Ukrainian Election Heading To February 7 Runoff

KYIV The Ukrainian presidential election is headed for a February 7 runoff between opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

The Central Election Commission reported today that with half of the votes counted, Yanukovych is leading with 37 percent, followed by Tymoshenko with 24 percent.

The results showed former central bank chief Serhiy Tygypko in third with 13 percent.

Outgoing President Viktor Yushchenko, who was swept to power in the 2004 Orange Revolution, was receiving only around 5 percent.

Supporters applauded as Tymoshenko entered a packed press room Sunday night at her campaign headquarters inside central Kyiv's Hyatt Hotel. Wearing a chic white dress and with her hair impeccably styled in her trademark blond braid crown, Tymoshenko appeared radiant.

She spoke confidently at the podium, demonstrating the kind of decisiveness Ukrainians say they desperately want after five years of political crisis and endless infighting among the Orange Revolution's estranged leaders.

'Path Of Struggle'

Tymoshenko -- referring to exit polls that had put her within 4 percentage points of Yanukovych -- said the results showed a majority of people want Ukraine to be a free, democratic country.

"The chances for Yanukovych -- who represents criminal circles -- [of becoming president] simply don't exist," she said.

Yulia Tymoshenko smiles as she greets people after casting her vote in her hometown of Dnipropetrovsk.

"It's the path of struggle for the revival of justice, the struggle for our European choice, toward the renewal of democracy," she said.

Tymoshenko appealed to Ukrainians who had voted for other candidates, saying she would carry out what had eluded the country's Orange leaders since they came to power.

"The democratic forces will be united," she said. "We will do everything so that in the future they will act in a single and powerful force to move the country toward European civilization."

Many Ukrainians say they're disillusioned by politics that have been hamstrung by the bickering between Tymoshenko and her former ally, Yushchenko.

The infighting deepened even as corruption ballooned and the economy was devastated by the effects of the global financial crisis.

'Voted For Change'

Speaking in a massive, wood-paneled room at his own hotel headquarters next door to Tymoshenko's, Yanukovych -- tthe villain of the Orange Revolution, which drove him from power after street demonstrations against his victory in a tainted presidential election five years ago -- said the results showed he would win the presidency.
 

"Our citizens voted for change. They made it clear their views require transformation for the better -- that's the main result," he said.
 

Yanukovych's main support is in the industrial, largely Russian-speaking east of the country. He returned to an issue that helped make him popular there when he first rose to prominence, vowing as president he would make sure Ukraine would never join NATO.
 

"The Ukrainian state will remain outside any bloc. Ukraine will never join any military alliance," he said. "That's the view of the Ukrainian people, it must be respected and taken into account."
 

Official results put Ukraine's newest up-and-comer, Serhiy Tygypko -- a wealthy banker and former economy minister who once served as Yanukovych's campaign manager -- third with 13 percent of the vote.
 

Negotiations Under Way

Backroom negotiations to win backing from the losing candidates had already begun on Sunday.

Analysts say unlike Tymoshenko, Yanukovych has less room to maneuver, saying he can't be certain any besides the small number of communist and socialist voters will join his supporter.
 

Besides the intense horse trading, most expect the coming weeks ahead of the second round to be fraught with fraud allegations and court cases.

But in cold and snowy Kyiv on Sunday night, Tymoshenko's supporters were giddy with the prospect that she appears set to be crowned Ukraine's new leader.

The election included some allegations of voting irregularities, but reports say the voting appears to have gone relatively smooth. Voter turnout has been put at some 67 percent.