Ukraine vote declared invalid

Last updated at 17:12 03 December 2004


Ukraine's Supreme Court has ruled that the second round of the Presidential Election was invalid and that a repeat vote of some sort is required.

The new vote is to be held on December 26 following claims from defeated opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko that the election had been fraudulent and 'rigged'.

Chairman Anatoly Yarema, delivering the court's ruling after five days of deliberations, said a "repeat vote" was required.

He said this ballot should take place three weeks counting from December 5 - meaning December 26 - suggesting it would be a re-run of last month's run-off vote.

Judges backed arguments by Yushchenko's camp, which have brought tens of thousands out on to the streets of the capital Kiev, that the vote had been subject to systematic fraud.

The ruling, greeted by applause in the courtroom, appeared to run counter to what beleaguered outgoing President Leonid Kuchma had sought in nearly two weeks of bitter wrangling.

Kuchma had pressed for a completely new election, which would have required up to three months to be organised, with him remaining in office.

Kuchma had secured the backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin for his position in talks on Moscow on Thursday.

Yushchenko's camp, hoping to capitalise on the momentum of mass demonstrations in Kiev, had dug in their heels in favour of a quick repeat of the November 21 run-off.

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