Ukraine - Presidential campaign gets dirty as leaflets smear prime minister as ‘Jew’

Ukraine’s bitter presidential campaign took an ugly turn this week as leaflets accusing Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko of being Jewish and encouraging voters not to cast ballots in her favor began to circulate in western Ukraine.

The flyer features Tymoshenko’s photograph with the words “Don’t Vote for a Jew!”

It reprints an alleged facsimile by the prime minister’s father documenting his supposed Russian and Jewish background and asks why Tymoshenko is hiding her Jewish ancestry. The leaflet also features purported quotes by four individuals, including former presidential candidate Arseniy Yatseniuk, who claim Tymoshenko is Jewish. The flyer’s circulation is listed as two million copies.

It is unclear who is behind the smear campaign. Hryhoriy Nemyria, Ukraine’s vice prime minister, however, was quick to point fingers at Tymoshenko’s rival, opposition leader Victor Yanukovych.

Source: http://www.vosizneias.com/