Maybe Al can let me know what is going on. I was watching Euronews the other day and they mentioned that the Donetsk region miners and the area where threatening succession over the election results. I THINK* they wanted the "Russian backed candidate" to remain the victor. Is this merely a ethnic thing? and what is the gripe of the miners in the region?
When Yushchenko was Prime Minister he began a massive pit closure programme and miners were often unpaid for months.
Yanukovych has sent subsidies to some pits and has raised wages and pensions (albeit by a small amount).
He used to be Governer of the Donetsk, and while people there are well aware he could stand in the shadow of a corkscrew they don't really have a choice who to vote for (besides... most are convinced that Yushchenko is also crooked).
It's a very sad situtation and has gone mostly unreported in the Western Media.