Tymoshenko to contest election result

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is to challenge the result of the country’s presidential run-off election in the courts.

Facing defeat by her rival Viktor Yanukovich, Tymoshenko’s allies say she will not concede until appeals have run their course and recounts have taken place at a number of disputed polling stations.

Tymoshenko bloc supporter Sergei Mischenko said: “We are considering court action regarding non-recognition of the results of the run-off election. This is confirmed by our analysis yesterday and today. The level of falsification is higher than the margin of difference between the votes.”

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has already congratulated the pro-Moscow Yanukovich on his election victory.

According to Ukraine’s election commission, Yanukovich is leading in Sunday’s vote by 3.5 percentage points with only 0.5 per cent of precincts left to count.

His supporters are gathering outside the election commission headquarters in Kiev to – they say – defend the result of the election.

International monitors have praised the vote as having been free and fair.

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