Towards the end of 2004, the majority of the media in the Western World focused on the rigged presidential elections in the Ukraine that led to the Orange Revolution. These elections became a turning point in the awakening of the Ukrainian civil society and solidified the shifting political dynamics in post-Soviet Ukraine. Yet, one very important aspect closely linked to security and stability in the southern flanks of post-Soviet Eurasia remained unnoticed: the Crimean Tatar political factor in Crimea.
This paper, which reviews the 2004 Ukrainian presidential elections, is divided into three parts. The first part revisits the shifting dynamics in the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election processes. The second focuses on the regional factors affecting Ukrainian politics, comparing and contrasting two Eastern regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, with the Crimean Autonomous Republic of the South. To capture the complexity of the Crimean politics further, the third part examines the Crimean Tatar political factor incorporating the key findings from multi-method field research conducted. The conclusion entails certain policy recommendations in regard to future conflict prevention efforts in Crimea