Kiev, February 08: Russia-friendly candidate Viktor Yanukovych held a narrow lead today in a presidential election that seemed likely to spawn a court challenge from his opponent.
There was no sign, however, that Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was following up on her vow to bring protesters onto the streets in the event of defeat.
A Yanukovych victory could restore much of Moscow’s influence in a country that has laboured to build bridges to the West. It would close a chapter in the country’s political history that was been defined by the 2004 pro-democracy Orange protests.
Some Ukrainians fear he could bring a retreat from Western democratic reforms and the muzzling of media and opposition parties.
Central Election Commission data showed Yanukovych garnering 48.23 percent to Tymoshenko’s 46.14 per cent, with about 5 percent of ballots remaining to be counted.
Yanukovych has claimed victory and his team kicked off festivities by calling on the prime minister to stay true to her claim of being a democrat and admit defeat. Around 5,000 of his supporters assembled today morning near a stage in Kiev adorned with the slogan “Ukrainians for a Fair Election,” claiming to defend the results of the election.
Supporters danced in the street as a series of day-long concerts got under way despite frigid temperatures and flurries of snow.
-PTI