This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7020378.stm

The article has changed 15 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 7 Version 8
'No clear winner' in Ukraine vote Orange allies 'lead' Ukraine vote
(about 10 hours later)
Voting has ended in Ukraine's national election, with exit polls suggesting there will be no outright winner. Ukraine's Orange Revolution allies say they are ready to form a government as exit polls suggest they have won a slim majority in the new parliament.
The polls show that parties backing President Viktor Yushchenko have a narrow lead over the bloc supporting the Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych. Combined votes for the parties of Yulia Tymoshenko and President Viktor Yushchenko give them a narrow lead over Russian-leaning PM Viktor Yanukovych.
Yulia Tymoshenko, Mr Yushchenko's ally, says she will ask the president if she can form a government on Monday. But Mr Yanukovych has refused to accept defeat, pointing out that his party had emerged as the largest single group.
Mr Yushchenko and Ms Tymoshenko, who led the 2004 Orange Revolution, could get a slim majority by joining forces. The snap election was the third national poll in three years.
The election - the third in three years - was called to try to resolve a long-running political battle between pro-Western President Yushchenko and Mr Yanukovych, who favours closer ties with Russia. It was called in an attempt to resolve a long-running power struggle between Mr Yushchenko and Mr Yanukovych.
There's been enough chaos, stagnation and false reforms Viktor YushchenkoUkrainian President Q&A: Ukrainian election I believe no-one can diminish or deny the victory Ukraine has scored Yulia Tymoshenko Q&A: Ukrainian election
The relationship between Mr Yushchenko's bloc Our Ukraine - People's Self Defence and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc has been marred by disagreements over the past three years. Mr Yanukovych's party took 35.3% of Sunday's vote, with Ms Tymoshenko's bloc second on 31.5%, exit polls suggest.
The president made Ms Tymoshenko his prime minister in 2004, but their government was brought down by infighting. The party of Mr Yushchenko's supporters won 13.5%, but is expected to form a coalition with Ms Tymoshenko.
'Fundamental change' The coalition horse-trading after last year's parliamentary elections took months and plunged Ukraine into political turmoil which helped trigger the latest snap poll.
Speaking on TV on Saturday, Mr Yushchenko said there had been "enough chaos, stagnation and false reforms" in his country. Power struggle
"Either you vote for changes in your lives or you vote to bring back the past and those who have divided us and infected the very body of our nation," he said. Just over 60% of the 37.5m eligible voters cast their ballots, the electoral commission said.
href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/europe_ukraine_voices/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/europe_ukraine_voices/html/1.stm', '1191089959', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Ukrainian voters contemplate the aftermath of yet another election. href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/europe_ukraine_voices/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/europe_ukraine_voices/html/1.stm', '1191089959', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >In pictures After casting his vote, Mr Yanukovych pledged to form a coalition with "pragmatic political forces". Mr Yanukovych refuses to yield defeat before official resultsCelebrating the exit poll results, former PM Ms Tymoshenko, sporting her trademark braid, told reporters: "I believe no-one can diminish or deny the victory Ukraine has scored.
"Ukrainian people will decide today who is the most pragmatic," he said. "Everything will work out. In a matter of weeks we will hold our first government news conference."
The two men were rivals in the presidential elections of 2004, during which Mr Yushchenko suffered dioxin poisoning and was left disfigured. Mr Yushchenko's party, Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence (OU-PSD), struck a last-minute deal before the election to form a coalition with the Tymoshenko Bloc.
Mr Yanukovych won the initial poll, but the result was annulled after peaceful protests for fresh elections, which became known as the Orange Revolution. Under the deal, Ms Tymoshenko would become prime minister.
Mr Yushchenko won the new poll, but Mr Yanukovych made a comeback as prime minister in March 2006 when his Party of the Regions became the largest in parliament. But as results were coming in, Mr Yanukovych refused to yield ground.
"This significant support from the Ukrainian people... gives cart blanche to the Party of Regions to form a new, successful government," he said.
His supporters are preparing to hold what they describe as a victory rally in Kiev.
Mr Yanukovych's power base is in the largely Russian-speaking south-east, while the Orange parties enjoy support in western and central regions.
Infighting
Mr Yanukovych could attempt to form a coalition with his allies in the Communist Party of Ukraine, which won 5.1% of votes, and with ex-parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn's bloc, which won 3.8%, according to the exit polls.
Ukrainian voters contemplate the aftermath of yet another election.In pictures
But Mr Yushchenko and Ms Tymoshenko together would still have enough of seats to secure at least 226 seats - a wafer-thin majority in the 450-seat parliament, exit polls suggest.
The pair led the 2004 pro-democracy street protests - dubbed the Orange Revolution - that swept them both to power.
But the relationship between OU-PSD and the Tymoshenko Bloc has been fraught over the past three years.
The president made Ms Tymoshenko his prime minister in 2005, but their government was brought down by infighting.
Mr Yushchenko and Mr Yanukovych were rivals in the 2004 presidential poll.
Mr Yanukovych won the initial poll, but the result was annulled over claims of mass vote rigging.
Orange-clad campaigners won a peaceful campaign for fresh elections and Mr Yushchenko triumphed in the re-run.
But Mr Yanukovych made a comeback as prime minister in March 2006 and the two enemies grudgingly shared power.