President George W. Bush said on Thursday that any new election in Ukraine should be "open and fair" and free of foreign influence. "I think any election, if there is one, ought to be free from any foreign influence. These elections ought to be open and fair," Bush told a reporter who had asked his views on a potential election in the former Soviet republic and the prospect of Russian influence.
Bush spoke as Ukraine's outgoing president, Leonid Kuchma, discussed the crisis with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Ukraine's opposition, declared the loser in the November 21 election in which massive voter fraud has been alleged, is pressing for a new election.
"The position of our government is that the will of the people must be known and heard," Bush said as he met Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo at the White House.
"Any election, in any country, must reflect the will of the people and not that of any foreign government," Bush said.
He said the United States was monitoring and will continue to be involved in the process that encourages a peaceful resolution of the crisis. He stopped short of endorsing a new election.
"There are different options on the table. We're watching very carefully what is taking place," he said.
Comments
Comments are closed.