Ukraine election mired in uncertainty
Ukraine’s president today called for coalition talks between the five parties elected to parliament, a measure of the continuing uncertainty over the outcome of Sunday’s ballot.
Viktor Yushchenko spoke as a near-final tally from the vote showed his party and that of his Orange Revolution ally Yulia Tymoshenko tantalisingly close to forming a majority.
His allies had said he would return Mrs Tymoshenko to her post as prime minister if they win a controlling majority.
But with his announcement, shown on national television, Mr Yushchenko appeared to be acknowledging he and Mrs Tymoshenko might not be able to form a majority coalition.
By today 99.51 per cent of the vote had been counted , giving the party of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych 34.3 per cent, followed by Mrs Tymoshenko’s bloc with 30.76 per cent.
The party loyal to Mr Yushchenko trailed with 14.19 per cent.
A victory for the Orange Revolution allies had been widely seen as assured.
Mr Yushchenko said he instructed his party and those of Mrs Tymoshenko and Mr Yanukovych, along with two other smaller parties, “to begin preliminary consultations concerning the formation of a majority in Ukrainian parliament and forming a Cabinet.”
