Kuchma defies protesters

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine' President Leonid Kuchma has defied demonstrators who want him to resign, saying he still has the support of the people.

Kuchma is under pressure from opponents who say his administration is corrupt and accuse him of being involved in the death of a journalist.

Demonstrators armed with bottles and stones fought running battles with riot police using tear gas on Friday in the bloodiest protest since the anti-Kuchma campaign began three months ago.

But in comments released on Saturday Kuchma insisted he still had the support of the majority of the population.

He was quoted as telling the German magazine Focus: "I was voted in by more than 16 million people. What should I tell them? That 3,000 demonstrators forced me to resign?"

GALLERY Kuchma out!

He added: "The voters still support me."

Friday's protest began with about 200 people trying to storm a ceremony to mark the 187th anniversary of the birth of Ukraine's most famed poet, Taras Shevchenko.

The anniversary is one of the most important dates in Ukraine's calendar and Kuchma was attending the ceremony.

By Friday night the crowd of protesters had grown to as many as 18,000 as the demonstration moved from site to site in the capital, Kiev.

After being forced away from the Shevchenko ceremony the protest switched to the Interior Ministry before moving on to the presidential administration, where they shouted demands for Kuchma's resignation.

The second clash then broke out with demonstrators throwing bottles and stones at about 200 riot police.

At least three policemen were injured by flaming Molotov cocktails and passers-by were also hit by flying stones.

Opposition leaders -- from nationalist parties and the Ukraine without Kuchma movement -- said at least 20 people were arrested in the two violent clashes.

Opposition movements allege Kuchma was involved in the disappearance of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze, whose headless corpse was found outside Kiev last year.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Parliament of Ukraine
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