Ex-Ukraine Official Vows Strong Opposition

KIEV, Ukraine -- One of the most feared and influential figures in Ukraine's former government vowed to help build a powerful opposition to new President Viktor Yushchenko, saying Wednesday he is not afraid of his one-time enemies who are now in power.

Viktor Medvedchuk, former chief-of-staff to ex-President Leonid Kuchma, denied allegations of crimes while in office - including claims he helped orchestrate the fraud in the Nov. 21 presidential runoff that prompted the "Orange Revolution" protests - and said he would not flee into exile.

Viktor Medvedchuk

"The government lost. We can't stay in power or pretend to be in power," Medvedchuk told journalists in his first wide-ranging press conference in more than two years. "We have only one way out: go into the opposition."

As Kuchma's right-hand man since 2002, Medvedchuk operated behind-the-scenes in Ukraine's bare-knuckle politics - earning the nickname the "gray eminence" and a reputation as the real power in this nation of 48 million. His personal Web site features a page aimed at dispelling "the myths about Medvedchuk," including that he is a "person without a heart."