Viktor Yanukovych
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych (Віктор Федорович Янукович) (born 1950), was Prime Minister of Ukraine from November 2002 until December 2004. He was forced to resign (leave office early) on 31 December 2004.
In November 2004, he won the presidential election. Viktor Yushchenko, his opponent, said the result was false. Judges decided that there would be new elections in November.
Yanukovych was supported by Vladimir Putin of Russia and by the Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma.
Yushchenko claimed to have been poisoned in a bid to silence his ever-growing "orange power" base. Certainly, he was hospitalized and his appearance showed signs of a grave illness.
