Published in ITAR-TASS

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Ukraine registered on Wednesday the first group of 94 out of 450 members of parliament, elected at early elections to the Supreme Rada (parliament) on September 30. They are all from Yulia Timoshenko Bloc. Provisional identity cards were given to them.

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Published in RFE/RL Newsline
By: AM

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said on October 28 in an interview with Inter television that he sees no alternative to the coalition of former Orange Revolution allies in the new parliament elected in the September 30 preterm polls. He admitted that the slim majority of three votes, which the Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc (BYuT) and the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense (NUNS) bloc enjoy in the new Verkhovna Rada, might be easily broken, but "I am sure that there is no alternative to this process" of formation of a BYuT-NUNS coalition. Yushchenko also said the coalition Read More...

Published in Reuters

Ukraine's Central Election Commission published the official results of the September 30 election on Saturday, paving the way for parliament's first session and the formation of a government.

The announcement was held up by a case at the supreme administrative court, which on Friday rejected charges by some parties that the commission had made procedural mistakes during the counting of the votes.

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Published by Concord Capital

In a live conference call with representatives from over 60 western funds, former Finance Minister and one of the leaders of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc Viktor Pynzenyk, spoke at length on topics including privatization, the future of the Ukrainian currency, land and property rights and future initiatives the government plans to implement in or boost investment.

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Published in AP
By: Maria Danilova

A court validated the results of parliamentary elections Thursday, opening the way for the formation of a government in this ex-Soviet republic struggling to emerge from prolonged political turmoil.

The move was likely to be welcomed by the two pro-Western Orange Revolution parties led by President Viktor Yushchenko and the charismatic opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

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Yulia Tymoshenko met today with former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

They began a dialogue on the current situation in Ukraine, post-parliamentary elections, the democratic coalition between BYuT and OU-PSD and the upcoming reforms in the new parliament.

"Ukraine chose a path of stability, which flows from democratic ideals," Powell said.

Colin Powell congratulated Yulia Tymoshenko on her victory in the parliamentary elections and wished her success in further establishing a stable economy, an open society and strengthening democracy in Ukraine.

“We are striving to form a coalition and an effective government that will be able to make significant economic and social changes," Tymoshenko said.

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Published in VOA
By: Peter Fedynsky

Voters in Ukraine went to the polls on September 30th in a special parliamentary election, but many cast ballots only to express doubt that anything will change.  They complain of Ukrainian political gridlock and pin the blame on false promises, too many political parties, and personality-driven campaigns.  VOA Correspondent Peter Fedynsky examined these issues during a recent visit to Kyiv.

The September 30th parliamentary election was Ukraine's third general election in as many years.  Voters note that the elections not only cost tens of millions of dollars, but have also resulted in series of failed parliamentary coalitions.

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Published in UNIAN

The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc intends to immediately start the work of the new Verkhovna Rada to submit for consideration of the parliament the range of the humanitarian drafts of law, directed to considerable improvement of life quality of Ukrainians.

Deputy leader of the BYUT Mykola Tomenko said this today at the news conference in UNIAN today.

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Published in RFE/RL Newsline
By: JM

President Viktor Yushchenko told journalists in Kharkiv on October 23 that he wants the planned coalition of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc to propose a "qualitatively new policy of relations" with the opposition after they form a new government, Ukrainian media reported, quoting the presidential press service. "I proceed from the assumption that the new parliament will inaugurate its work in the first part of November, when it will form a democratic coalition and constructive relations between the majority Read More...

Published in Eurasia Daily Monitor
By: Taras Kuzio

Ukraine officially announced its parliamentary election results on October 15. Unlike the 2006 elections, no political force has contested the results. The Party of Regions closed its makeshift camp in downtown Kyiv on October 18 after declaring that they would take their 175 seats, despite rumors to the contrary. Had they refused, they would have triggered another political crisis, as the constitutions requires dissolution if 150 deputies or more resign.

The elections again showed that Ukraine’s regional diversity, which is routinely disparaged as a source of instability by Russian and Western commentators, is in reality a source of its democratic strength. Regional diversity thwarted former President Leonid Kuchma’s attempts to establish autocratic parties of power in the 1998 and 2002 elections.

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Published in IPS
By: Zoltán Dujisin

Ukraine's opposition forces have reached a coalition agreement that will give the populist Yuliya Timoshenko the post of Prime Minister. Foreign policy might change, but realism will prevail.

The Party of the Regions won the Sep. 30 election with 34 percent of the vote but the 'orange' opposition -- the Yuliya Timoshenko bloc with 31 percent and the pro-presidential Our Ukraine-People's Self Defence bloc with 14 percent -- reached an agreement last week to form a new cabinet.

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Published in DPA

Leaders of Ukraine's pro-Western coalition on Thursday agreed on a division of cabinet posts, overcoming a key barrier to the quick formation of a new government in the former Soviet republic. A two-party alliance of the anti-corruption Block of Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT), and the nationalist Our Ukraine National Self Defence (OUNSD), divided cabinet offices as they had promised, with the more influential posts, and more positions overall, going to the senior BYuT party.

BYuT obtained 156 seats in the legislature and OUNSD 72 as a result of Ukraine's September 30 parliamentary elections, giving the political alliance a narrow 228-seat majority in the 450-member assembly.

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“….the U.S. and EU can do more to support broader European energy security through dialogue with Ukraine and through efforts to help Ukraine develop a more transparent energy policy and become more energy efficient and a more reliable participant in energy markets….”

By David Kramer, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs

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Published in Embassy Row, Washington Times
By: J. Morrison

Like a bad soap opera, infighting among the cast undermined the first production in Ukraine, but things will go much more smoothly in "Orange Revolution: The Sequel," according to a top adviser to Prime Minister-designate Yulia Tymoshenko.

"The political situation is much more favorable this time around, and I think everyone in the Orange Revolution coalition learned some difficult and painful lessons from what happened in 2005," Hryhoriy Nemyria, foreign policy aide to Mrs. Tymoshenko, told our correspondent David R. Sands on a Washington visit this week.

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Published in AFP

The reformist Yulia Tymoshenko will be nominated as prime minister in a new pro-Western coalition government, under an accord between her party and President Viktor Yushchenko's group unveiled Wednesday.

"The coalition partners propose the candidature of Yulia Tymoshenko for the post of prime minister" said the deal, which was published Wednesday on the official website of the two parties -- the Tymoshenko bloc and Yushchenko's Our Ukraine/People's Self-Defence party.

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Published in RIA Novosti

A leader of Ukraine's new "orange" coalition, Vyacheslav Kyrylenko, said on Wednesday its members would unanimously back Yulia Tymoshenko as premier and himself as parliamentary speaker.

Kyrylenko was speaking at a news conference where the pro-presidential bloc Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense that he leads and Tymoshenko's party announced their reunion following the September 30 early parliamentary polls, whose results were only formerly announced on Monday.

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Published in ForUm

Leader of BYuT Yulia Tymoshenko and one of the leaders of “Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defense” bloc Vyacheslav Kyrylenko have publicized agreement on coalition formation of democratic forces on Wednesday in Kyiv. The ForUm’s correspondent informs.

Yulia Tymoshenko noted that BYuT and OU-PSD representatives had signed each page of this agreement. She also noted that this agreement would not be changed.

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Published in The Associated Press

Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko on Wednesday declared his support for a pro-Western Orange Revolution coalition in parliament and its choice for prime minister.

The statement was Yushchenko's firmest declaration of support for the two parties and meant that Orange Revolution heroine Yulia Tymoshenko was all but assured the prime minister's job.

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Published in EU Observer
By: Jochen Luypaert

The European Commission has welcomed the formation of a coalition between the two major pro-western parties in Ukraine after the September elections, hoping that the country will continue to choose the path of reform.

"I welcome the announcement of the formation of a coalition following the September [30] early parliamentary elections in Ukraine," external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said on Tuesday (16 October).

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Published in Washington Post / AP
By: Maria Danilova

Inspired by President Viktor Yushchenko's tacit endorsement, Ukraine's pro-Western parties moved closer to restoring their Orange Revolution alliance when they signed an informal agreement vowing to form a governing coalition.

Final official results from Sept. 30 parliamentary elections were released Monday, confirming that Yushchenko's party and that of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko won a majority in parliament, giving them the right to form a Cabinet.

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Published in Deutsche Welle

The pro-Western parties in Ukraine who narrowly won last month's parliamentary elections have reached an agreement to form a coalition. Yulia Tymoshenko and leaders of the Our Ukraine-People's Self Defence bloc struck the deal following a meeting with President Viktor Yushchenko. Tymoshenko is due to return as prime minister under the terms of the agreement, due to be formally signed on Tuesday. Read More...

Published in Financial Times
By: Roman Olearchyk

Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko on Monday reaffirmed his backing for a western-leaning coalition government led by his Orange Revolution ally Yulia Tymoshenko, after results from a snap parliamentary poll were officially declared.

In a statement issued late on Monday, after meeting Ms Tymoshenko and political allies from his Our Ukraine party, Mr Yushchenko urged them to form a new government swiftly.

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Published in Reuters

Parties linked to Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" that swept President Viktor Yushchenko to power initialed an agreement on Monday to form a post-election coalition in parliament and a government.

The "orange" coalition is all but certain to propose former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, head of the largest "orange" group in the assembly, be restored to the job to which the president appointed her after taking office.

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Published in International Herald Tribune / AP

Ukraine's pro-Western Orange Revolution parties have won a majority of seats in parliament, giving them the right to form a governing coalition, according to final election results released Monday.

Together, the party led by the charismatic opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and the bloc loyal to President Viktor Yushchenko won 228 seats in the 450-member legislature, Central Election Commission spokesman Konstantin Khivrenko said — two seats clear of a majority.

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Published in ForUm

Central Election Commission has announced official results of early parliamentary elections, the ForUm’s correspondent informs.

Party of Regions got 34.37%,

BYuT got 30.71%,

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Published in Interfax

The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (BYuT) and Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense bloc should form the majority in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has said.

Election returns suggest only one majority configuration "BYuT, Our Ukraine and other sides that would want to be constructive in the process," he told the press in Kosice, Slovakia on Friday.

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Published in Interfax

BYuT leader Yulia Tymoshenko has said that an initial coalition agreement between BYuT and Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc shall be on President Viktor Yuschenko's desk on Saturday.

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Published in Kyiv Post
By Barbara Felitti

The Central Election Commission (CEC) will shortly certify the parliamentary election results, but the data are already clear – Yulia Tymoshenko’s message of reform resonated with voters. The opportunity to form a coalition and address the serious issue of state capture in Ukraine cannot be wasted.

“State capture” is an economics term used to describe the ability of special interests to use the influence of government to seize benefits for their own gain, at the expense of society at-large. The term gained usage in the late 80s by economist Joel Hellman to describe economic transition in post-communist countries. State capture is, in Hellman’s words, a “grand form of corruption.”

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Published in pravda.ru

Russia 's state-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom said Tuesday it agreed to settle Ukraine's debt for gas supplies, seeming to resolve a dispute that has raised concerns of a supply cut to Europe and added to the political uncertainty in Ukraine.

OAO Gazprom said earlier this month that Ukraine owed $1.3 billion (920 million euros), but Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said Tuesday that Ukraine's debt had climbed to more than $2 billion (1.4 billion euros).

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Published in UNIAN

Oleksandr Turchynov, one of the leaders of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, believes that Yanukovych`s government staying in power brings serious threat of the security to Ukraine. He said this to a news conference today.

According to an UNIAN correspondent, particularly, O. Turchynov claimed that Ukraine`s debt to Russia for the delivered gas at 2.1 billion dollars was artificial.

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Published in ForUm

The Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko will demand to hold a new session of the Verkhovna Rada by October 30th. Vice-Chairman of BYuT Olexander Turchynov has stated at today’s press conference.

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Published in RFE/RL Newsline

President Viktor Yushchenko on October 8 said representatives of the parties that won seats in the September 30 snap elections should agree on a future ruling coalition and prime minister by the end of this week, Ukrainian media reported. "I call on all political [forces] who won seats in the Ukrainian parliament to begin consultations and political negotiations and make proposals both on the format of the coalition and a candidate for prime minister Read More...

Published in Ukrayinska Pravda

The Party of Regions (PRU) has been persuading everyone that it won the election thus having the right to form a coalition. At that, the PRU MPs keep repeating that they received 2% more at this election.

However, the election results declared by the Central Election Commission (CEC) give cause for reflection: was it maybe Pyrrhic victory?

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Published in International Herald Tribune / AP

Ukraine's pro-Western parties signaled their readiness Monday to share power with their main rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, heeding President Viktor Yushchenko's call for compromise.

Yushchenko's party and the bloc led by his charismatic Orange Revolution ally Yulia Tymoshenko received enough votes in the Sept. 30 election to form a slim parliamentary majority. But Yushchenko encouraged them to form a new Cabinet together with members of Yanukovych's party, which emerged as the top vote-getter.

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Published in UNIAN

The Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko and Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense Bloc ready to yield to opposition the post of one of deputy Prime Ministers. BYuT leader Yulia Tymoshenko claimed this to journalists today, after a meeting with President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko and leaders of parties, which entered the parliament.

According to a UNIAN correspondent, Yulia Tymoshenko noted that the rights of the opposition in the future parliament, as well as in executive power bodies, must be significantly broadened.

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Published in Financial Times
By: Mr Stefan Simanowitz

Sir, Despite the pessimism for which Ukrainians are famed there are reasons to be hopeful that the latest election results might produce something resembling accountable and transparent government.

The country is polarised on regional grounds, with the Ukrainian-speaking population in central and western Ukraine supportive of greater western integration and those in the eastern regions more closely aligned to Russia. However, Yulia Tymoshenko’s appointment as prime minister would go some way to defuse these regional tensions, her party having gained support in both the east and west.

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Published in Inform Newsletter
*Get the full version here*

Tymoshenko set to be Prime Minister

The Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) has begun formal talks with the pro-presidential Our Ukraine-People’s Self Defence (OU-PSD) bloc aimed at forming a new government. The negotiations follow a dramatic week in which the pro-democracy forces triumphed at the ballot box and overcame efforts to rig the results of the 30 September parliamentary election.

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Published in Reuters

President Viktor Yushchenko summoned parties with seats in a new parliament to talks on Monday on forming a government after telling his main "orange" ally that a broad, country-wide consensus was vital for Ukraine's future.

Parties linked to the "Orange Revolution" that swept Yushchenko to power in 2004 won a slender majority of 228 seats in last week's poll, two more than required for most votes.

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Published in BBC

The Ukrainian parties that were allied during the Orange Revolution have won enough seats to form a government, unofficial final election results show.

The bloc led by Yulia Tymoshenko and President Viktor Yushchenko will have slightly more than half the seats in parliament, the count indicates.

Russian-leaning PM Viktor Yanukovych's party won the largest share of the vote and could gain some cabinet posts.

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Published in Agence France-Presse

President Victor Yushchenko gave the task of reaching an agreement for a government coalition on Friday to pro-Western parties, including his own party and the Bloc of Yulia Timoshenko (BYuT).

“The goal of these negotiations is a coalition agreement for a democratic parliamentary majority,” announced the President’s office.

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Published in The Washington Post / AP
By: Yuras Karmanau

Pro-Western parties began talks Thursday on forming a governing coalition that would resurrect rule by key forces in Ukraine's Orange Revolution.

Near-final returns from Sunday's parliamentary election pointed to a slim majority for backers of Prime Minister President Viktor Yushchenko and his 2004 Orange revolution ally, Yulia Tymoshenko.

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Published by iBYuT

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party on Thursday rejected the idea of a coalition with Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's pro-Russian Regions party, a top party official said.

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Published in RIA Novosti

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko seeks a coalition of "orange" parties in parliament after the early polls, not a broader alliance with his longtime rival, the prime minister, a leader of a pro-presidential bloc said Thursday.

With official results of the Sunday election still pending, Yushchenko has called on all parties leading the polls to start preliminary talks on forming a ruling majority leaving aside their differences, instead of directly siding with his pro-Western allies as was expected.

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Source OU-PSD Website

Deputy chairman of the OU – PSD central election committee Mykola Onishchuk considers that the President’s call for starting a dialogue between all winners of the elections doesn’t mean that Viktor Yushchenko comes out for forming broad coalition.

“I haven’t heard a real call for the coalition. The main idea was a bit different”, - Mr. Onishchuk said.

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Our Ukraine-People’s Self Defense Bloc member Taras Stetskiv rules out forming a broad parliamentary coalition on the basis of the Party of Regions and OU-PSD.

He said this to an UNIAN correspondent today, commenting on the statement of President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko, who claimed that he expects the Party of Regions, BYuT, Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defense and the Lytvyn Bloc to demonstrate political wisdom and take steps aimed at consolidating Ukraine around national priorities.

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Published by iBYuT

Opposition Leader Yulia Tymoshenko has confimed that the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) will not enter into a coalition government with the Party of Regions under any circumstance.

We were honest with our voters before elections and will be faithful to them after the elections, we will not join Party of Regions in government, our political force will stay in the opposition, said Ms. Tymoshenko.

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Published in BBC

Ukraine's Orange Revolution parties say they have won enough votes in tight early parliamentary elections to form a governing coalition.

A near-final tally gives the alliance of Yulia Tymoshenko and President Viktor Yushchenko a slim lead over a rival party of PM Viktor Yanukovych.

Mr Yanukovych - whose party has won the single biggest share of the vote - has also claimed victory.

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Published in Financial Times
By Roman Olearchyk in Kiev

Despite the apparent disapproval of the Russian energy group Gazprom, Yulia Tymo­shenko appears set to return as prime minister of Ukraine.

With just over 98 per cent of votes counted by Tuesday afternoon, Ms Tymo­shenko's bloc and that of President Viktor Yushchenko appeared to have mustered enough votes to form a narrow majority. The reunited Orange revolution duo were predicted to have nearly 230 seats between them.

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Published in EU Observer
By Elitsa Vucheva

Russian energy giant Gazprom has threatened to cut gas supplies to Ukraine unless Kiev pays a €900 million debt by the end of this month – something which could also affect EU gas supplies transiting through Ukraine.

"Bearing in mind the approaching winter season and higher demand for gas, as well as the Ukrainian repeated failures to fulfil gas contracts, Gazprom will have to reduce gas deliveries to Ukrainian consumers if the debt is not settled in October", the company said in a statement.

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Published in The Washington Post
By: Peter Finn

The Russian energy giant Gazprom announced Tuesday that it would begin reducing deliveries of natural gas to Ukraine unless the neighboring country quickly settles a $1.3 billion debt for supplies already pumped there.

In a statement, the state-controlled company said that "if the debt is not settled in October, Gazprom will be forced to begin decreasing deliveries of natural gas for consumers in Ukraine."

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The Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) supports Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in demanding an investigation into attempts to falsify the results of Ukraine’s parliamentary election. Yulia Tymoshenko today met with the President, and afterward confirmed her concern on this issue.

Ms. Tymoshenko said, “It appears that illegal acts are being undertaken to undermine the democratic processes and to falsify the election results.” Ms. Tymoshenko pointed to lengthy delays in counting votes in the east and south of the country in a concerted attempt to bolster the results of the Party of Regions and the Socialist Party. The Socialist Party needs to achieve greater than three percent to enter parliament.

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Published in Reuters
By Yuri Kulikov

Yulia Tymoshenko, one of the leaders of Ukraine's "Orange Revolution," said on Tuesday she and her allies had won enough seats in a parliamentary election to oust the prime minister and form a new liberal government.

Tymoshenko, herself a former prime minister, spoke after meeting President Viktor Yushchenko. "Orange Revolution" parties clung to a slight lead over those linked to Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich as counting drew to a close.

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Published in The Wall Street Journal
By: Taras Kuzio

Not since the heady days of the Orange Revolution has the atmosphere in Kiev been so electric. At the newly completed Hyatt, this city's only five-star hotel, the gathered journalists, international observers and Western political consultants awaited the arrival on Sunday evening of the woman who has changed the rules of Ukraine's political game.

Yulia Tymoshenko strode into her election headquarters surrounded by a throng of bodyguards to a receptive welcome. Her bloc has become the pivotal political force in Ukraine. Kiev is ripe with expectation that Ms. Tymoshenko is set to return as prime minister of a rejuvenated Orange coalition with President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense party. If so, she will have saved the Orange Revolution and Mr. Yushchenko. He would have become a lame-duck president had the governing Party of Regions won. Now he can even dream of a second term.

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Published in EPP

The President of the European People’s Party (EPP), Wilfred Martens, and the Chairman of the EPP-ED Group, Joseph Daul, have congratulated Viktor Yushchenko (NSNU) and Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) for the excellent results obtained in the elections held on Sunday in Ukraine.

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Published in the Wall Street Journal

Another election in Ukraine, another marvel of post-Soviet democracy. We'll get to the outcome in a moment. Far more important was the spirited campaign, the free choice among various parties, high turnout and a result no one dare call illegitimate. All that's a far cry from the fledgling democracy next door in Russia, where next year's presidential election will almost certainly rubber stamp Vladmir Putin's choice.

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Published in The Independent
By Askold Krushelnycky

Ukraine appears to have distanced itself further from Russia as early election results last night showed strong support for the pro-Western democratic parties.

Almost single-handedly, Julia Tymoshenko, flamboyant heroine of the so-called Orange Revolution in 2004, inspired an electorate weary of broken promises and three elections in as many years to go to the polls and back efforts to solidify their country's democracy and independence.

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Published in Reuters
By: Pavel Polityuk

"Orange Revolution" parties held a slight lead over allies of Ukraine's prime minister in a parliamentary election, results showed on Tuesday, but both sides are claiming victory and the right to form a government.

The tight finish as the count neared completion has dashed hopes the poll would resolve a power struggle between pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich.

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Published in Ukrayinska Pravda

Germany calls on Ukraine to form stable government as soon as possible.

This has been stated by Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Ukrainian News agency reports with reference to the press service of German Embassy in Ukraine.

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Published in The Times

Opponents of the Orange revolution refused to concede defeat in elections last night as allegations of ballot-rigging threatened to plunge Ukraine into a fresh political crisis.

With 91.75 per cent of votes counted, the Party of Regions led by the Moscow-backed former Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych, was ahead of the pro-Western Bloc Yuliya Tymoshenko (BYuT) by 2.5 percentage points.

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Published in BBC

Ukraine's President, Viktor Yushchenko, has demanded an urgent investigation into the delays in the vote counting of Sunday's early parliamentary election.

This came after partial results from eastern and southern Ukraine gave the Russia-leaning party of Prime Minister Victor Yanukovych a narrow lead.

However, the combined total of Mr Yushchenko and the opposition leader, Yulia Tymoshenko, is larger.

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Published in Forbes / AFX

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko demanded an immediate investigation into delays in results from vote counts in some traditionally pro-Russian parts of the country.

'I am concerned at the delay in counting votes in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine,' Yushchenko said in a televised address.

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Published in Ukrayinska Pravda

BYuT is getting ready to file actions to contest election outcome at several polling stations.

The information was reported by BYuT Vice-Chairman Oleksandr Turchynov at the press conference, UNIAN reports.  

According to him, data transfer to the Central Election Commission from Luhansk and Donetsk regions is delayed.

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Published in Le Monde
Translation: BYuT

The victory of the pro-western political forces in Ukraine is good news, for several reasons. It should allow the formation of a government with a solid majority founded on the coalition of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, the incarnation of the Orange revolution and the friends of President Viktor Yushchenko. It could facilitate the rapprochement of Ukraine and the European Union.

The Kremlins recent statement stating that Russia would respect the elections results, no matter what they are, is an encouraging sign. During the last presidential campaign where Mr. Yushchenko won against his pro-Russian rival Viktor Yanukovich, Vladimir Putin had not hesitated to intervene directly and openly in the campaign. He seems to have understood this time that these interventions were rather counter-productive.

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Published in Reuters
By Gleb Garanich

Ukraine's pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko ordered an investigation into vote counting on Monday but his rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, said his party had won the parliamentary poll and was entitled to govern.

The ex-Soviet state's "orange" opposition, allied to Yushchenko, earlier claimed victory in Sunday's election on the basis of exit polls and early returns.

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Published in The Guardian
By: Luke Harding and David Batty

The party of Ukraine's prime minister, Viktor Yanukovich, has overtaken its main rival, the orange party of former premier Yulia Tymoshenko, to claim the largest share of the vote in the country's parliamentary election.

With 77% of the results of yesterday's election in, Mr Yanukovich's Party of the Regions had gained 32.25% of the vote, while Ms Tymoshenko's party had won 32.06%, according to Ukraine's central election commission.

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Published in Times Online
By: Tony Halpin

As Yulia Tymoshenko savoured her election success in Ukraine last night, a delicious moment summed up the Kremlin's discomfort at the return to power of the Orange revolutionary.

Ms Tymoshenko was in full flow to a hall packed with journalists and television cameras when she was handed a mobile phone by her top adviser, Hryhoriy Nemyria.

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Published in UNIAN

Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defense Bloc leader Yuri Lutsenko notes that his political force is ready to form a government together with BYuT.

According to an UNIAN correspondent, he claimed this to a press conference in the Ukrainian House in Kyiv, where the Bloc’s press-center is situated.

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Published in The Washington Post
By Peter Finn

Exit Polls Show Slim Margin; Key Rivals Both Claim Victory

The fractious inheritors of Ukraine's Orange Revolution appeared to have secured a knife-edge victory in parliamentary elections Sunday, according to exit polls.

But because the vote appears to be so close, the prediction of a tiny majority for a coalition of the party allied with President Viktor Yushchenko and the bloc led by his sometime ally Yulia Tymoshenko could yet be overturned.

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Published in The Washington Times
By Natalia A. Feduschak

A pro-Western democratic coalition appeared headed for victory in parliamentary elections yesterday, dominating a vote that will decide finally whether the country aligns itself with Russia or the West.

But the narrow margin and complex balance of parties suggest a difficult period of coalition-building will be needed before the winners can press ahead with reforms promised during the 2004 Orange Revolution.

"No one can make less of or demean the victory for the country," said a triumphant opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko after the release of exit polls showing she and her coalition partners would have enough seats to form a government. "Hurray, all is well."

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Published in the Economist

Yulia Tymoshenko’s block looks set for victory in Ukraine’s parliamentary election

ONE consistent feature of Ukraine’s fluid politics is its ability to defy predictions. The biggest surprise of the parliamentary elections on Sunday September 30th was the strong support for Yulia Tymoshenko, a firebrand opposition leader and former prime minister, and charismatic heroine of the orange revolution in 2004. With more than half of the ballot papers counted, Ms Tymoshenko’s block appeared to have a lead over the party of her arch-rival and current prime minister, Viktor Yanukovich.

Ms Tymoshenko could get 33% of the votes polled. Add another 15% for her on-and-off ally, President Victor Yushchenko, and the orange coalition could be back in power in Ukraine with Ms Tymoshenko as prime minister. However uncounted ballots from eastern regions of the country, where Mr Yanukovich is strong, could yet sway the result.

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Published in Time
By: Yuri Zarakhovich

The campaign for Ukraine's parliamentary elections was fairly humdrum given the stakes at play after more than a year of governmental gridlock. But there was ample excitement the morning after Sunday's vote over the key question: who finished first?

The BYUT party of Yuliya Tymoshenko, the former Premier fired in September 2005 by her Orange block rival, Victor Yushchenko, appears locked in a neck-to-neck race with the Party of Regions (PR), led by incumbent Premier Victor Yanukovych. With 68 percent of the vote counted, Tymoshenko, whose party advocates closer relations with the West, had 32.59 percent, vs. 31.62 percent for Yanukovych, considered closer to Russia. Despite the difference at the moment being a mere 0.97 percent, an already triumphant Tymoshenko promised the media this morning that she would face them next time as Premier. However, as more votes come in from eastern Ukraine, the PR's stronghold, Yanukovych may still come up the winner, says respected Kiev-based political analyst, Victor Nebozhenko. If he pulls it off, however, it will be by a much narrower margin than expected, Nebozhenko says, and given the PR's campaign investment of some $400 million, "it's a rout."

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Published in BBC
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Ukraine's opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko says she wants to form a new coalition government following Sunday's closely fought parliamentary election.

She says she will hold talks with President Viktor Yushchenko's party in what could be a return to power for the allies of the 2004 Orange Revolution.

Partial results show Mrs Tymoshenko's bloc is narrowly leading arch-rival Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

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Published in Bloomberg
By Sebastian Alison and Daryna Krasnolutska

Ukraine's reborn Orange alliance of former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko and President Viktor Yushchenko is poised for victory after yesterday's parliamentary election, the latest results showed.

Timoshenko's bloc and Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party had 49 percent of the vote with 40 percent counted by 9:50 a.m., the Central Election Commission said on its Web site. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's party and his Communist and Socialist allies had 38.9 percent.

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Published in EU Observer
By Philippa Runner

Pro-western candidate Yulia Tymoshenko is heading for a narrow victory in Ukraine's elections, but Russia-friendly Viktor Yanukovych is behind by only a small margin amid risk of political turmoil that could impact the country's EU and Russia relations.

The West-oriented parties of Yulia Tymoshenko and president Viktor Yushchenko took 33 percent and 15 percent of votes respectively in Sunday's elections, according to preliminary results published by Unian news agency on Monday (1 October).

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