International observers say Ukrainian election was free and fair

The Washington Post 02/09/2010 02:37

A supporter of Viktor Yanukovych joins a rally in Kiev celebrating the opposition candidate's lead in Ukraine's presidential election.

International monitors on Monday described Ukraine's presidential election as free and fair, putting pressure on Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to concede defeat despite a tight vote count and charges of irregularities.

Tymoshenko, the heroine of Ukraine's Orange Revolution, canceled a news conference and appeared to be mulling a court challenge as opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych held on to a lead of 3 percentage points with more than 99 percent of votes counted.

Tymoshenko's campaign has alleged vote-buying, repeat voting and efforts to block its representatives from taking seats on election boards in regions where Yanukovych's support is strongest.

But international observers said they detected no serious faults in Sunday's polling, a reversal of the position they took in the Orange Revolution five years ago when Yanukovych was accused of fabricating votes in his first Kremlin-backed bid for the presidency.

Joao Soares, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said the election was an "impressive display of democracy" and called on politicians to honor the outcome.

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