CIS

Home page

CIS

First round of Ukraine presidential elections end

19 January 2010 20:42 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ziya Agazade â€“ APA. Viktor Yanukovich, Ukraine’s opposition leader and the villain of the 2004 Orange Revolution, is on the brink of a stunning political comeback after opening up a commanding 11-point lead in Sunday’s first round of the presidential election.

According to APA citing â€œGuardian weeklyâ€, Ukraine CEC counted 100 % of the votes and villain of 2004 Orange Revolution will face Yulia Tymoshenko in presidential run-off, while incumbent Yushchenko is wiped out.

Pawel Kowal, head of the observer delegation from the European parliament, said: "The people of Ukraine had a genuine democratic choice."

According to Ukraine’s election commission, Yanukovich is ahead with 35.32% of the vote. In second place, with 25.05%, is Yulia Tymoshenko â€“ Ukraine’s prime minister and Yanukovich’s bitter rival.

As neither won 50%, they will face a run-off vote on 7 February.