Ukrainian poll crisis ends with Yushchenko's victory

There are too many facts testifying to dirty intrigues during the third voting round

The Central Electoral Committee of Ukraine exposed preliminary results of the final stage of the presidential election, when 97.66 percent of ballot papers have been processed. Viktor Yushchenko, the leader of the Ukrainian opposition has received 52.47 percent of votes in comparison with Viktor Yanukovich's 43.77 percent. It is noteworthy that exit polls data was almost identical with the committee's conclusion – 55 vs. 41 percent in Yushchenko's favor.

When Yanukovich had the three-percent advantage of Yushchenko at the end of the second voting round, Yushchenko's followers complained of numerous falsifications that Yanukovich and his team organized during the voting process. Viktor Yushchenko stated in his turn that Yanukovich's success during the second election round became possible owing to three million fabricated ballot papers. The “orange opposition” announced that Yanukovich had stolen its election victory.

The two candidates obtained almost the same number of votes during the first election round - 40 percent for both Yushchenko and Yanukovich, although the latter lacked only 0.5 percent. Other candidates received about 15 percent each. Yushchenko agreed with such results. Yanukovich has gained three percent more now in comparison with the first round, whereas Yushchenko's mark-up is 14 percent. The “orange candidate” therefore has gained over 80 percent of votes, according to the Central Electoral Committee. In other words, the leader of the Ukrainian opposition has managed to win the electorate that voted for supplementary candidates. The situation looks rather strange, for a lot of people voted for the candidates, who strongly denied the possibility of having Viktor Yushchenko in the office of the Ukrainian president. Now it turns out that the majority of the communist-oriented electorate has backed Yushchenko.

The voting results in the regions, where Yushchenko enjoys almost the absolute support of the population, look rather strange too. Spokespeople for the Ukrainian opposition say that about one-third of the adult population in certain western regions live and work outside Ukraine. The turnout in those areas was registered on a rather high level last Sunday – almost 88 percent.

The official spokesman for Viktor Yanukovich in the Central Electoral Committee, Nestor Shufrich, stated that his candidate would definitely appeal against the voting results.  It is possible to act so, but Ukrainian courts usually make their decision in favor of only one candidate. Yanukovich has never expressed his intention to stand and fight for his voters' rights.

Roman Melnikov