Ukraine looks ahead to a Yushchenko-led future

Natasha Lisova, Kiev

However Mr Yushchenko’s pro-Russia electoral rival, former prime minister Viktor Yanukovich, is to file an 800 volume appeal against the result that will delay the declaration of a winner.

The former prime minister said his allies would file the appeal to the Supreme Court in Kiev to demand “the annulment of the so-called rerun”.

Mr Yanukovich described the appeal as “a convincing package of evidence that would prove election fraud.”

Taras Chornovyl, Mr Yanukovich’s campaign manager, said the appeal would be submitted this afternoon. The timing could indicate that Mr Yanukovich is aiming to delay.

Mr Yushchenko’s inauguration for as long as possible.

Mr Yushchenko was officially declared the winner of the repeat election late on Monday, when the central election commission released the final results of the poll.

They showed Mr Yushchenko winning the election with 51.99% of all votes cast compared with 44.20% received by Mr Yanukovich, a difference of 2.27 million votes on turnout of 77.19%.

Yesterday, Mr Yanukovich promised to appeal the results to the high court.

“We will never agree with the results of the third tour,” Mr Yanukovich said at a press conference in Kiev. “We cannot recognise the legitimacy of the president and the election.”

“The results declared by the central election commission give us a convincing basis to file a complaint with the supreme court,” he said.

The supreme court has rejected more than a dozen complaints that Mr Yanukovich has filed so far over the election, but the former prime minister has vowed to exhaust all of his avenues for appeals despite admitting that they are unlikely to be granted.

Many observers explain Mr Yanukovich’s insistence as an attempt to boost his image as a Yushchenko adversary ahead of next year’s crucial parliamentary elections.

Monday’s announcement paves the way for parliament to set a date for Mr Yushchenko’s inauguration, though most observers don’t expect this until after the high court rules on Mr Yanukovich’s last appeal.