Ukrainian Politics, be afraid, VERY AFRAID

[ShaneGR]

Ukrainian former Prime Minister and presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko, with his face disfigured by illness, speaks to the media during a news conference in Kiev, in this Friday, Nov. 19, 2004 photo. Experts trying to figure out why Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko fell seriously ill during the country's presidential campaign are testing a number of poisoning theories but have no conclusive evidence he was poisoned, doctors have said. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20041211/D86TG4EO0.html

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VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Dioxin poisoning caused the mysterious illness of Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko, doctors said Saturday.

Tests run over the past 24 hours provided conclusive evidence of the poisoning, Dr. Michael Zimpfer, director of Vienna's private Rudolfinerhaus clinic said.

"There is no doubt about the fact that Mr. Yushchenko's disease has been caused by a case of poisoning by dioxin," Zimpfer said.

Yushchenko has accused Ukrainian authorities of trying to poison him in the runup to a presidential vote. Citing fraud, Ukraine's Supreme Court voided the outcome of that vote, which Yushchenko lost to Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. A rerun of the ballot is slated for Dec. 26.

Yushchenko first fell ill in September and was rushed to the Vienna hospital. He resumed campaigning later in the month but with a pockmarked and badly disfigured face.