Ukraine and the Orange Revolution: Democracy or a ‘Velvet Restoration’?

This article is primarily a detailed account of what took place during the Ukrainian presidential elections of 2004 that led to the Orange Revolution. It is argued here that the Orange Revolution is not to be defined as a traditional revolution (i.e., a violent replacement of the old political elite by a new one enjoying sound popular support). Electoral fraud in Ukraine paved the way for organized opposition protests against a corrupt, semi‐authoritarian regime that had ruled the country since its independence. However, the question as to whether these events will usher in a new democratic constellation of power or whether they will be the prelude to the restoration of the old political elite, still remains.