Despite the mass demonstrations, the talk of “civil war,” and threats of secession, Ukrainians are handling their election crisis pretty well – at least, so far.

There has been no violence since pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych claimed election victory, while Ukraine’s opposition led by Viktor Yushchenko rejected the election results. Yushchenko’s supporters have come darn close to shutting down the capital of Kiev through peaceful protests.

What happens in the Ukraine is of monumental importance. If Ukraine can successfully make the transition to true democracy, it will be another nail in the coffin of the old Soviet legacy. It will also send a clear signal to the world’s remaining dictatorships, e.g., “Your days are numbered.” Ukraine’s lame duck government, led by Leonid Kuchma, was not a true democracy. It was a pseudo-authoritarian, pro-Russian, corrupt sham. But despite its legacy, Kuchma today called for new elections to resolve the crisis. I just hope that a new round of polling doesn’t put the Ukraine right back where it started, where everyone is unhappy with the results.

The Hindustan Times has a great read on the current situation. I would encourage all readers to take a look-see:

The Ukrainian regime seems determined to hang on to power. It officially declared the victory of its candidate despite ample evidence of serious vote fraud, confirmed by international observers. Behind the regime is neighbouring Russia, which blatantly interfered in the election and rushed to embrace the supposed victor even before the votes were officially tallied.

The danger of violence hangs over the country. Western governments, from Washington to Berlin, are torn between supporting democracy in Ukraine and maintaining good relations with Vladimir Putin. They fear an escalation to civil war.

The outcome of this crisis will tell us whether Ukraine, a nation of 50 million that stands at the boundary between East and West in Europe, will be a democracy in fact, not just in form.

It may deepen Russia's own retreat from the rule of law and feed the dreams of those who believe greatness lies only in recreating a lost Soviet empire. Finally, the Ukrainian crisis threatens to draw a new dividing line between East and West. If Europe and the US falter in defence of democracy, it will signal to tens of millions looking on from the former republics of the Soviet Union that they must bow again to mother Russia.