Ukrainians urge president to quit

KIEV, Ukraine -- Thousands of protesters have marched through the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, calling for the resignation of President Leonid Kuchma.

Security was tight as about 5,000 demonstrators marched to the parliament building on Tuesday, accusing the president of plotting the disappearance of one of his critics, journalist Georgiy Gongadze.

The disappearance prompted the European Union to call for a full inquiry into the incident, saying Ukrainian authorities had so far failed to investigate the case thoroughly.

Protesters, including pensioners and students, trudged through heavy snow, some carrying banners asking "Kuchma, where is Gongadze?"

A decapitated corpse found in November is believed to be that of Gongadze but Kuchma has denied issuing orders to silence the journalist.

Gongadze, who had been critical of the government and crusaded against corruption, disappeared last September.

"The European Union calls for a full and transparent inquiry into the disappearance of Gongadze. Such an inquiry would generate greater confidence in the Ukrainian authorities handling of this issue," the EU said in a statement on Tuesday issued by the current Swedish presidency.

Groups from across Ukraine took part in the rally, with one travelling from the western city of Zhytomyr, 140 km (87 miles) from Kiev, to join the protest.

The march, the second this week, was supported by both left-wing and right-wing parties -- a rare solidarity in a country deeply split between those nostalgic for the stability of Soviet days and those committed to a free market.

"I'm here because many people were killed for him (Kuchma)," one 18-year-old student said.

Journalists and some legislators said Gongadze was most likely the victim of a politically-motivated attack.

Ukraine is struggling to find its economic feet amid a mass of debt and widespread fraud.

The Gongadze case has developed into the biggest political scandal in Ukraine in a decade, although political analysts doubt whether Kuchma's grip on power is slipping.

Kuchma has also come under pressure over a second case, the indictment of former deputy prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko on charges of smuggling and forgery stemming from her previous job as head of a private gas trading firm.

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Ukrainian Parliament
Ukraine
Council of Europe

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