Orange Revolution

The Orange Revolution is a series of protests and political events that takes place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which is compromised by massive corruption, voter intimidation and direct electoral fraud.

Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, is the focal point of the movement with thousands of protesters demonstrating daily.

Nationwide, the democratic revolution is highlighted by a series of acts of civil disobedience, sit-ins, and general strikes organized by the opposition movement.The protests are prompted by reports from several domestic and foreign election monitors as well as the widespread public perception that the results of the run-off vote of November 21, 2004 between leading candidates Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych have been rigged by the authorities in favor of the latter.

The nationwide protests succeed when the results of the original run-off are annulled, and a revote is ordered by Ukraine's Supreme Court for December 26, 2004.

Under intense scrutiny by domestic and international observers, the second run-off is declared to be "fair and free".

The final results show a clear victory for Yushchenko, who receives about 52 percent of the vote, compared to Yanukovych's 44 percent.

Yushchenko is declared the official winner and with his inauguration on January 23, 2005 in Kiev, the Orange Revolution peacefully reaches its successful conclusion.