Viktor Yushchenko: Facts About the Third President of Ukraine
We all know that learning something new about something or someone has no downsides. Knowing new facts is a great way of accessing higher order of our critical thinking skills. If the facts that we have learned are true and accurate, we can all use them to give context to different kinds of circumstances. So, in this article, we will be giving you some facts about Victor Yushchenko.
Victor Yushchenko was Ukraine’s third president, and he lived through a lot of experiences. He lost the Ukrainian election on November 26, 2004, but his party argued that it was rigged and fixed for him to lose. So, millions of people gathered and rallied all over Ukraine, which was called The Orange Revolution, and demanded for a second election.
Victor Yushchenko has claimed that his political enemies tried to assassinate, but fortunately for him, the assassination attempt failed. Nevertheless, it still put him in the hospital, and his physical aspects showed signs of illness.
His Father Was a Prisoner of War
Andriy Andriyovych Yushchenko was Victor Yuschenko’s father, and he joined World War 2. Throughout the war, the Germans were able to capture his father, which in the end, made him a prisoner of war. Luckily enough for the family, Viktor’s father returned safely home in Ukraine and became an English teacher.
Independent Candidate for President
When his predecessor’s term was about to come to an end, Victor Yushchenko announced that he was an Independent candidate. This led to him winning the presidential election, and also because of his outstanding character and his experience. He won against Viktor Yanukovych, and he was put into office as the third president of Ukraine on January 23, 2005.
Assassination Via Poison
Many people firmly believed that his political opponents planned and orchestrated his poisoning and that he was not the prime candidate of Russia. On the contrary, the opposing party, Viktor Yanukovych, was the pro-Russian candidate. We know that being a president comes with risks, but this is something that no man should ever experience.
Illness Was an After-Effect of the Assassination
Professor John Henry, a British Toxicologist, announced that the damage in Viktor Yushchenko’s face was, in fact, the effect of dioxin poisoning. The poison was then confirmed that it was intentionally crafted in a lab that was then placed in his food. But because of citizenship laws, no one was criminally charged for the attempt on his life.
Got Sick During the Presidential Elections in September of 2004
In the middle of the presidential elections, Viktor Yushchenko became gravely ill in September 2004. He was then flown and hospitalized in Vienna to be treated, and the sickness was identified to be acute pancreatitis because of chemical substances, and viral infection. Because of this incident, Viktor Yushchenko’s face was bloated and became seriously disfigured with scars.
He Was Removed as the Prime Minister
Throughout his term as the Prime Minister of Ukraine, his administration had a dispute with the industry of coal mining and natural gas. Ultimately, it led to a Motion of No Confidence, which removed Viktor Yushchenko from the position as the Prime Minister.
Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine
During his time in the central bank, the modern-day statutory system for commercial banking was established by Viktor Yushchenko. Strengthening the currency of Ukraine called the Ukrainian Hryvnia was one of his main steps during his time in the position.
Viktor Yushchenko Rebuilt the Executive Branches in Ukraine
In his first 100 days, he was able to rebuild the executive branches of Ukraine, and that is something that we should be amazed about. His main intention was to fight off corruption in the country, but a lot of people viewed it as an effort to monopolize his political strength.
Viktor Yushchenko Begged Doctors to Let Him Die
When Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned, he was begging his doctors to just let him die as the pain he was feeling from dioxin poisoning was unbearable. So, the strongest painkiller was implanted in his back by his doctors, but they were hesitant at first. They were frightened that it may cause his heart to stop beating.
Ukraine-European Union
Most people saw him as a politician who is Western-oriented and a Ukrainian nationalist. During his time, he was in favor of NATO and Europe’s thrust in Ukraine. He preserved the tradition and culture of his country, headed the free-market reforms, brought Ukraine’s history back to life, and restored old and historical monuments.
Takeaway
So, what do you think of the third president of Ukraine? Have you already heard some of the facts that we have written in this article for you? We think that no matter what kind of man Viktor Yushchenko is, he truly did not deserve to be assassinated. No man deserves to be assassinated, right?
