Kiev: Pro-Russia politician Viktor
Yanukovich was on course today to sweep the first round of
Ukraine`s presidential polls, five years after vote-rigging by
his supporters sparked the Orange Revolution.
Polls showed Yanukovich with a clear lead going into
tomorrow`s elections, albeit without the majority required to
avoid a second round run-off against his main challenger,
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
The Orange Revolution protests of late 2004 swept
Ukraine`s old order from power and created hopes of a new era
of prosperity and European integration for the country of 46
million people bridging the EU and Russia.
But amid grave public disillusionment after five years
of botched reform and political stalemate, the Revolution`s
hero, pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko, is set to be
bundled out in the first round.
With Tymoshenko making much of her warm ties with
Russia`s strongman Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the outcome
of the February 7 run-off is already being seen as good news
for the Kremlin, which cut off all business with Yushchenko.
After a frenetic campaign that saw the main
protagonists exchange stinging insults, today was an official
"day of calm" with all campaigning banned and campaign posters
removed from the streets.
PTI
