The Hindu : International : Yanukovich declared winner in Ukraine polls

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Thursday, Nov 25, 2004

International

International

Yanukovich declared winner in Ukraine polls

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, NOV. 24. The Russia-leaning Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovich, was declared winner in Sunday's controversial presidential election in Ukraine as the political crisis in the former Soviet republic reached a climax.

The Central Election Commission announced the final ballot count, with Mr. Yanukovich winning 49.46 per cent of the votes and his pro-Western rival, Viktor Yushchenko, trailing with 46.61 per cent.

It is feared the announcement may trigger violence in the capital Kiev as thousands of Opposition supporters were converging on the Election Commission building which was guarded by supporters of the Prime Minister.

The Interior Ministry said about 70,000 supporters of the two candidates were rallying in the capital.

It was not immediately clear how the election result will affect talks that had started earlier on Wednesday between representatives of the two camps.

Oath of loyalty

Mr. Yushchenko said he would agree to re-run the disputed election on condition the Central Election Commission was replaced. On Tuesday, he took an oath in Parliament as Ukraine's new President, but today he backed down, saying it was only an oath of loyalty to the people of Ukraine.

For his part, Mr. Yanukovich stated he was not ready to give up his victory unless the vote rigging has been certified in a "legitimate way."

Ukraine's outgoing President, Leonid Kuchma, called for "peaceful" negotiations to get out of the crisis.

In a statement read on state television he described the Opposition demonstrations as a "political farce" fraught with "unforeseeable consequences."

Russia and the West clashed bitterly over the situation in Ukraine. Moscow accused the United States and the European Union of "unprecedented interference" in domestic affairs of Ukraine after Washington voiced concern over "extensive and credible indications of fraud in the Ukrainian presidential election" and the E.U. warned Ukraine of "consequences" if its government does not allow a full review of the results.

The Russian Parliament today expressed "deep concern" over what it called "unlawful actions by the radical part of the Opposition in Ukraine that can have tragic consequences for the fraternal nation."

U.S. rejects results

AP reports from Washington:

The United States cannot accept the results of elections in Ukraine, which the Opposition say was marred by fraud, the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said today.

Gen. Powell warned that "there will be consequences" for the U.S. relationship with Ukraine as a result of the developments.

He spoke shortly after election officials in Ukraine declared Mr. Yanukovych's victory.

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