[JURIST] Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko opened a 2-hour live TV debate Monday with rival and prime minister Viktor Yanukovych by accusing him of trying to steal the November 21 Ukrainian presidential election, which led to allegations of massive fraud and weeks of protests in Kyiv, resulting in the Ukrainian Supreme Court setting aside the result and calling for new elections. It now also appears that Yushchenko was intentionally poisoned by dioxin in the weeks leading up to the vote; Yanukovych has, however, denied any involvement in the poisoning, which observers say may have been conducted by state security agents. BBC News has background on today's debate and the state of the election contest, which will take Ukrainians to the polls again on December 26 in a race that will be watched very closely by international observers. JURIST is currently carrying the debate broadcast here [via UTR, Ukrainian state television].