Ukrainian PM asks diplomats to prevent fraud in presidential vote

21:06, 13 January 2010

KIEV. January 13. KAZINFORM Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a leading candidate in the country's presidential election, on Wednesday accused her rivals of planning to rig Sunday's vote and called on the West to help prevent any fraud; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

"I would like to address... the heads of diplomatic missions in the country... and inform the international community that the state's key leaders are covering up a simple disruption of fair polls and arrangements for a large-scale fraud in Ukraine," the premier told a government meeting.

Tymoshenko and incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko came to power after a peaceful popular revolt fueled by a fraudulent election in which former premier Viktor Yanukovych was initially announced a winner.

Ahead of January 17 election, Tymoshenko is running second among the 18 candidates behind Yanukovych, the leader of the opposition Party of Regions. According to a December opinion poll, 33.6% of the respondents said they would support Yanukovych, with 19.2% supporting Tymoshenko. Yushchenko trails with a mere 3 percent.

Tymoshenko hit out at the "voting-at-home" scheme being developed in the country which she said could be used as an instrument for fraud, specifically referring to the activities of the Party of Regions in eastern Ukraine.

She instructed the Foreign Ministry to give foreign diplomats information about vote rigging so they can appeal to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to intervene "as soon as possible"; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.

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