Ukraine PM to drop poll complaint

Election troubles

Just a day earlier she had presented nine volumes of evidence and appealed for the court to declare Ukraine’s elections void, claiming Yanukovych had only managed to beat her to the presidency through fraud.

Hundreds of her supporters gathered outside the court that day, but they were dwarfed by a much larger pro-Yanukovych crowd.

Despite the prime minister’s allegations, observers said the February 7 vote was fair and democratic and most analysts agree Tymoshenko had been facing an uphill struggle to have the election overturned.

Yanukovich defeated Tymoshenko by just 3.5 per cent of the vote, under 890,000 ballots, according to the final official results.

He has denied the allegations of vote-rigging and is due to be sworn into office on February 25.

Ukraine’s parliament, where Yanukovych’s Regions Party makes up the largest bloc, has launched an official motion to throw out Tymoshenko and her government.

His Regions Party accused Tymoshenko of using her influence to pursue personal gains.

“Tymoshenko continues to demonstrate a cynical and unceremonious violation of the constitution and law,” the party said in a statement.

Yanukovych was denied the top job in 2004 when a wave of protests against electoral fraud developed into the Orange Revolution and ended with Viktor Yushchenko being elected as president.