Ahead of the second round of the Ukrainian presidential elections

12:0202/02/2010

Poll: http://en.rian.ru/infographics/20100202/157749967.html

Yanukovych defeats Tymoshenko in Ukraine presidential election - exit polls

00:2908/02/2010

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has narrowly defeated Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Ukraine’s presidential election with different exit polls giving him from 48.7% to 50.26%.

Yanukovych was facing Tymoshenko in Sunday’s runoff vote.

Tymoshenko gained 44%-45.6%, exit polls said, making the gap between the candidates 3.1-6.3%. Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said Yanukovych has 53.08% of the vote, and Tymoshenko 41.93%, with 6.57% of the ballots processed.

In line with exit polls, 5 to 6% of voters said "no" to all candidates (3.95% according to the CEC).

The candidate that gains a simple majority of votes wins the runoff, which does not require a minimum voter turnout.

Matias Ersi, the head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe delegation at the election, said Sunday the election runoff was transparent and that the international community should recognize its results. Ukraine’s election authorities said there were no "systemic" violations, and a Russian observer reported no falsifications either.

Ukraine’s Central Election Commission said that in line with preliminary results, the voter turnout was 69%, slightly more than in the January 17 first round that saw Yanukovych gain 35.32% of the vote and Tymoshenko 25.05%.

Yanukovych pledged on Sunday to launch reforms to scale down the consequences of the crisis.

"I will conduct reforms that will make it possible for us to overcome the consequences of the economic crisis," Yanukovych said in his election headquarters Yanukovych also said "a new page opened" in Ukraine’s history and pledged to take into account the hopes of those who voted for other candidates.

"I think at these elections we made the first step toward the country’s unification, which is very important," he said.

Tymoshenko said Sunday it was too early to name the winner, and pledged to defend each vote cast for her.

"Each vote decides the destiny of Ukraine. We are fighting for each vote," she told journalists.

Both presidential contenders had previously exchanged accusations of fraud and preparations for provocative acts before the crucial runoff. Outgoing President Viktor Yushchenko, swept to power by the 2004 pro-Western street protests, gained slightly more than 5% of the vote in January’s first round. His presidency has been marred by continuous political infighting and economic problems.

The pollsters whose data was used include SOCIS, GFK NOP, Savik Shuster Studio, National Exit Poll consortium and FOM-Ukraine. Each company polled from 15,000 to 20,000 voters at several hundred polling stations.

Russian ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov said Sunday Moscow will cooperate with any Ukrainian president.

"I am absolutely sure the Russian leadership will actively work with any president," he said.

Both Yanukovych, who was openly backed by Moscow in the 2004 vote he lost to Yushchenko, and Tymoshenko, who has worked with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to resolve the bitter gas disputes of the past years, have pledged to improve ties with Russia.

MOSCOW, February 7 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100208/157802880.html

Presidential elections in Ukraine: runoff

00:1208/02/2010

Ukrainian pollsters present preliminary results of exit-polls:

http://en.rian.ru/infographics/20100208/157803574.html

Yanukovych’s ’new path’ narrows as Tymoshenko cuts lead

08:4408/02/2010

Viktor Yanukovych’s lead over Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in the second round of Ukraine’s presidential polls has narrowed to 2.76% with 85% of the vote counted, election officials said on Monday.

Latest results give opposition leader and former premier Yanukovych 48.55% of the vote with Tymoshenko on 45.79%. A simple majority is required for victory. The remaining votes chose the "Neither of the above" option.

The closeness of the vote means that the eventual losing candidate is likely to call for protests. Tymoshenko has said she will urge her supporters to demonstrate if she feels the election has been rigged in favor of Yanukovych. Similar protests in 2004 led to the annulment of fraudulent poll results and the election of then Tymoshenko ally Viktor Yushchenko.

Both candidates have pledged to improve ties with Russia, soured in recent years over pro-Western outgoing Yushchenko’s bid to take the former Soviet republic into NATO, gas disputes, and Ukraine’s support for Georgia in its 2008 war with Russia.

KIEV, February 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100208/157805628.html

Ukrainian polls set for photo finish

11:5408/02/2010

Ukraine is set for a nail-biting conclusion to tense presidential polls, with both Viktor Yanukovych and Yulia Tymoshenko still able to claim victory in the former Soviet republic.

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych is currently less than 3% ahead of bitter rival Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, after 93.06% of the ballots have been counted in the second round runoff.

But with around only half of the vote calculated in several regions, Ukrainian elections officials are promising a clearer picture later this evening.

"We expect to get a more or less full picture of preliminary results by the end of the day," deputy head of the Central Election Commission Andriy Mahera told journalists.

Meanwhile, some 5,000 Yanukovych supporters have gathered in front of the Central Election Commission’s office in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, to celebrate their candidate’s victory.

KIEV, February 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100208/157807195.html

Yanukovych’s lead over Tymoshenko in Ukrainian runoff down to 2%

12:0508/02/2010

Yulia Tymoshenko has further cut Viktor Yanukovych’s lead in Ukraine’s presidential runoff to 2.09%, the Central Election Commission said on Monday.

According to a commission update, with 95.04% of the vote counted, Yanukovych is leading with 48.23% of the vote and Tymoshenko is running close with 46.14%.

KIEV, February 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100208/157807379.html

Ukraine polls free of ’mass irregularities’ - EU monitors

12:3208/02/2010

There have been no reports of extensive breaches of voting procedure at Ukraine’s presidential polls runoff, the chief of the EU monitoring mission said on Monday.

"It doesn’t look like there were any mass irregularities," Pavel Koval said.

He said the mission was still collecting reports from local monitors and would deliver its report later today.

KIEV, February 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100208/157807811.html

Yanukovych leads Tymoshenko by 2.59%

15:2708/02/2010

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych leads Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko by 2.59% in Ukraine’s presidential polls runoff, election officials said on Monday.

Yanukovych now has 48.5% of the vote, followed by Tymoshenko with 45.91% after 97.84% of the vote has been counted.

KIEV, February 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100208/157810249.html

Observers say Ukraine’s runoff in line with democratic norms

16:4008/02/2010

Sunday’s presidential runoff in Ukraine was in line with democratic norms, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said on its website on Monday.

"Yesterday’s vote was an impressive display of democratic elections," Joao Soares, the head of the observation mission from the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly, said.

He said that the vote should serve as the basis for a peaceful transition of power.

"It is now time for the country’s political leaders to listen to the people’s verdict and make sure that the transition of power is peaceful and constructive," he said.

Other observers were also positive about the vote.

"The pessimistic scenarios put forward before election day were proven wrong by the overwhelmingly efficient and non-partisan manner in which election commissions performed yesterday and by the high turnout," said Assen Agov, head of the delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

"This has been a well-administered and truly competitive election, offering voters a clear choice," said Heidi Tagliavini, head of the election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

With 97.84% of the ballots counted, opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych leads with 48.5%, followed by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko with 45.91%.

Tymoshenko has ignored Yanukovych’s calls for her to concede, saying the vote is too close to call. She has also pledged to call mass protests if she believes the vote was rigged in favor of Yanukovych.

Street protests in 2004 led to the annulment of Yanukovych’s victory in presidential elections and the triumph of pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko.

MOSCOW, February 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100208/157811107.html

Tymoshenko cancels planned news conference

17:2208/02/2010

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko scrapped a planned news conference on Monday at which she was expected to address Sunday’s presidential election, whose incomplete results have her narrowly losing.

With 97.84% of the ballots counted from the runoff vote, opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych leads with 48.5%. Tymoshenko, who before the polls accused her opponent of trying to rig the election, has 45.91%.

Tymoshenko’s willingness to challenge the results of the vote is seen as pivotal to political stability in the former Soviet state.

The news conference was initially planned for 14:00 Moscow time (11:00 GMT), but was later postponed until 18:00 Moscow time (15:00 GMT) before being put off until Tuesday.

The government press service said the time would be announced later.

KIEV, February 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100208/157811918.html

Ukraine’s presidential election: second round

19:2508/02/2010

Preliminary results of the vote: http://en.rian.ru/infographics/20100208/157803363.html

Yanukovych wins Ukraine presidential vote, loses room for maneuver

20:0408/02/2010

Viktor Yanukovych’s narrow victory over archrival Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in the presidential runoff is likely to give him Ukraine’s top job, but not a free hand to carry out his plans, analysts said on Monday.

With nearly 99% of vote counted from Sunday’s vote, Yanukovych leads with 48.65% of vote, a mere 2.88% over Tymoshenko, a populist who was among the leaders of the "Orange Revolution" against election fraud which overturned Yanukovych’s declared victory in the previous polls in 2004 raising popular protests.

Vadim Karasyov, director of Ukrainian independent think tank Institute of Global Strategies, said the margin was too narrow to give Yanukovych a sound victory.

"Tymoshenko lost the vote, but she was not defeated," he said. "Now, Yanukovych has limited space for maneuver when forming a coalition to push a comfortable prime minister through the parliament. The trading-off over ’third candidates’ is likely to start."

In the past couple of years Tymoshenko openly squabbled with her former "Orange Revolution" ally, President Viktor Yushchenko, in a feud that badly damaged Ukraine’s economy as it struggled with the global crisis, effectively forcing potential foreign creditors to hold back rescue packages.

Yanukovych has already made clear that he will not retain Tymoshenko as prime minister and promised to name his candidate as soon as election smoke clears.

Tymoshenko is likely to fight to the end for her current job. She and Yanukovych have the two biggest factions in parliament, but neither has enough votes to control key nominations and both have to rely heavily on allies from smaller parties.

Karasyov said Tymoshenko’s likely tactic will be pressurizing Yanukovych with threats of challenging the results of presidential polls in exchange for keeping her job. Tymoshenko’s support increased 20 percentage points between the first round and the runoff, giving her a strong bargaining hand.

"With the narrow margin of Yanukovych’s win, strong powers enjoyed by the prime minister and impressive personal results she maintains her position of one of the powerhouses of Ukrainian politics, the head of a political clan that cannot be split," he said.

The head of Gardarika consulting group Konstantin Minchenko said that the biggest risk for Tymoshenko would be to accept defeat in the election.

"If she acknowledges the defeat, she will have no political future because her party is very much like the party of Yanukovych, centered around one leader." he said. "Tymoshenko is a brand and once the brand is defeated, the party disappears."

In a sign of heavy considerations, Tymoshenko, who had vowed to take her supporters to the street if she were not happy with the election results, postponed twice on Monday her post-election news conference, finally moving it to Tuesday.

Under the circumstances, Yanukovych may be forced to offer prime minister’s job to one of the candidates who took part in the first round, like former central bank chief Sergei Tigipko, Minchenko said. Before the runoff, Tymoshenko offered the job to Tigipko if he advised his supporters to vote for her. Tigipko rejected the offer.

European officials who monitored the elections have expressed worries that a continued fight between Tymoshenko and Yanukovych over the election results may further damage Ukraine’s credentials abroad and hurt the nation’s struggling economy.

The international observer team sent by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) urged both politicians at their news conference to "listen to the people’s verdict," accept reality and "shake hands with the one who wins."

MOSCOW, February 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100208/157814490.html

Yanukovych supporters hold vigil as Ukrainian vote count goes on

23:0008/02/2010

Frontrunner Viktor Yanukovych’s supporters plan to spend the night in front of the Central Election Commission building as the vote count after the crucial presidential runoff continues.

With 99.47% of ballots counted from Sunday’s poll, Yanukovych is leading narrowly with 48.81% of the vote against 45.61% garnered by his rival, current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who co-led the 2004 protests that overturned his declared victory.

A plurality of votes is required to win the runoff.

The election commission said it would not meet until Tuesday morning, but vote counting was to continue throughout the night with updates posted on the commission website.

Several dozen supporters of opposition leader Yanukovich are near the entrance to the building, while others are in tents that dot the central square, hiding from a heavy snowfall.

The vigil will continue "until Yanukovych is declared president," a participant told RIA Novosti, adding they were there to prevent pressure on the election authorities.

Supporters have prepared for a possible protest by erecting a stage and making signs that read "Let’s Protect the Ukrainian People’s Choice," "Ukraine for Fair Elections," and "We Will Protect the Central Election Commission from Pressure."

Tymoshenko has vowed to take her supporters to the street if she was not satisfied with the election. She postponed a news conference scheduled for Monday until Tuesday.

Ukraine’s deputy interior minister, Oleksandr Savchenko, said earlier on Monday that police were in control of the situation and would deter clashes between the two rival groups.

KIEV, February 8 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100208/157815712.html

Tymoshenko preparing to contest runoff results

09:5609/02/2010

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko will not recognize opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych as president and has hinted that a third round of election could be held, a Ukrainian online edition said on Tuesday.

With 99.53% of ballots counted, Yanukovych snatched a narrow victory in the presidential runoff on Sunday with 48.82% of the vote against Tymoshenko’s 45.60%. A simple majority of votes is required to win the runoff.

Tymoshenko earlier vowed to take her supporters to the street if she was not satisfied with the election. She postponed twice a news conference scheduled for Monday, finally moving it to Tuesday.

Referring to its sources, Ukrainskaya Pravda said Tymoshenko held a meeting of her parliamentary bloc late on Monday, where she said that she would "never recognize the legitimacy of Yanukovych’s victory."

The prime minister also instructed her lawyers to prepare to contest the runoff results, and said that a third round of voting could be held as an option, the Ukrainian online paper said.

However, some of her party members voiced their support for Yanukovych as president and advised their leader to shift to the opposition.

MOSCOW, February 9 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100209/157818735.html

Yanukovych’s lead over Tymoshenko nears 3.5%

10:4209/02/2010

With 99.91% of the vote counted, opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has a 3.47% lead over Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Ukraine’s presidential polls runoff, the country’s election authority said on Tuesday.

Yanukovych now has 48.95% of the vote, followed by Tymoshenko with 45.48%.

A simple majority is needed in the presidential runoff election.

KIEV, February 9 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100209/157819089.html

Top Russian MP says too soon to congratulate Yanukovych

12:4109/02/2010

Russia should not congratulate Viktor Yanukovych until he officially becomes Ukraine’s president to avoid repeating its mistake of 2004, the speaker of the lower house of parliament warned on Tuesday.

"I remember that in the runoff five years ago Yanukovych had better results than now, so I think it would be right to put off the question of congratulations until the inauguration," State Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov told reporters.

With 99.91% of ballots from Sunday’s vote counted, Yanukovych has a 3.47 percentage point lead over Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a flamboyant leader of the 2004 "Orange Revolution" protests that led to a re-vote and Yanukovych’s defeat.

Yanukovych was cast as the political villain and a Kremlin stooge in 2004, after Moscow rushed to congratulate him for winning an election that international observers said was rigged.

Gryzlov, however, said it was unlikely the events of 2004 would be repeated. "It was beyond the scope of any law, and I think it would be simply impossible to repeat."

"I hope the current results, when formally confirmed by Ukrainian election authorities, will allow Yanukovych to become the legitimate president," said Gryzlov, who is also a leader of the dominant Kremlin-backed United Russia party.

Ukrainian media reported on Tuesday that Tymoshenko was not going to recognize Yanukovych’s victory. She vowed during the campaign to take her supporter to the streets if she was not happy with the election results. She is due to hold a news conference on Tuesday after twice postponing it on Monday.

Yanukovych has 48.95% of the vote against Tymoshenko’s 45.48%. In their election campaign, both rivals pledged to improve ties with Russia, strained over a host of issues under pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko.

MOSCOW, February 9 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100209/157819896.html

Tymoshenko supporters to contest election results

14:2309/02/2010

Yulia Tymoshenko will contest the presidential runoff results in court if reports of extensive voting procedure breaches in several regions of the country prove true, a deputy leader of her bloc said on Tuesday.

With 99.91% of the vote counted, opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has a 3.47% lead over Tymoshenko in Ukraine’s presidential polls runoff, the country’s election authority said on Tuesday. Yanukovych now has 48.95% of the vote, followed by Tymoshenko with 45.48%.

A simple majority is needed in the presidential runoff election.

"Yesterday we made the decision to contest results in separate electoral districts, and if the courts back us up, we will call the overall runoff results into question," deputy leader of Tymoshenko’s bloc, Elena Shustik, said.

Tymoshenko earlier vowed to take her supporters to the street if she was not satisfied with the election. She postponed twice a news conference scheduled for Monday, finally moving it to Tuesday.

Referring to its sources, Ukrainskaya Pravda said Tymoshenko held a meeting of her parliamentary bloc late on Monday, where she said that she would "never recognize the legitimacy of Yanukovych’s victory."

The prime minister also instructed her lawyers to prepare to contest the runoff results, and said that a third round of voting could be held as an option, the Ukrainian online paper said.

However, experts believe that Tymoshenko does not stand a chance as Yanukovych’s lead is too large.

"It will be virtually impossible to prove Yanukovych wrong, he leads Tymoshenko by some 800,000 votes," a Ukrainian political expert told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

KIEV, February 9 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100209/157821177.html

Yanukovych’s party forming coalition in Ukraine parliament

15:2709/02/2010

Ukraine’s opposition Party of Region, whose leader Viktor Yanukovich looks set to become president after tight polls on Sunday, said on Tuesday it could put together a coalition this week giving him control over parliament.

Yanukovych is leading a mere 3.47 percentage points over Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a populist leader of the 2004 "orange revolution" protests that overturned his declared victory. A majority coalition in parliament nominates prime minister in Ukraine.

"I believe the establishment of a new coalition will be announced on Thursday," Party of Regions lawmaker Vasyl Hrytsak was quoted as saying by the Unian agency.

Mykola Azarov, a party leader who was mentioned in media reports as Yanukovych’s possible prime minister, said it was premature to talk about a coalition, confirming that "talks are underway" but declining further comment.

The Party of Regions is the largest party in the 450-seat parliament, with 175 seats, but the current coalition comprises the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (156 seats), the pro-presidential Our Ukraine (76) and ex-speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn’s bloc (20).

The Lytvyn Bloc said it had not received an offer to join any new coalition.

The Communists, who hold 27 seats in the Supreme Rada, said on Tuesday they might join the coalition if Tymoshenko’s bloc and President Viktor Yushchenko’s party were not there.

"We cannot imagine a coalition comprising both Communists and the Tymoshenko bloc, or Communists and Our Ukraine. It is unrealistic, impossible," said Oleksandr Holub, a Communist Party leader.

Even if both the Lytvyn Bloc and the Communists agreed to join a coalition, the Party of Regions would still need the support of some deputies from the Tymoshenko Bloc or outgoing President Yushchenko’s Our Ukraine.

The parliament was elected for a five-year term in September 2007. Efforts by Yushchenko to hold snap polls in late 2008 foundered on opposition from both Tymoshenko’s and Yanukovych’s parties, but Yanukovych has vowed to call early elections once he is president. The Party of Regions leader has already made clear that he will not retain Tymoshenko as prime minister and promised to name his candidate as soon as election smoke clears.

International monitors declared Sunday’s election was fair, but the premier has pledged to challenge the results in a court and possibly even take people to the street to protest.

KIEV, February 9 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100209/157822145.html

U.S. welcomes Ukraine’s election as democratic

15:5709/02/2010

The United States on Tuesday praised the conduct of Ukraine’s presidential election as a step forward in the country’s democratic development.

"The election provided a choice among candidates in a calm atmosphere followed freely by the media," the U.S. Embassy in Kiev said on its website as the final counting of votes from Sunday’s second round continued.

"We welcome the high turnout of voters. The conduct of both the first and second rounds reflects another step in the consolidation of Ukraine’s democracy," the embassy said.

Turnout was nearly 70% in the runoff in the former Soviet state of 46 million, up from about 67% for the January 17 first round.

Foreign monitors said the election was free and fair, but Tymoshenko was reported to have said she will "never" accept Yanukovych’s victory.

MOSCOW, February 9 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20100209/157822578.html

Ukrainian government could be dismissed on Thursday - MP

16:0709/02/2010

A new Cabinet could be formed in Ukraine as early as Thursday if a former premier, Yury Yekhanurov, is approved for prime minister, a source in the ex-Soviet nation’s Communist Party said on Tuesday. With 99.95% of ballots counted, opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has a 3.47 percentage point lead over Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a populist leader of the 2004 "Orange Revolution" protests that led to a re-vote and Yanukovych’s defeat.

"The government issue could be settled quite soon, as early as this Thursday, provided Yury Yekhanurov is appointed prime minister," the source said.

Last June, Ukraine’s parliament dismissed Yekhanurov, who was earlier accused of corruption by Tymoshenko, from his post of defense minister. Yekhanurov, one of President Yushchenko’s few allies in the government, had held the position from 2007.

Yekhanurov was Ukraine’s premier from 2005 to 2006.

The parliamentarian said Yanukovych’s Party of Regions could already be negotiating the appointment with the Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defense faction.

He also said that "Yekhanurov would suit everybody," and that Yanukovych would be able to explain to his electorate that the appointment of the "orange" politician was useful.

KIEV, February 9 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100209/157822706.html

Medvedev congratulates Yanukovych on election as president

16:3909/02/2010

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Viktor Yanukovych on Thursday on his victory in Ukraine’s presidential election.

"Medvedev has congratulated Yanukovych on the completion of the election campaign, which was given a high assessment by international observers, and his victory in the presidential election," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia also congratulated Yanukovich and urged the new Ukrainian leader to assume "responsibility to God, people and history."

The Ukrainian Central Election Commission has not officially announced the results of the election, and Yanukovych’s opponent in Sunday’s runoff vote, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has not conceded defeat.

The Kremlin was quick to congratulate Yanukovych in 2004, when initial results gave him victory over Viktor Yushchenko in an election that international observers declared flawed.

MOSCOW, February 9 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100209/157822929.html

Russia hopes for positive relations with Ukraine’s new leadership

17:2309/02/2010

Russia on Tuesday congratulated Viktor Yanukovich on his victory in Ukraine’s presidential election, saying that it hoped for better ties with his government.

"We hope that relations with the new Ukrainian government will be positive and efficient," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

President Dmitry Medvedev and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill congratulated Yanukovych earlier on Tuesday.

"Medvedev has congratulated Yanukovych on the completion of the election campaign, which was given a high assessment by international observers, and his victory in the presidential election," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Tymoshenko has not conceded defeat, however, and her camp signaled they would contest the outcome of the polls.

The Kremlin was quick to congratulate Yanukovych in 2004, when initial results gave him victory over Viktor Yushchenko in an election that international observers declared flawed.

MOSCOW, February 9 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100209/157823527.html

Patriarch Kirill calls on Orthodox believers to pray for Ukraine

17:5609/02/2010

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill called on all Orthodox believers to pray for political stability in Ukraine, his press service said on Tuesday.

"All devoted children of the Russian Orthodox Church should pray for Ukraine today. Let our common prayer help our brothers and sisters to overcome the trials they faced," the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said.

The patriarch expressed hope that under the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych Ukraine would remain "an important center of Eastern Christianity, open to cooperation with all states, especially with those that share its history and faith."

With 99.95% of ballots counted, Yanukovych has an insurmountable 3.47 percentage point lead over Yulia Tymoshenko, whose camp has signaled they will contest the outcome of the polls.

MOSCOW, February 9 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/Religion/20100209/157823945.html

Vote rigged in Ukraine - Tymoshenko headquarters

18:1910/02/2010

Ukraine’s presidential election was rigged in some regions and this has been proven legally, a Ukrainian first deputy prime minister said Wednesday.

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych narrowly won Ukraine’s presidential election with 48.95% of the vote, with his rival Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko garnering 45.47% of the vote, 3.48 points behind Yanukovych, according to preliminary results announced on Wednesday after election authorities finished counting ballots following Sunday’s runoff.

"I have the authority to announce the first legally proven falsifications in the interest of Yanukovych in the Ukrainian presidential election runoff," Oleksandr Turchynov, who also heads Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s election headquarters, said in a statement posted on Tymoshenko’s website.

"In particular, in the 5th electoral district [city of Kerch] we managed to initiate the first recount at the 20th polling station despite resistance from Yanukovych’s representatives," he said, adding that data submitted to the Central Election Commission gave Yanukovych 8% more votes that he actually received.

Supporters of Tymoshenko earlier demanded a recount, saying they had evidence of violations at hundreds of polling stations, including in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as in the Crimea.

The Dnepropetrovsk city headquarters of Tymoshenko said Yanukovych’s Party of Regions members brought voters to polling stations in vans and campaigning for Yanukovych was still underway although it was forbidden. It also said supporters of Tymoshenko were prevented from arriving at polling stations.

Yanukovych’s supporters, in turn, accused Tymoshenko of rigging in Ukraine’s west where she has more support.

Tymoshenko, a populist leader of the 2004 "orange revolution" protests that overturned Yanukovych’s tainted victory in 2004, has stayed out of the public eye since Sunday after vowing during the campaign to take her supporters to the street if she believed the polls had been rigged.

International monitors have praised the Ukrainian election, which the United States on Tuesday called a step forward in the former Soviet state’s democratic development.

The official results have yet to be announced, although the completed count gave Yanukovych the plurality of votes required to win.

KIEV, February 10 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100210/157836453.html

Yanukovych camp says beating Tymoshenko in court

17:4611/02/2010

Viktor Yanukovych’s opposition Party of Regions said on Thursday they were winning the court battle over Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s complaints of vote-rigging in Ukraine’s presidential election.

The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc said earlier in the week they had evidence of hundreds of violations at polling stations and demanded a recount of ballots.

"Another seven court hearings have taken place. At this time all of the 24 complaints [from Tymosheko’s staff] have been rejected, that is, they were found to be groundless," Party of Regions deputy chairman Boris Kolesnikov said, adding that another 36 claims would be heard later on Thursday.

Preliminary results announced on Wednesday after the vote count was completed showed Yanukovych narrowly winning the second round of Ukraine’s presidential election, with 48.95% of the vote against 45.47% for Tymoshenko.

KIEV, February 11 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100211/157847155.html

Yanukovych could seek to revise Ukraine’s gas deals with Russia

19:1811/02/2010

Viktor Yanukovych, who according to preliminary results won Ukraine’s presidential election, could seek better terms for Kiev in gas contracts signed with Moscow last year, a deputy head of Yanukovych’s party said on Thursday.

Russia and Ukraine have long fought over natural gas deliveries, jeopardizing supplies to Europe, which gets around a quarter of its gas from Russia. In the latest row at the start of 2009, Russia halted all deliveries via Ukraine’s pipeline system for two weeks.

"I think Viktor Fyodorovich [Yanukovych] will bring up the question of better terms and tariffs," Party of Regions deputy chairman Boris Kolesnikov said.

Last year’s gas conflict was resolved when a deal on gas imports and transit was agreed by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Yulia Tymoshenko, who lost to Yanukovych in Sunday’s presidential election runoff.

President Viktor Yushchenko has consistently called for the deal to be reviewed, something that has been ruled out by both Russia and Tymoshenko, once an ally of Yushchenko but now a bitter rival. Kolesnikov also hinted that the Yanukovych camp expected Ukraine to become a major gas transit country for the South Stream gas pipeline.

South Stream is intended to be laid on the Black Sea floor, bypassing Ukraine and running through Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Italy and Greece.

"Ukraine has every chance to become a major transit country for South Stream," Kolesnikov said.

Yanukovych himself earlier voiced support for Ukrainian participation in both South Stream and Nord Stream, designed to pump gas from Siberia to Europe under the Baltic Sea. Both projects would reduce Russia’s dependence on transit countries when pumping gas to Western Europe.

KIEV, February 11 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100211/157848585.html

U.S., EU leaders congratulate Yanukovych on Ukraine election win

22:1911/02/2010

U.S. President Barack Obama and the European Union’s first president, Herman Van Rompuy, have congratulated Viktor Yanukovych on winning Ukraine’s presidential election.

"A telephone conversation took place between Barack Obama and Viktor Yanukovych, during which the U.S. president congratulated Viktor Yanukovych on his victory in the presidential elections in Ukraine and gave a high assessment to the level of development of democracy in Ukraine, which was confirmed during the presidential elections," a statement on the Yanukovych web site said on Thursday.

Yanukovych narrowly won with 48.95% of the vote, according to preliminary results announced Wednesday with 100% of ballots counted following Sunday’s second round. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko received 45.47% of the vote. Final results will be available by February 17.

"The European Union and Ukraine enjoy close relations based on common values and strong mutual interests," Rompuy said in a statement. "In this regard, I particularly welcome the fact that the elections were generally conducted in accordance with international standards."

"I trust that under your leadership our relationship will continue to thrive," the EU president added, inviting Yanukovych to Brussels "at the earliest opportunity."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Yanukovych by telephone on Tuesday.

Despite praise from international monitors and governments, Tymoshenko is contesting the results of the election in court, claiming to have evidence of hundreds of violations at polling stations.

Yanukovych’s opposition Party of Regions said Thursday they were winning the court battle, and Yanukovych has urged Tymoshenko to resign as prime minister, saying democratic leaders should acknowledge the public will.

KIEV/BRUSSELS, February 11 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20100211/157850675.html

Polish president congratulates Yanukovych, invites him to Poland

02:0112/02/2010

Polish President Lech Kaczynski congratulated Viktor Yanukovych on winning Ukraine’s presidential election and invited him to Poland, his aide, Mariusz Handzlik, has said.

"In a telephone conversation, President Kaczynski stressed that Poland would support Ukraine on its path of reforms and Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations," Handzlik said.

He also said that elections in Ukraine were in line with the country’s election laws and international standards.

Poland showed strong support of the "orange revolution" in Ukraine that overturned Yanukovych’s tainted victory in late 2004, and brought Western-leaning political forces to power.

WARSAW, February 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100212/157852418.html

West welcomes Ukraine’s Yanukovych as president

17:0912/02/2010

Even before official presidential vote results have been announced in Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych has received a flurry of congratulations from Western powers and organizations, as they continue to distance themselves from "orange" leaders.

Congratulations for the presumed winner piled pressure on his bitter rival, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, to concede defeat.

A leader of the "orange revolution" protests that swept President Viktor Yushchenko to power in 2005, Tymoshenko looks set for a new power struggle with pro-Moscow Yanukovych, whose election victory was overturned over vote rigging five years ago.

The start of Yushchenko’s presidency saw the orange camp hailed by Western powers as the dawn of real democracy in the former Soviet state. But five years on, after protracted political in-fighting, there is little sign of the enthusiasm for all things orange.

U.S. President Barack Obama called Yanukovych on Thursday to congratulate him on winning Sunday’s presidential runoff. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and European Union President Herman Van Rompuy sent a message to Yanukovych on Friday. The leaders of Germany and France hailed the election as democratic in their congratulations to Yanukovych.

"I qualify those congratulations as pressure on Tymoshenko to acknowledge the vote results and prevent Ukraine from being plunged into a protracted political crisis," said Yury Solozobov, a senior official at the Institute of National Strategy, a Russian think tank.

Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso reiterated in their messages that Ukraine’s poll was democratic and pledged economic, financial and other support to the ex-Soviet state.

Ukraine has been plagued by economic problems exacerbated by continual political squabbles between the former "orange" allies, Tymoshenko and Yushchenko. Last year, the IMF suspended its next tranche of a $16.4 billion loan to Kiev, demanding economic reforms.

The European Union has followed events in Ukraine, Europe’s most troubled large economy, whose bitter natural gas price and debt rows with Russia affected supplies to Europe.

Yanukovych defeated Tymoshenko by a 3.5%, according to final preliminary results. The official results will be announced by February 17.

However, the charismatic premier has refused to admit defeat, and her campaign staff have demanded recounts at polling stations, as well as threatening legal battles.

Yanukovych has urged Tymoshenko to resign, saying democratic leaders should acknowledge the popular will.

Yanukovych’s Party of Regions said it was now in talks to form a new coalition in parliament. Thousands of his supporters have kept vigil in front of the Central Election Commission in Kiev ready to counter Tymoshenko’s attempt to stage mass street protests again.

Yanukovych has already announced his plans to reverse the country’s drift away from Russia fueled by Yushchenko’s ambitions to join NATO and the EU. He has said his government will prioritize long-established relations with Russia and other ex-Soviet states.

MOSCOW, February 12 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100212/157859892.html

Tymoshenko announces election of Yanukovych illegitimate

22:1413/02/2010

Ukrainian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko has announced that the election of Viktor Yanukovych as president was illegitimate.

The second round of elections on February 7 gave Yanukovich 48.95% of the votes, where Tymoshenko garnered 45.47%.

"I want to announce clearly: Yanukovych is not our president, and no matter how things develop further, he will never become the legitimately elected president of Ukraine," Tymoshenko said on her personal website.

"There are possibly more than one million falsified votes, which would give us (Tymoshenko Bloc Party) the win."

Yanukovych received 12.5 million votes; whereas Tymoshenko received approximately 11.5 million.

KIEV, February 13 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20100213/157873798.html

Ukraine Olympic team congratulates Yanukovych with election victory

12:4414/02/2010

Ukraine’s national Olympic team participating in the Vancouver Winter Olympics congratulated Viktor Yanukovych with his victory at the country’s recent presidential elections, the National Olympic Committee reported on Sunday.

The second round of elections on February 7 gave Yanukovich 48.95% of the votes, while Ukrainian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko garnered 45.47%.

"In their letter with the best sincere congratulations on the victory at the presidential elections, the Ukrainian Olympic athletes expressed their confidence that Viktor Yanukovych will do much to develop sports in our state and will follow his main philosophy of bringing up a healthy nation," the committee’s message said.

Tymoshenko, however, announced on Saturday that the election of Yanukovych as president was illegitimate.

"I want to announce clearly: Yanukovych is not our president, and no matter how things develop further, he will never become the legitimately elected president of Ukraine," Tymoshenko said on her personal website.

"There are possibly more than one million falsified votes, which would give us (Tymoshenko Bloc Party) the win."

Yanukovych received 12.5 million votes; whereas Tymoshenko received approximately 11.5 million.

Even before official presidential vote results have been announced in Ukraine, Yanukovych has received a flurry of congratulations from Western powers and organizations.

U.S. President Barack Obama called Yanukovych on Thursday to congratulate him on winning the presidential runoff. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and European Union President Herman Van Rompuy sent a message to Yanukovych on Friday.

The leaders of Germany and France hailed the election as democratic in their congratulations to Yanukovych.

KIEV, February 14 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100214/157877683.html

Yanukovich election staff wins all 87 suits filed by Timoshenko

14.02.2010, 16.03

KIEV, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - The election staff of a Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovich has won all 87 suits filed by the Yulia Timoshenko Bloc on the results of the presidential elections, deputy chairman of the Party of Regions Boris Kolesnikov told a press conference on Sunday.

According to him, Timoshenko’s statement about an million of votes allegedly “seized” from her as a result of falsifications is ungrounded. Kolesnikov called “destructive” the current actions of the lost candidate.

“Such statement could be comprehensible on the first night after the elections. But such a statement made now is just silly, after all without exception international observers recognized the elections as fair, transparent and democratic, and the presidents of Russia, the United States, France and other countries and the chiefs of several international organizations congratulated the winner,” the lawmaker said.

Kolesnikov did not rule out that Timoshenko’s associates push her to take destructive actions.

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=14821771&PageNum=0

Yanukovych officially declared winner of Ukrainian presidential

16:16

The Central Election Commission has declared Viktor Yanukovych as the elected Ukrainian president.

These are the results from the protocol of the February 7 second round of the presidential election, unveiled at a CEC session on Sunday. The protocol was signed by all 15 CEC members, including five with a different opinion.

According to the protocol, 48.95% of the electorate cast their vote for Yanukovych and 45.47% for current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

"The CEC hereby declares Viktor Yanukovych as the Ukrainian president-elect," CEC chairman Volodymyr Shapoval said.

The protocol results were announced at a CEC session, which, by law, is the official announcement of the election results.

By law, the presidential election results do not need to be published to become effective. Thus, the countdown of the 30-day period prior to Yanukovych’s presidential inauguration starts from February 14.

14.02.2010

http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/32154/

Yanukovych wins Ukraine presidential election - official results

17:0214/02/2010

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych won Ukraine’s presidential election, the country’s Central Election Commission officially declared Sunday.

The election’s second round on February 7 gave Yanukovych 48.95% of the votes, while Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko garnered 45.47%.

KIEV, February 14 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100214/157878620.html

Yanukovych officially named winner of Ukraine presidential election

17:2314/02/2010

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych won Ukraine’s presidential election, the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) officially declared Sunday.

In line with the official results, the election’s second round on February 7 gave Yanukovych 48.95%, or 12,481,266 votes, while Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko garnered 45.47%, or 11,593,357 votes. A total of 4.36% voted against all.

All CEC members, including five Tymoshenko representatives, signed the protocol. The Tymoshenko team can contest the results in court within five days.

Tymoshenko has accused the Yanukovych camp of vote rigging and demanded a recount of votes at over 1,000 polling stations. On Saturday she announced on her personal website that the election of Yanukovych was illegitimate and "no matter how things develop further, he will never become the legitimately elected president of Ukraine."

KIEV, February 14 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100214/157878762.html

Lukashenko congratulates Yanukovich on winning Ukraine presidential elections

12.02.2010 17:46

MINSK, 12 February (BelTA) – In a phone talk on 12 February President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko congratulated Viktor Yanukovich on winning the presidential elections in Ukraine, the press service of the Belarusian head of state told BelTA.

Alexander Lukashenko and Viktor Yanukovich talked over topical matters of the Belarusian-Ukrainian cooperation, prospects of developing the trade and economic relations between the two countries.

http://www.belta.by/en/news/president?id=488374

Yanukovych rules out Tymoshenko’s premiership in Ukraine

19:4014/02/2010

Ukraine’s president-elect, opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych, said Sunday he would not let his rival Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko remain on her post but pledged to take into account the interests of her supporters.

In line with the official results, the presidential election’s second round on February 7 gave Yanukovych 48.95%, or 12,481,266 votes, while Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko garnered 45.47%, or 11,593,357 votes. A total of 4.36% voted against all.

"I will certainly take into account that 45% of Ukraine’s voters supported Yulia Tymoshenko," Yanukovych told Russia’s Channel One in an interview before the official results were announced Sunday.

When asked whether Tymoshenko could retain her post, Yanukovych said this was "unreal." "I proposed that Tymoshenko resign, and I think she will do so."

All members of the Ukrainian Central Election Commission, including five Tymoshenko representatives, signed the protocol with official results on Sunday. The Tymoshenko team can contest the results in court within five days.

Tymoshenko has accused the Yanukovych camp of vote rigging and demanded a recount of votes at over 1,000 polling stations. On Saturday she announced on her personal website that the election of Yanukovych was illegitimate and "no matter how things develop further, he will never become the legitimately elected president of Ukraine."

But Yanukovych’s headquarters said all 87 lawsuits submitted to courts by the Tymoshenko camp over alleged vote rigging have been rejected.

KHABAROVSK, February 14 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100214/157879695.html

Medvedev congratulates Yanukovych on election, invites to Russia

11:10

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has sent a message of greetings to Viktor Yanukovych on being elected the president of Ukraine, the Kremlin reports.

He invited Yanukovych to visit Russia. "I am using this opportunity to invite you to make a visit to Russia in the nearest time to discuss a wide range of pressing issues of the multifaceted cooperation between our two countries," the message says.

Medvedev expressed hope that under the new president Russia and Ukraine would return to relations of a partnership.

"I expect that Russian-Ukrainian interaction will again assume a constructive and fruitful nature of true partnership. I am sure that through joint efforts we will be able to give a new impetus to the development of mutually-beneficial bilateral relations," the message says.

Medvedev also stressed that the Ukrainian election confirmed the determination of the two nations to strengthen neighborly relations that meet the interest of both sides.

"The election held in line with generally accepted international standards confirmed the determination of the citizens of Ukraine to put an end to historically doomed attempts of sowing discord between the people of our countries, the sincere willingness to strengthen neighborly relations. This fully meets the aspirations of the people of the Russian Federation," the message says.

The Ukrainian Central Election Commission (CEC) officially declared Yanukovych as Ukrainian president. According to the protocol of the second round of the presidential election, 48.95% of the electorate cast their vote for Yanukovych and 45.47% for current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

15.02.2010

http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/32197/

Ukrainian banker Tigipko may be Yanukovych’s prime minister

13:4715/02/2010

Ukraine’s president-elect, Viktor Yanukovych, said he did not rule out former Ukrainian central banker Sergei Tigipko being his prime minister.

"Tigipko’s candidacy is on the list that will be discussed next week in the parliament," the newly elected Ukrainian president told BBC Ukrainian.

"I understand very well that the creation of a coalition [in the parliament] may surround a future prime minister’s candidacy, which is why I will assist in the parliament’s consolidation."

Sergei Tigipko, 49, who came third in the first round of the election, earlier said he was ready to be prime minister under Yanukovych or his opponent, current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, and added he would focus on the "modernization" of the ex-Soviet nation.

Tigipko said he believed the prime minister was the second most important policymaker after the president.

Yanukovych said that it was "unrealistic" for Tymoshenko to retain her post. "I suggested that Tymoshenko resign, and I think she will do so." In Ukraine, the parliamentary majority rather than president proposes a candidate for prime minister.

In line with the official results, the presidential election’s second round on February 7 gave Yanukovych 48.95%, or 12,481,266 votes, while Yulia Tymoshenko garnered 45.47%, or 11,593,357 votes. A total of 4.36% voted against all.

Yanukovych’s inauguration is expected to be held on February 24, according to the deputy head of his Party of Regions, Anna German.

KIEV, February 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100215/157886960.html

Political scientists: Tymoshenko has no chance of challenging official result of presidential election

13:50

Ukrainian political scientists have said that the possibility of challenging the official result of the presidential election is unlikely, Director of Kyiv Center for Political and Conflict Studies Mykhailo Pohrebynsky has said.

"There’s no chance that it [a decision to change the official result of the presidential election] will be taken... I think that a final signal about this was made after [U.S. President] Barack Obama’s congratulations.

There’s no chance to change the result of the election," he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday.

Pohrebynsky said that Tymoshenko would abide by her strategy of not recognizing the result of the run-off presidential election "to the last." Director of the School of Political Analysis of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Oleksiy Haran, in turn, said that "this challenge is, in fact, only of psychological importance."

As reported, on February 14, the Central Election Commission declared Viktor Yanukovych as the elected Ukrainian president. According to the protocol of the February 7 run-off presidential election, 48.95% of votes cast their votes for Yanukovych and 45.47% for current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. The gap between the candidates totaled 3.48%.

Tymoshenko’s campaign headquarters said it was planning to challenge the official result of the presidential election after receiving the protocol from the commission.

15.02.2010

http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/32220/

Medvedev congratulates Yanukovich on election as president

15.02.2010, 11.23

MOSCOW, February 15 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Viktor Yanukovich on the election as Ukraine’s president, the Kremlin press service reported on Monday.

In a congratulatory message the Russian president also invited Yanukovich to visit Russia shortly “to discuss a wide range of topical issues of multifaceted cooperation between our countries.”

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=14823760&PageNum=0