Ukrainian bishop welcomes apparent results of presidential election

Published: 2004-12-28

OXFORD, England (CNS) -- A Ukrainian bishop welcomed the apparent results of a new presidential election, despite the losing candidate's plans for a legal appeal. "We called on everyone to follow conscience and ensure these elections were honest, and we rejoice at the result," said Bishop Markijan Trofimiak of Lutsk, vicar general of Ukraine's Latin-rite bishops' conference. "Our nation has been born through these elections -- it's begun to believe in its own power and wisdom," he said in a telephone interview Dec. 28. Bishop Trofimiak said people in Western Ukraine had welcomed the apparent win by opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko, who favors membership in NATO and the European Union. However, he added that "not everyone would accept the results" in eastern sections of the country, some of which have threatened to declare self-rule. "There'll always be someone who's unhappy, but what's most important is that the nation has chosen the person it wants in free and fair elections," Bishop Trofimiak said. "When the situation was very dangerous, we took risks in appealing for this. But we also prayed continually for it, believing this would bring about a peaceful outcome."

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