is not mine. I am honest and when you claim that the orange rev was financed by other it is an insult to those people who were on the maidan.

It is time that a Ukrainian president was not chosen in Moscow. The nation should choose its president. Not some foreign gov'ts.

Yusch - You did not answer my question about the budget. The country cannot continue in a deficet budget.

Yanuk - (russian) You live in abstract numbers. the economy happens in real life. Real salaries have grown.
We can today can see that there can be a split in ukraine. The unfairness of the election law... and illegally and unconstitutionally invalids etc are excluded form the elections.

Yuschenko - What were the methods of falsifications on the 21 nov. How many from Donetsk were brought to other oblasts to vote for you. Now stay in your own oblast and falsify as much as you can. Invalids will be able to vote under the new law. Now election commisions will be fair. Before you had 5 in commissions and I had only 1.

You now raised the issue of corruption. I think that it is problem #1. The vlada is most corrupt. How do you explain that factories are sold to president's family for unfair price.

Yanuk (russian) - Now there is great unease about how people are to live in the future. I repeat that there is a real economy. We have to discuss between us to find compromises and after the elections. The one who wins must have a forum of national reconciliation.The orange putsch brought fear to people. How can you throw Odesa into the ocean? Be a man Viktor we must speak. I beg you, don't bring out the people and respect the law. Don't break it.

Yanuk - Viktor Andreyevych, after the elections will you recognize my victory, if i win. I will recognize you.

Yusch - you don't answer my questions. Now to answer you. Why is the country without a president now? Because of your falsifcations. Because there was a computer server that received the election results in the presidential administration before the CVK and then falsified it. Political reform is supported by my fratcion. But what is going on is not reform but Kuchma's and Medvechuks adveturism.

Question: It is strange to listen to your terminology. The problem in Ukraine is not lack of resources, of talent. The real problem is that we have a criminal gov't and no one will invest in the criminal regime of Kuchma Medvechuk, Yanukovuch. Are you ready to look into the eyes of the nation and apologize for calling them names, kozlu etc

Yanuk - I called traitors kozly. It is a biblical term. And when the maidan was offending me, and I said that when they said I was a wolf, I said that I honor wolves. And then they started to offend my wife, it pained meand made me emotionsl. I forgave all of the offenses against me. I said that in church in front of an icon. And I also said that I want forgiveness for that which I said in an emotional state.

Yanuk - I ask you can we get together and calmly discuss what is to be done. We need to get together. We must get together before and after the elections. Danger of split. After the elections we must have a joint forum.

Yusch - first of all, we must remember that Ukraine is one. That its wholeness is sacred. Let us not play games with Ukraine. It is indivisible. No one can divide her. There is no reason to say that Ukraine is divided by language, religion, pull towards east, west.
My team is always open to discussion. When will we see Donetsk open. And when will it not be run by thugs, skin heads, who sent in drunk youth to break up my conference there. We should go together to Donetsk, Luhansk and meet the people together. Go to Lviv, Frankivsk.

You keep saying that you are in opposition.Who are you in opposition to? Kuchma? The deputy prime minister who you apointed. Medvechuk who supports you?

Yanuk - I am in opposition to those on our land who will tell us how to live. I am in opposition to putsches, illegality. Kuchma and you too knew what was being planned on the streets after the election. I am against your teaching the Ukrainian nation how to live. The Ukrainian nation has lived long on this land and knows how to live. After the election I said that we should follow the law. We know that the decisions of the Supreme Court, the Verkhovna RAda were political.

If you think that if you win you will become president of Ukraine, you are mistaken. You will become president of only part of Ukraine.

question: Tell me is it acceptable in our country to break the constitution. I ask you once agiain to sit at the table and discuss.

Yusch - I really want to to understand this. But you still don't hear me. Once again: You stole 3 million votes. This is a great offense and the whole world said this. That only thieves steal. The VR said that the election happened illegally. You claim that you are religious. You know that is a crime and a sin to steal factories, votes. You know that after 20:00 in donetsk they added 1/2 million votes. You could have said something, that it is wrong. But you didn't.
No one is disenfranchised by the new law. The law supports people, invalids right to vote. Invalids of the First category - urns brought to them. Second category invalids, commissions bring them by car to polling place.

Question: About the procurator office, only people from Donetsk have an opportunity to appointed. During your term, no major crime has been solved. Gia Gongadze's mother just asks to return her son's body.What is your position regarding all this?

Yanuk - Don't forget that you are not insulting me you are insulting those who supported me. All you talk about is Donetsk. I hoped that I will not be blaming you for how you worked as head of the national bank and prime minister, that you have to explain yourself before God. You can't accept criticism, you talk about falsification, but we know that there were falsifications in western Ukraine. When you talk about stolen votes, you must say that there were votes stolen on both sides.
Yes, Putin supported me. But Foreigners supported you. America supported you.

............Yanukovych spoke longer - how is it to handled................

Yusch - I am an honorable man. I have never been found guilty of a crime. And if you beleive that in ternopil there was fraud, why didn't you go to court. We know that 3 million votes were stolen. That's why the people came out onto the street. They were angry that their rights were taken away.
You say that you follow in the steps of Chornovil, but I don't understand which one, Vycheslav or Taras?
You talk about freedom of speech. But lets look at your oblast. You have turned off 5 Kanal, Era, 1+1. Soon only will be TRK in all of Ukraine, because it is yours.
Also you say that the Supreme court was wrong, is it lying or are you?

Yanuk: You know that in western Ukraine, all admin resource worked for you.

Yusch - what admin resource. its all yours.

Yanuk: Look at western Ukraine that offensive posters are hung all over, on churches, etc. That is your democracy. God will be you judge. You know very well how I grew up. You know that I was unfairly judged.

Yusch: You must tell the truth.Why is 5kanal not working in donetsk, Luhansk?

Yanuk: You have admin resource on your side. I have no support but the ordinary people.

Yusch: You are pushing to splits in Ukraine. You know very well that there are wonderful, hardworking peole there. You have nothing to use but trying to divide the country. You are nothing but a manipulator. It is your work that airports will not let me land in the east. Your clans.People do not want to work for the 3 families, the 3 clans.I will not comment on your past. I look at the future of our country. How can the criminal and gov't be united in our country. What kind of country can that be.Ukraine is one. All citizens are one, whether they support me. I bow before the electorate whoever they may be.

question: as the head of the gov't you are reponsible for the falsifications that took place on the 21 Nov. Again - you stole 3 million votes. You know that a person's vote is their own property. No one has the right to tell them how to vote. it is a sin to steal votes as well.

Yanuk - don't you think that the gov't worked for the people. That when Yanuk was PM that people lived better. And when you started to search for victory for yourself you should be a man.

Yusch- you do not know how to listen and thus cannot change. This gov't which is yours is criminal. You talk about your successes, the economic growth which has occured , has occured for 3 or 4 families (clans) and not the people. That is your economic miracle.

What do you leave for the next gov't, there is debt. This is not to the way to care for Ukraine.

closing:

Yanuk: Each of us has our position, we know that the Ukrainian nation was asleep before. The people that came out on the Maidan and protested. And that one way or another there was unfairness. We worked as well as we could and you can judge for yourself. What direction will our country take. The new year will be met with our families. Please on the 26, keep the peace. I believe in Ukraine and our nation and will serve the Ukrainian nation with God's help. Thank you.

Yusch: In the election campaign, there have been many processes. On the 26th there is the election. After the 26th life will continue and we must make it new.

I was born in Eastern Ukraine close to the Russian border. I grew up with my father's morality. He was in the Soviet Army as I was. He was in Nazi concentration camps. He taught me to love Ukraine.

And when someone talks about splitting Ukraine, go look at the graves by my mother's house in Sumy, look at the graves of the boys who gave their lives for our homeland. No one must talk about spliting Ukraine.

When I'm President: No One will be closing any Russian lang schools. Crimea will remain. No one will close any orthodox church. Faith is a personal choice. No one cover Odesa in asphalt. Sevestopil will be honored.

I go for president for all those who work all who honorably.

Thank you