Yanukovych wins, all eyes on Tymoshenko

Ukraine is waiting for Yulia Tymoshenko to either contest the outcome of Sunday's presidential vote or concede defeat. She narrowly lost to her pro-Moscow rival, Viktor Yanukovych, Deutsche Welle reports. Yanukovych wins, all eyes on Tymoshenko Prime Minister Tymoshenko is expected to hold a press conference on Tuesday to announce her intentions. A Ukrainian newspaper quoted her on Tuesday as saying that she "will never" accept the legitimacy of Viktor Yanukovych as the country's president. "I will never recognize the legitimacy of Yanukovych's victory with such elections," the Ukrainska Pravda daily wrote, citing a speech Tymoshenko gave at a meeting of her party on Monday evening. She has so far ignored calls to accept defeat after election monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the vote had been free and fair and an "impressive display" of democracy at work. Joao Soares, the special coordinator of the OSCE observer mission, said it was "now time for the country's political leaders to listen to the people's verdict." "The professional, transparent and honest voting and counting should serve as a solid foundation for a peaceful transition of power," he added. A legal challenge by Tymoshenko due to the narrow margin of victory for Yanukovych is possible, but the country's election commission said on Tuesday that almost 600,000 votes separated the two and Tymoshenko could not catch up with about 99 percent of the vote already counted. Prolonged uncertainty about the outcome could hurt Ukraine's ailing economy and scare away investors. The country badly needs to restart talks with the International Monetary Fund on a $16.4 billion (€12 billion) bailout package which got bogged down over breaches in fiscal restraint. With gross domestic product (GDP) shrinking by 15 percent in 2009, Ukraine was hit worse by the global economic crisis than any other major European economy. EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton praised the "calm atmosphere" of the vote and said Europe was ready to work with Yanukovych. "The European Union remains committed to deepening the relationship with Ukraine and supporting it in implementing its reform agenda. It looks forward to working with the new president to this end," Ashton said in a statement. Sunday's presidential ballot followed a bitter electoral campaign during which opinion polls were banned. Yanukovych won the initial round on January 17 by a 10 percent margin over Tymoshenko. Each candidate had accused the other of trying to rig the vote and analysts had warned that after ballot stations closed late on Sunday, their tussle could shift to court wrangles and even street protests. Ukrainians have become largely disillusioned with politics in their country - almost six years after the euphoria of the 2004 Orange Revolution, when the telegenic Tymoshenko helped sweep the pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko into the office of President on promises of reform. In January's first round, Yushchenko ended up in fifth place, paying the price for slumping living standards, diffidence among investors and squabbles with Tymoshenko. Compared with past Ukrainian elections, when Yanukoviych was portrayed as the pro-Russian candidate, this time glaring policy differences are few. Both candidates say they want to integrate into Europe, while improving ties with Moscow. Tymoshenko has demonstrated enthusiasm for seeking European Union membership. But, in recent months, she also appeared in photo opportunities alongside Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Critics fault Yanukovych, a former mechanic, for not explaining allegations of vote-rigging in 2004. Analysts say his appeal is strong among voters disillusioned by the aftermath of the Orange Revolution. (Tanjug)

Yanukovych wins, all eyes on Tymoshenko

Prime Minister Tymoshenko is expected to hold a press conference on Tuesday to announce her intentions.

A Ukrainian newspaper quoted her on Tuesday as saying that she "will never" accept the legitimacy of Viktor Yanukovych as the country's president.

"I will never recognize the legitimacy of Yanukovych's victory with such elections," the Ukrainska Pravda daily wrote, citing a speech Tymoshenko gave at a meeting of her party on Monday evening.

She has so far ignored calls to accept defeat after election monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the vote had been free and fair and an "impressive display" of democracy at work.

Joao Soares, the special coordinator of the OSCE observer mission, said it was "now time for the country's political leaders to listen to the people's verdict."

"The professional, transparent and honest voting and counting should serve as a solid foundation for a peaceful transition of power," he added.

A legal challenge by Tymoshenko due to the narrow margin of victory for Yanukovych is possible, but the country's election commission said on Tuesday that almost 600,000 votes separated the two and Tymoshenko could not catch up with about 99 percent of the vote already counted.

Prolonged uncertainty about the outcome could hurt Ukraine's ailing economy and scare away investors. The country badly needs to restart talks with the International Monetary Fund on a $16.4 billion (€12 billion) bailout package which got bogged down over breaches in fiscal restraint.

With gross domestic product (GDP) shrinking by 15 percent in 2009, Ukraine was hit worse by the global economic crisis than any other major European economy.

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton praised the "calm atmosphere" of the vote and said Europe was ready to work with Yanukovych.

"The European Union remains committed to deepening the relationship with Ukraine and supporting it in implementing its reform agenda. It looks forward to working with the new president to this end," Ashton said in a statement.

Sunday's presidential ballot followed a bitter electoral campaign during which opinion polls were banned.

Yanukovych won the initial round on January 17 by a 10 percent margin over Tymoshenko.

Each candidate had accused the other of trying to rig the vote and analysts had warned that after ballot stations closed late on Sunday, their tussle could shift to court wrangles and even street protests.

Ukrainians have become largely disillusioned with politics in their country - almost six years after the euphoria of the 2004 Orange Revolution, when the telegenic Tymoshenko helped sweep the pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko into the office of President on promises of reform.

In January's first round, Yushchenko ended up in fifth place, paying the price for slumping living standards, diffidence among investors and squabbles with Tymoshenko.

Compared with past Ukrainian elections, when Yanukoviych was portrayed as the pro-Russian candidate, this time glaring policy differences are few. Both candidates say they want to integrate into Europe, while improving ties with Moscow.

Tymoshenko has demonstrated enthusiasm for seeking European Union membership. But, in recent months, she also appeared in photo opportunities alongside Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Critics fault Yanukovych, a former mechanic, for not explaining allegations of vote-rigging in 2004. Analysts say his appeal is strong among voters disillusioned by the aftermath of the Orange Revolution.